The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

Director - Jon Spira (Lexx, Dust)

Starring - Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick: Chapter 2), Harriet Walter (The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, Doctor Who), and Juan Aneiros 

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Documentary

Tagline - "Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time... the trick is never be terrible in them"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the documentaries that many of the Severin box sets contain.  They are often insightful, very well put together, and really bring a new layer to these sets that Severin puts a lot of time and energy into.  I recently worked through the Exorcismo set and the documentary that accompanied that release really set the stage for what I was about to see.  I was really looking forward to the Christopher Lee documentary that was included in the Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3.  I'm a huge fan of Lee's and was really looking forward to learning more about his life and legendary career.  

     The documentary follows the early life and career of Lee from his noble bloodline to struggling finding work on the stage.  We see all this through film historians, relatives, and those that were lucky enough to work with him during his lengthy and legendary career.  

     I went into this one very excited to check it out but found myself really struggling with the way it was shot.  Documentaries are a powerful form of cinema when done correctly but some filmmakers want to experiment in ways that makes their documentaries stand out while still delivering on the topic at hand.  The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a unique documentary that had some things I liked but a lot that I didn't.  The interviews in this one features a wide range of people from different backgrounds.  We have legendary filmmakers, actors, producers, long time friends, relatives, and so on that give a great deal of insight into his life and career.  The topics discussed was very informative and enlightening at first but as the film progressed we started getting into the more common knowledge about Lee.  Finally, the documentary is very well put together but I absolutely hated the narration.  The voice actor did not sound anything like Christopher Lee and the puppet randomly cutting into each scene was extremely nerve wracking.  I have no idea why this was added but it absolutely ruined what could have been a fantastic doc about a true icon.  Overall, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a documentary that has great interviews and discuses a great deal of Lee's personal and professional life.  Sadly, the narration and puppet/animation was a scene killer in my opinion.  It took away from what would have been a fantastic documentary.  Skip it.  

A Feast at Midnight

Director - Justin Hardy (Strictly Supernatural, Secret History)

Starring - John Hurley, Freddie Findlay (Rasputin, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries), and Sebastian Armesto (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens)

Release Date - 1994

Genre - Comedy/Drama

Tagline - "A 500 year old school.  A prehistoric form master.  ...and a 10-year old chef"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A couple weeks ago I received The Eurocrpyt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from my friends over at Severin Films.  At the time I thought that I had only seen one of the films in the set which actually turned out to be two films when I realized one was using an alternate title.

  Anyway, the one film that I had previously seen in this set was the 1994 family friendly kid's movie A Feast at Midnight.  This was previously released by Severin as part of their Severin Kids line where I bought a copy for my collection.  I liked the film but only watched it the one time before placing it on my shelf to collect dust.  I'm glad it was included in this set which gave me another reason to revisit it

**Spoiler Alert**     The film follows a young boy who is sent to a boarding school where he is immediately ostracized and mocked.  He is unable to make friends until he decides to turn his love of cooking into a late night meeting for his classmates.  He slowly starts building friendships with his class and the school nurse while sneaking around from the dean, an angry teacher, and a cook who refuses to let students in his kitchen. **Spoiler Alert**

     There is a lot to unpack with this movie but I honestly love it.  The artwork infuriates me but I get why it looks like that and the title is dumb but, once again, it fits the film.  I know many genre fans are going to be disappointed in it but I absolutely loved it.  

The acting in this one is great.  Christopher Lee once again gives us a larger than life character that I really enjoyed watching.  He really got into the role and made it his own.  The main cast consists of young boys with very little, if any, experience.  Yet, they were able to do a fantastic job together.  They made the film as fun as it was and it's a damn shame that many of them did not continue their careers in acting.  

The story for this one is not what I was expecting the first time I saw it.  The artwork and title makes you think that Christopher Lee is a monster snatching up students at night.  However, the artwork is referencing his nickname that the students call him behind his back while the title is obviously referencing the young boy's love of cooking for his classmates at night.  It's a family friendly story that I found to be very entertaining and still holds up after the second viewing.  

Finally, don't expect a film with a lot of effects and fun deaths.  This is a no budget kids film so we don't have any effects to enjoy.  Overall, A Feast at Midnight is not going to be the kind of film that many genre fans are going to love but I found myself having a lot of fun with it.  It's an amazing performance from Lee with the rest of the cast delivering unforgettable performances.  I highly recommend this one even if you don't have children.  

