Colony Mutation

Director - Tom Berna

Starring - Joan Dinco, David Rommel (Downer), and Anna Zizzo 

Release Date - 1995

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Don't be afraid of..."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Visual Vengeance quickly became one of my favorite boutique blu labels of recent years with their dedication to S.O.V. cinema.  I'll be honest, a lot of their films do not benefit from being restored and put on blu but it's awesome having a lot of these in my collection with many of them being stuck in VHS hell.  Some of these movies are proudly displayed in my collection.  A lot of them are movies I had never seen before and it was thanks to VV that I was able to finally check them out.  However, for every movie that I live, there is one that just didn't do it for me.  A few weeks back Visual Vengeance sent me the 1995 sci-fi horror mashup Colony Mutation from Tom Berna.  I had never seen this one before but I couldn't wait to dig into it.

     The film follows a man who is sneaking out on his hot scientist wife with another woman.  She learns of the affair when she gets his credit card bill and confronts him.  She slaps him and then throws a chemical her colleague is working at him before he beats her to death.  After hiding of her body, he tries to go about his life as if nothing happened but soon learns that the chemical he was hit with has altered his body.  His limbs are now carnivorous creatures with a taste for human flesh.  

     I went into this one knowing very little about it.  It looked like an attempt at the science gone too far films that many of us would watch on the Sci-Fi Channel before their rebranding.  While it does feel like that at times, the story is just different enough to make it feel like something somewhat unique.  It had some fun moments but loses itself during the last half of it's runtime.  The acting in this one is rough at times but I appreciate their dedication to their roles.  Most of the scenes feature dialogue spoken without conviction and a lot of their mannerisms are unnatural.  They are really into their roles but their lack of experience shows in every scene.  The story for this one is another science gone too far creating body horror.  We've seen this type of films before with films like The Blob and The Fly remakes.  I loved how the film started.  We have a cheating husband and a scientist who catches him.  In a fit of rage, she throws a chemical on him before he kills her before his body slowly changes into a flesh eating beast.  I really love how the film is written but it's the second half of the film where it loses me.  The whole body horror aspect is half-assed resulting in a poorly put together last act that has nothing enjoyable for the viewer to see.  Honestly, I feel this part was changed during filming for unknown reasons.  Finally, the film has several deaths but they are not as fun as they could have been.  The effects are very limited which is why I suspect the second half of the film is difficult to finish.  I love the idea behind his body/limbs being monsters but the way the films goes about it leaves a lot to be desired.  Overall, Colony Mutation is a movie that I was really looking forward to and was actually liking until the film lost steam.  The ending felt rather dull and out of place makes me think that it was changed on the fly.  I wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me.  Skip it.  

The Ugly

Director - Scott Reynolds (The Cult, When Strangers Appear)

Starring - Paolo Rotondo (Power Rangers Dino Charge, The Rule of Jenny Pen), Paul Glover (Spartacus, Power Rangers Ninja Steel), and Chris Graham (Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)

Release Date - 1997

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Murder is in the eye of the beholder"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school I snagged a horror documentary as a bonus movie with another horror title that I picked up somewhere.  I think it may have been Walmart at the time but I honestly can't remember.  Anyway, this documentary talked about several horror titles from the popular franchises like Child's Play and Friday the 13th but it also featured some other films that I had never heard of before.  One of those films is the 1997 horror film The Ugly from New Zealand.  A friend of mine decided to track down the movies from this for us to check out and got a VHS copy from eBay.  I remember digging it but also being a bit underwhelmed by it.  The documentary made it seem like it was a lot more gruesome than what it was.  Fast forward two decades to me checking my mail when I was surprised to find a copy of the new blu from my friends over at Unearthed Films and MVD.  This gave me the perfect chance to revisit it and, like always, I want to thank MVD for sending this one over for review!

     The film follows a psychiatrist who is sent into an asylum to interview a serial killer.  This starts out innocently enough when we learn that he was bullied by other boys and his mother was very abusive.  However, the deeper into his past she goes, the more things don't add up until he finally admits that he sees people.  Those that he has killed will tell him to kill.  They are persistent and their persistence drives him mad until he finally kills them adding yet another face to the crowd.

