Flashback - Mörderische Ferien (2000)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Michael Karen

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (writer)
Natalie Scharf (writer)

Release Date:

6 April 2000 (Germany)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Dildo | Wet T Shirt | Asylum | Serial Killer

Cast

Valerie Niehaus	...	Jeanette Fielmann
Xaver Hutter	...	Leon Schroeder
Alexandra Neldel	...	Melissa Schroeder
Simone Hanselmann	...	Lissy Schroeder
Erich Schleyer	...	Dr. Martin
Katja Woywood	...	Ella
Fabian Zapatka	...	Jörg
Christian Näthe	...	Paul
Michael Greiling	...	Hannes Fielmann
Nicola Etzelstorfer	...	Young Jeanette Fielmann
Allegra Curtis	...	Michelle Fielmann
Elke Sommer	...	Frau Lust
Detlev Buck	...	Psychiater (as Detlef Buck)
Marina Mehlinger	...	Mädchen im Zugabteil
Sebastian Deyle	...	Junge im Zugabteil

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore and some sexual content.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Clasart Film + TV Produktions GmbH

Trivia:

Sebastian Deyle was dubbed.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Leon takes the knife from Melissa in the barn, the sound of metal scraping against metal can be heard, but the knife is the only metallic object in site.

Movie Connections:

References The Evil Dead (1981)

I Know What You Did 10 Years Ago

Version: German audio, English subtitles (by SBS).

"Woah" I thought, reading the TV guide and discovering that a German slasher was about to start. The only other German movie I'd ever seen was 'Nosferatu', another movie that occasionally pops up on SBS. Having been exposed to 'Python' earlier in the day, I tuned into 'Flashback' hoping for a real horror movie, or at least a better attempt at horror.

When Jeanette Fielmann (Valerie Niehaus) was ten years old, she witnessed the murder of her parents by a dress-wearing, Norman Bates wannabe. Jeanette is locked up in a mental institution and released ten years later and is given a job as a French tutor for some rich, good-looking teenagers. However, someone knows what happened ten summers ago, and the killer is apparently back, best Sunday dress and all. Either way, those rich, good-looking teenagers are so dead.

As I am very unfamiliar with European horror movies - aside from this, 'Nosferatu', and a couple of Italian movies - I have nothing from Europe to compare it to. On the other hand, I would be surprised if it any had significant connection to European horror, as 'Flashback' seems to borrow ideas from forty years worth of Hollywood horror films, from 'Psycho' to 'Scream' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', and a few things in between. 'Friday the 13th', anyone?

Hey, I'm not having a go at 'Flashback' at all. I wasn't paying attention to all the - let's call them inspirations - as I was watching the film. I was however, practicing my Slasher-movie prediction skills, figuring out who would die and when. Predicting slasher movies is generally an easy thing to do, and I I was reasonably accurate earlier in the day with 'Python'. Reasonably accurate means I got only one wrong with 'Python'. Unfortunately, 'Flashback' managed to throw in a few plot-twists at me, leaving me with a broken pride and an entertaining film.

'Flashback' isn't scary. It is funny at times, and an entertaining film. Keeping 'Python' and these comments in mind, I have to give this - 7/10.