     

Arabian Adventure

Director - Kevin Connor (Motel Hell, The Land That Time Forgot)

Starring - Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man, Hugo), Milo O'Shea (Barbarella, Theater of Blood), and Oliver Tobias (The Wicked Lady, Robin of Sherwood)

Release Date - 1979

Genre - Fantasy/Adventure

Tagline - "Soar into a magical world of action, excitement and enchantment"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     This Christopher Lee collection from Severin Films has been a big surprise.  When I received this one for review I immediately noticed that I had only seen one film in the set prior to it's release.  Since then I've realized that I had seen another film in the set but it was under an alternate title.  With that being said, this set has been a lot of fun and only seems to be getting better.  As I hit play on the fourth film, Arabian Adventures from 1979, I was surprised to see how stacked this cast was and that it was directed by Kevin Connor.  I had never seen this one before but I couldn't wait to check it out.

     The film follows an evil ruler (Lee) who is after an ancient artifact that will grant him unspeakable power.  However, a young thief, his pet monkey, and an imprisoned prince to stop him from gaining the ultimate power and claiming the princess.

     I was really looking forward to checking this one out when I saw the cast list for it.  I figured the story for this one was going to be dated and steeped with unintentional racism that was common in American films from the 60s and 70s that represented other societies and cultures.  While it does show some of this to a degree, it was still a lot of fun for what it was.  The acting in this one is great once you look passed the white washing of the entire cast.  Lee as the evil ruler is absolutely brilliant and then we have fantastic performances from the entire cast.  While I would love to spend all day going over the cast alone for the film, I'm just too damn lazy to do so.  The story for this one is a lot like the classic film Thief of Baghdad where we have a prince who is being forced to find the ancient relic who befriends a young boy and his monkey to do it but must stop the evil ruler at all costs.  It's a fun fantasy adventure story with Middle Eastern customs that are white washed over in order to make them more appealing to western audiences.  Finally, the film is not one with blood and guts.  Instead, we get some really dated visual effects and camera tricks.  The film doesn't over do it in the special effects department due to budget issues but these gags does add to the fun of the film.  Overall, Arabian Adventure is a bit insensitive in regards to other races but is still a solid family friendly fantasy adventure.  I really enjoyed it and can see myself watching it a few more times before putting this set back on the shelf.  Check it out.

The Virgin of Nuremberg

Director - Antonio Margheriti (The Unnaturals, Cannibal Apocalypse)

Starring - Rossana Podesta (Hercules. Man of the Year), Georges Riviere (Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell, Castle of Blood), and Christopher Lee (The Hunting of the Snark, Dark Shadows)

Release Date - 1963

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Women's virtues made him a killer"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I received The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from Severin Films, I expected to see several titles that were completely new to me.  However, I'm surprised by how many of these films in this set that I had actually seen.  I had just finished Beat Girls and The Hands of Orlac when I decided to continue on with 1963's The Virgin of Nuremberg.  This was a movie I thought I had never seen before but I soon realized that it was very familiar to me.  After a quick search I learned that the film was also released under the title Horror Castle.  This was a film I had previously watched back many years ago and completely forgot about it.  It was awesome getting to revisit it in this amazing set from my friends over at Severin.

     The film follows a young American bride who is taken to her husband's German castle after their marriage.  She soon learns of the rich history the castle has and how one of the properties long time employee was once disfigured by Nazis during World War II.  While exploring the castle and it's many rooms, she finds a woman bound and tortured but when she returns with her husband the woman is nowhere to be found.  She then learns about the castles "secret" from decades before when an evil man known as "The Punisher' would torture people in the castle's dungeon.  While the more superstitious employees say that he is back, the young woman suspects that her new husband or one of his employees are responsible for the heinous acts.

