JM-2 Reviews

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

An early classic in the sci-fi/alien genre!

[2 February 1999]

In typical Bava fashion this movie has great visuals, atmosphere, and a great overall 'feel' of uneasiness. The story is very well done and ahead of it's time, and parts of it were later used (and referenced in) Alien.

Two ships land on a mysterious planet after receiving a distress call, only it turns out it wasn't in distress at all... it was a lure so they can spring a trap. The bodyless aliens turn the crew against each other so they can take over their bodies, leaving the living to wonder who's on their side and who's been taken over by the unseen enemy.

This is a great early sci-fi gem that has a great mix of horror, a mix between Star Trek and Invasion of the Body Snatchers is how this could be described. Worth a watch if you can find it.

The House of Clocks (1989 TV Movie)

A great made for tv movie

[29 December 1998]

Fulci made this for Italian television, however, it still has fair amounts of gore for tv. This one doesn't need gore though because it has a great story. It's about three "seedy" criminals who decide to knock off an old couple in a home invasion. Suddenly the clocks start to go backwards, so does the time, and sooner or later we see them back again... only the couple wasn't a nice old couple to begin with, they were pretty seedy also.

Manhattan Baby (1982)

Hard to follow but worth the watch

[29 December 1998]

This film IS very hard to follow, but easily worth the watch. Has the usual Fulci touches... gore, atmosphere, and even those cool cemented eye contact lense things that he used in The Beyond. The score is another classic by the genius Fabio Frizzi that perfectly sets the mood for the film.

City of the Living Dead (1980)

Probably one of Fulci's goriest

[29 December 1998]

Fulci is at top form in this one. When a priest hangs himself a doorway to hell is opened causing all sorts of gory mayhem to ensue. Highlights include a drill going through a young man's head that comes out the other side, and a young woman who probably holds the record for the longest throw-up scene when she vomits up nearly all of her insides. Fans of Fulci's other movies like The Beyond and Zombi will love this.