First Id like to thank Marco M at EuroObscura for making online screener available for me.
Sandra (Francesca Faiella) and her colleague Marco (Marco Benevento) are sent by their boss to a hardcore movie set in order to shoot a backstage: everything would appear to be everyday journalistic routine, if the shooting location didn’t happen to be the same where, fifteen years before, Sandra’s little sister was murdered by a serial killer called “The Surgeon”. Reluctant at first, Sandra will eventually face her fears by accepting the job, only to find herself involved in a new line of murders: who’s the Surgeon copycat? And more important, why are his victims coming back to life only to kill again? Bloodline is directed by Edo Tagliavini. It´s a good looking movie, professionally shot and edited. The setting is used to good effect creating some nice and creepy atmosphere.The soundtrack, composed by Claudio Simonetti, is good. The cast is strong and colourful and especially Francesca Faiella gives a intense and compelling performance. Despite the premise there is a near total lack of T & A, you get a naked back and a sideview of a naked Elena Ravaioli who by the way is very beautiful. There is gore, pretty good looking gore make-up fx from Sergio Stivaletti but some kills occur off screen and there is not as much gore as you might expect especially considering that it´s Stivaletti who is behind the fx.
Bloodline has just been released on DVD and 3D Blu-Ray in Italy. It will be out in the German speaking countries and in US by the end of the year.
This review is based upon a passwordprotected online screener provided by EuroObscura, it´s uncut and has english subtitles.
Rating: 5½ out of 7. Bloodline is entertaining, the plot gives us a new spin on old concepts and it´s well worth checking out.
/JL
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Martial artist Tye Cameron (Josh Cameron) is leading a nowhere existence when he is confronted by Benjamin (Edward Symington) - a cold blooded hitman and leader of an international band of mercenary assassins. Benjamin offers Tye a lucrative future and the chance to wipe the streets clean of hard-core criminals, drug deales, and murderers. Recruited to be a stone-cold killer, Tye quickly proves his skills. But he is haunted by images of his victims, and begin to question his death-dealing abilities. And when Tye discovers that an innocent cop is his next target, he rebells against Benjamin and his army of assassins, provoking a wildly explosive, guns-blazing showdown that will blow you away. The Apprentice is written by Justin Reznick and directed by Josh Cameron who also stars as Tye Cameron. The camera work and editing is good, the soundtrack is good and the acting ranges from good to decent. The shootouts look good and the scenes featuring martial arts are good but I would have liked to have seen more of them.. There ain´t no gore to speak of, there are some gory squibs but that´s it. And it´s practical squibs not computer gendered ones that you see here and there nowadays.
This review is based upon the region 1 DVD release from Independent Cinema.
Rating: 6 out of 7. The Apprentice is a good solid action flick, check it out! It´s a bit strange and sad that director Josh Cameron hasn´t directed a movie since 1999...
/JL
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Inadvertently brought to eart by a doomed space mission in search of intergalactic life, an army of giant carnivorous rats from outer space invade Los Angeles and develop an acute appetite for the local residents as the crass Rodan-sized rodents proceed to treat the city like a 24-hour "all you can eat" buffet! Will astronaut Sonja (Tasha Tacosa) and her ex-marine boyfriend Jake (Ford Austin) be able to exterminate them and save the planet? Rat Scratch Fever is written, directed and edited by Jeff Leroy who also handles the special fx. It´s a loving homage and a parody of giant monster movies with non-stop action and carnage. The acting is decent but it isn´t supposed to be perfect. The camera work and editing actually looks quite amazing and it´s incredible how the film makers have managed to pull this off with their limited resources. There are plenty of blood (mostly in the form of blood splattering), the gore make-up fx are ok but what sets this film apart from other films are the extensive use of models and miniatures. There are also computer gendered fx in the form of muzzle flashes, gore make-up fx as people are being ripped apart and so on.
This review is based upon the region 1 DVD release from Media Blasters label Shriek Show,
Rating: 7 out of 7. Rat Scratch Fever does have some flaws but these are charming and most of them are intentional. In my opinion this is a fantastic flick and a great homage to the classic giant monster movies! I love it!
/JL
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