     I was not expecting to see this one when I hit play on The Virgin of Nuremberg but it was pretty cool to revisit this one after all these years.  It's a fantastic film but it's nowhere near the top 20 of Lee's best performances.  I do enjoy it and can see this set being worth it just for this film alone but in the 70 years Lee was in film, it's not even a speck on his career.  The acting in this one is solid but not the best I've seen.  Many, like myself, will be tossing this one in with hopes of seeing a fantastic performance from a young Christopher Lee.  He delivers a solid enough performance but his character is not that memorable and he doesn't really get the screen time fans would have liked.  However, Georges Riviere is great in her role.  She does a great job carrying the scenes and shows a wide array of emotions.  I've always liked her in this film but can't think of a reason why I have yet to look up other films of hers.  The supporting cast is decent but we do get a lot of cheesy performances from many of them.  It's not the worst I've scene but early 60s cinema is a lot of camp.  The story for this one is one that was pretty popular in the 60s where we follow a woman in an old castle where something sinister once took place.  It's not the most original story I've seen from the time but I do enjoy the Nazi addition to the story to give the film real world lore.  It has great atmosphere and tension but the predictability and poor pacing in some scenes does stop it from reaching it's full potential.  Finally, the film has some solid make-up effects and light blood but doesn't really deliver on the gore.  Early 60s genre films were more about locations, atmosphere, and story over blood and gore.  Overall, The Virgin of Nuremberg is an effective gothic horror title with some great atmosphere and tension but does have issues with it's pacing.  While Lee does appear in the film, he does not have as much screen time as I would have liked.  Regardless, it's a fun film that deserves to be seen.  

The Hands of Orlac

Director - Edmond T. Greville (Temptation, House on the WaterFront)

Starring - Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City, Eaten Alive!), Christopher Lee (Sleepy Hollow, Howling II... Your Sister is a Werewolf), and Dany Carrel (Inferno, The Chaser)

Release Date - 1960

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The frightening nightmare of a man who finds himself with hands which he can't control"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been lucky enough to review several Christopher Lee movies over the years.  Most were horror tales but a few, like the previous film Beat Girl, are not from my beloved genre.  Lee will always be remembered for his long and varied career but horror fans will always be grateful for his contributions to the genre.  Many genre fans, myself included, hail Lee for his performances in the many Hammer horror films.  His performance as Dracula and many other characters for Hammer horror is legendary by any standards.  As I started down the list for the new Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 3 I noticed a movie that I was very unfamiliar of.  When I was in high school I went through a period where I was obsessed with silent cinema.  It was during this time that I watched The Hands of Orlac which was a classic from it's time.  However, this set just happened to contain a movie by the same name.  This was a huge surprise to me because I had no idea that it was remade in 1960.  I was really excited to see this one and couldn't wait to hit play on it.  

     The film follows a world famous pianist who finds himself in a life threatening accident where his hands are severely burned.  His hands start to heal after the accident but he is unable to play to the degree that he was able to before the accident.  To make matters worse, he learns that his hands were actually transplanted to him and once belonged to a murderer.  Now his hands are taking on a life of their own and want to murder everyone around him.

     I went into The Hands of Orlac not knowing what to expect.  It had been damn near 20 years ago that I had seen the original film and did not remember a lot about it but I was excited to see this early 60s horror title that featured the legendary Lee.  The acting in this one is great.  I absolutely loved Lee's character in the film.  It was as if he was written for Lee specifically.  His larger than life performance was great but was overshadowed by the film's star, Mel Ferrer.  Ferrer made the film for me.  His performance is pretty fucking intense, especially during the last portion of the film, and brought out so many emotions.  He really does a fantastic job making the film what it was.  The story for this one is great for a drive-in era horror title.  As I stated earlier, I don't remember a lot about the original film so I cannot speak on how close it resembles it but I enjoy it for what it is.  What I like about this one is that it takes the premise for the brain transplant films and swaps it out with murderous hands.  It's a fun little change that works to a certain degree.  With that being said, some of the scenes in the film lead to nowhere.  They do nothing for the story nor the pacing.  Finally, the film has some light make-up effects and that is about the extent of it.  Like the films of it's time, the movie doesn't rely on the gore to get a rise out of the viewer.  Instead, it's character driven and we are expected to use our imaginations for the deaths.  Overall, The Hands of Orlac is not going to be a memorable film in the filmography of such a great actor but it's a decent film for what it was.  It's a worthy addition to this set and worth your time.  Check it out.  

Beat Girl

Director - Edmond T. Greville (Guilty?, The Silk Noose)

Starring - David Farrar (The 300 Spartans, The Webster Boy), Noelle Adam (Sergeant X and the Foreign Legion, The Wonders of Aladdin), and Gillian Hills (A Clockwork Orange, The Killer Wore Gloves)

Release Date - 1960

Tagline - "My mother was a stripper... I want to be a stripper too"

Format - Blu (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Christopher Lee is a name that any movie fan recognizes.  His career is legendary and he left his mark on every genre imaginable.  While I grew up on he Hammer horror films and later the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was his late 90s and early 00s family friendly films that I've learned to appreciate the most.  His career spanned 70 years and showcased some of the best acting ever filmed.  I've seen a lot of his films over the years but I'm always open to watch more.  That's why I jumped at the chance to review Severin Film's Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3.  I had seen two of the films in the set but the other four were brand new to me.  I couldn't wait to check it out and as soon as I could I tossed in Beat Girl which was released originally under Wild for Kicks.  I want to thank Severin Films for sending this one over!

     The film follows a wealthy designer who returns to his home after being away for several months with his new wife in tow.  Waiting for him at home is his 16 year old daughter who is deep into the underground jazz scene.  The step-mother, who is a former stripper, tries hard to connect with her new step-daughter but the closer she gets to her the further away she pushes her into a career of stripping.

     Beat Girl is not the kind of film that I would willingly go out of my way to review.  This dance drama is not the kind of movie that I would be interested in.  However, seeing Christopher Lee's name appear on the poster made me instantly interested and while I was not a big fan of this one, I still enjoyed it.  The acting in this one is great and I might as well go ahead and dress my only problem with the acting.  That is that Lee himself is not in the film as long as I would have liked.  With that being said, David Farrar and Gillian Hills make the film.  Farrar is fantastic as the father that has distanced himself from his daughter and Hills is amazing in her role.  She absolutely kills and it makes this film as fun as it is.  The story for this one is kind of a bratty take on the dance drama of the era.  It's hard to like these wealthy, entitled characters but the film finds of way to keep it interesting and glued to the screen.  While this is not a film that I could see myself watching on my own, I still enjoyed the story and how well the pacing was.  Finally, don't expect a film with a body count or memorable deaths.  It's a character driven drama with a great cast.  Overall, Beat Girl is not the kind of movie many of you Horror Society readers would be interested in.  However, seeing Christopher Lee early on in his career is pretty fucking cool.  Check it out.  

     

A Blind Bargain

Director - Paul Bunnell (The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, Strange Tales)

Starring - Crispin Glover (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Back to the Future), Jake Horowitz (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, The American Werewolves), and Lucy Loken (Teen Wolf, Devil in the Details)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A reimagining of the lost Lon Chaney classic"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm one of the few that are open to remakes and reimagining of classic movies.  The way I see it, remakes have the ability to expand on a story that we already know and love or it could suck which leaves us with the original to watch.  A few days back I received a press release for a reimaging of the lost Lon Chaney film A Blind Bargain.  I was unfamiliar with the original film but I was immediately sold when I saw that it starred Crispin Glover.  I know he is eccentric and can be a bit much but I fucking love him.  He never disappoints me when he is in front of the camera but a few of the films he has been apart of were damn near unwatchable.  Regardless, I had to see this one so I replied to the email and was granted a screener link.  

     The movie follows a young man recently sent home from the Vietnam war with a new habit.  He's dependent on drugs and his mother, along with a social worker, want's him to get clean.  They recommend a clinic for treatment and his initial appointment results in them drawing his blood.  They later call him and state that after running a test on his blood sample they are able to determine that his mother has the type of blood that the doctor needs for his experiments to reverse aging.  He offers the young man a large sum of money for a pint of her blood.  Owing a hefty amount to a local drug dealer, he tricks his mother into visiting the clinic where they sedate her in order to take her blood as needed.  He gets his money and soon finds himself in need or more and more forcing him to turn to the strange doctor to chip away at his aging mother.

     I know absolutely nothing about the original film or why it's considered lost.  What I do find funny is that it's listed as the "lost" Long Chaney "classic."  If the film was lost then how is it a classic?  Is anyone alive that has seen it?  When was it lost?  These are all questions that I don't want to take the time to look up.  I may not know a lot about the original film but I did enjoy this remake, or reimaging, though it was extremely slow at times.  The acting in this one is is very well done.  While Glover stole every scene he was in, it was Jake Horowitz that makes the film for me.  He is a strong lead and goes to great lengths to make his character believable.  One hell of a performance from someone that I was unfamiliar with.  The supporting cast is solid for the most part but we do get a few scenes with dialogue that lacks conviction and feels flat.  The story for this one reminds me of a few other films I've seen from the 60s up until today.  A selfish doctor or scientist is running illegal experiments where he offers someone down on their luck cash for blood, plasma, semen, and so on.  What makes this one stand out is that the person on their luck gives up their parent instead of bodily fluids.  It works especially when you see all the fun and memorable characters tossed in to move the film along.  With that being said, several scenes were painfully slow and difficult to finish.  These scenes does throw the pacing off but doesn't ruin the film.  Finally, the film is not one with memorable deaths.  We get a lot of colorful characters but fantastic blood and gore is not part of this film.  Overall, A Blind Bargain is a fantastic vehicle for Crispin Glover to play a mad doctor but the story is predictable and often too slow for it's own good.  It's fun for a first time watch but nowhere near as enjoyable as man TikTokers and IG influencers are letting on.  Check it out.  

The Sticks

Director - Peter Kominek (Slug Brothers, Timber) 

Starring - Shelby Cox-Dersch (Karma, B*tch), Mitchel Roelfsema (Faultline, Don't Kill the Babysitter), and Vanessa Wenzel (Falling Through the Cracks: Greg's Story, Tribal)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     I try to keep an eye out for movies that might peak my interest and I never know where that may be.  It could be an email from a press release or randomly through a Facebook message.  A few weeks ago I was looking through one of the indie horror groups on Facebook when I saw a post for the 2025 film The Sticks.  The post was announcing that it was now available to stream on Tubi.  The artwork really caught my attention and I quickly added it to my watch list.  After I made my way through that Exorcismo set from Severin, I decided to watch a couple indie horror flicks with The Sticks included.

     The film follows a young woman with a knack for survival as she finds herself lost in the woods alone.  She had originally planned on camping with her boyfriend but something happened forcing her to flee alone.  Now, she is forced to survive as something lurking in the woods is hunting her.

     I went into The Sticks seriously excited thinking I was about to see a creature feature set in the woods.  Sadly, that was not the film in front of me at all.  In fact, the film that I saw just followed a woman as she stumbled and panicked in the woods while showing off her camping and survival skills.  I've seen a lot of dull films over the years but this has to be the most boring indie horror film I've seen in recent memory.  The acting in this one is very one sided.  Shelby Cox-Dersch carries the film.  The cast is rather small but most of the film, at least an hour of the film's run time, is Cox-Dersch alone surviving in the woods.  The supporting cast is solid for the little screen time they do get but it's Cox-Dersch that carries the film.  With that being said, her character is not that likable and it's hard to tell if it was just the way she was written, how she was portrayed, or if it was intentional.  The story for this one somewhere in there but I couldn't find it.  From what I could see, the film is meant to depict a woman running from a supernatural creature but the film started out with flashbacks of camping before we saw the young lady running through the woods for no apparent reason.  Maybe I missed something or maybe this is one of those films where you needed to be high as balls but I couldn't make heads or tales from it.  Finally, the film has some great make-up effects but that is the extent of what we will see in this one.  I was hoping the creature from the poster would make an appearance but it doesn't.  That is if I didn't miss it.  Overall, The Sticks is one of those indie horror films that confuses the fuck out of me.  What is the purpose of the film and where is the story?  Honestly, I don't know if I missed something extremely important when I was watching it or the film fell apart during filming.  Regardless, I can't recommend this one.  Skip it.  

The Anointed

Director(s) - Jimmy Arbugh and Travis Lander

Starring - Jimmy Arbugh, Louise Arbaugh, and Marcedel Arbaugh

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Keep the faith"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing indie horror for years now and it's absolutely my favorite thing to do.  I love watching a no budget indie flick and then typing out my thoughts regardless if I had fun with the movie or not.  It's always a fun experience to check out an indie horror flick and I refuse to turn down for review.  Back before I started reviewing the Exorcismo set from Severin Films, I was asked to review the indie horror flick The Anointed.  I had already promised Severin I would check the set out but I didn't expect the set to take me as long as it did.  In fact, it took me almost a month to check it out and I would like to apologize to Shane Taraschke for allowing myself and Horror Society the opportunity to check it out.

     The film follows a a backwoods cult that is keen on misinterpreting the bible and killing those they feel are going against their beliefs.  Lucky for them, a pair of friends exploring the beautiful country of Arkansas and a small group of friends both cross paths with them resulting in some blood shed.

     I absolutely love religious horror and feel that it doesn't get enough love especially from the indie horror community.  I grew up in Appalachia and find religion, especially fanatical Christianity, to be extremely scary.  That's why I was so excited to check out The Anointed.  It looked like an no budget nod to films like Red State and Inverted.  Inverted had it's moments and I absolutely loved Red State.  The Anointed was a decent film but had a lot working against it.  The acting in this one was not that enjoyable for me.  The film starts out with a YouTube style vlogging introduction that was extremely difficult to watch.  The dialogue is very forced and not natural during this scene with the film not really improving as it progressed.  The cast, for what I was able to find, is not very experienced but they do show dedication to their roles which not something I can say about a lot of films regardless of budget.  The story for this one has it's issues but I absolutely love the idea of a religious cult in the woods killing trespassers who sin.  With that being said, having the two friends die before moving to the group split the film up when it didn't have to.  This, along with scenes that are a bit too long for the story, took away from the pacing.  Finally, the film has plenty of blood.  While the effects we get are very limited, it is not shy with the red stuff.  We get a lot of bloody deaths and moments that fit with the film very well.  Overall, The Anointed is extremely rough around the edges but is still enjoyable especially if you are a fan of religious horror.  While I don't see myself revisiting it anytime soon, I still enjoyed it.  Check it out.    

Dead By Dawn

Director - Dawid Torrone (Opowie Ci o Zbrodni)

Starring - Sylwia Boron (Bloody Date, Hold Tight), Monika Frajczyk (Leave No Traces, Green Border), and Adam Machalica (Planet Single, Raspberries)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I never know what to expect when I check my Horror Society email.  Am I going to get an email from a fan confused by what we do at Horror Society asking if they can get a role in a film?  Is it going to be a random actress asking for us to share their OnlyFans link?  Or, is it going to be a press release for a movie that I really want to see?  My emails can be pretty weird especially when I get the random off the wall emails from people that shouldn't have access to the internet.  However, I sometimes get emails to check out a movie that has really peaked my interest.  A few weeks back I received the press release for Polland's first giallo, Dead by Dawn.  The title, which also shares a name with the alternate title for Evil Dead II, really caught my eye with it's artwork.  I replied to the email and they were kind enough to send a link over for me to check.  

     The film follows a group of aspiring stage actors who visit an old theater that was once considered prestigious.  What they don't know is that a masked maniac is stalking the property killing everyone that is unfortunate enough to cross paths with them.  

     I went into Dead by Dawn excited to see a stylish and beautifully shot giallo but what I found was an extremely slow paced slasher with a lot of scenes that need trimmed down.  I seriously wanted to like this one but it wasn't meant to be.  It was painfully slow, uninteresting, and the slasher was very disappointing.  The acting in this one is easily one of the only redeeming qualities I could find in the film.  The characters are fairly forgettable and we don't have any outstanding performances but I liked the cast.  They really get into their roles and work well with each other.  The story for this one has an interesting premise but fails to put it all together into something truly enjoyable.  The film uses long, drawn out scenes with beautiful cinematography and locations to try to capture that giallo feel but it doesn't really give viewers the Italian mystery feel.  The movie is a slasher for the most part with an occult angle that is never fully explored as much as I would have liked.  I wish this was introduced earlier in the film and the mystery portion of the story played a bigger role.  Instead, we have a slasher flick that just doesn't have the fun that many slashers before it was able to deliver.  Finally, the kills offer up a lot of blood but they don't have the best practical effects or imagination.  The masked killer's weapon of choice is a meat cleaver but the deaths are unable to deliver on the imagination and originality that other meat cleaver killers, like 100 Tear, did before it.  Also, the killer's mask is pretty lame.  It's a mask covered in bright white eyes that does nothing for the scene.  Overall, Dead by Dawn just wasn't as fun as I had hoped it was.  It doesn't feel like a giallo.  Instead, it's a standard slasher where the killer has a stupid mask.  I want to recommend this one but I can't.  Skip it.