     The Ugly is a film that is never really talked about among genre fans but the few times I've seen it mentioned it feels like it is embellished to some extent.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the film but even by late 90s standards, it's not that gruesome or depraved.  Hell, I don't even think it's gruesome by New Zealand's standards of the time.  The acting in this one is pretty damn good.  Paolo Rotondo gives an amazing performance.  He doesn't come across as menacing or sinister but his emotional range in this film is damn impressive.  I would have loved to see him give a little more intensity during the death scenes but his performance is still fantastic as is.  The supporting cast is solid but a lot of the characters are generic or very flat which doesn't give the cast a lot to work with.  The story for this one is very interesting and works for the most part.  A serial killer that is haunted by his victims is pretty clever.  However, I would have loved to explore more of his life and the time during the killings rather than the random flashbacks.  We know what happens before it happens.  If we would have followed him through his murders then we would have that sense of unpredictability.  It's still enjoyable but we know exactly where it's going before it gets there.  Finally, the film doesn't have imaginative deaths.  A straight razor across the throat of his victims is the extent of what we get.  We have black blood, which I assume is a censorship thing over there, and some solid make-up effects but nothing that will stick with you once you hit stop on the film.  Overall, The Ugly is a solid film that could have been so much more if we had some death scenes that stood out.  It's still a fun film but I don't feel that is nowhere near as violent as others let on.  Regardless, this release from Unearthed is fantastic.  Collectors will want to grab this one.  

Plankenstein

Director - Diq Diamond (Don't Drink and Drive: A Family Film, The Bunker)

Starring - Leilani Ramos (Potluck with Smooch), Amy Jennings (Paranormal Sh!t, True Tales of Terror), and Shane Chisum (The Tattoo Club: Curse of the Dragon, Static)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "A killer surf movie"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've seen a lot of movies over the years thanks to my connection with Horror Society.  I've seen some of the wildest films imaginable with movies featuring living placentas, murderous condoms, gay bikers that create a fight club, bigfoot with an STD, and so on.  A few weeks back I received a press release for the surfing slasher Plankenstein.  The film was released on Tubi and the team behind the indie horror film wanted to get the news out.  I shared it on the site and decided to add it to my watch list.  It looked fun and a movie that I could really enjoy.  

     The film follows a surfer, a cop, and the chief of police as they investigate a string of brutal murders along the beaches of popular surf spots.  

     I went into this expecting a lot of Frankenstein puns mixed with a lot of surfing.  Instead, what I was greeted with was a move that felt like it was intentionally trying to annoy you.  I made it maybe five minutes before I found myself wishing it would end.  I hate being that way especially for an indie movie but this one was one of the hardest films to finish that I've reviewed in sometime.  The acting in this one is very stiff at time with flat dialogue.  The cast seems to be having a lot of fun on set and that shows in a few scenes but the overall acting is fairly one dimensional.  The story for this one is a slasher meets island lore.  I was expecting more a Frankenstein story with a surfing theme but what we get is a slasher that doesn't really feel like one with some made up legend that doesn't really pull the viewer in.  The film feels like there is several decent enough ideas thrown out but none of them full builds up on them.  Honestly, a patchwork surf board killing tourists would have been a much more entertaining film than what we have here.  Finally, don't expect memorable deaths.  We have some prop body parts and some blood but that is the extent the practical effects.  We do have a few scenes with some horrible visual effects that stand out.  The deaths are not memorable or imaginative but they do make good use of the practical props.  Overall, Plankenstein is not the movie I was expecting.  In fact, it was damn near impossible to finish.  When I was putting my review together I saw a similar review on Letterboxd or imdb that said the film was "intentionally trying to piss off the viewer" and I somewhat agree with it.  I wanted to like it but it was all over the place and held together with chewed gum and cheap tape.  This is one you will want to skip.  

Amityvillenado

Director(s) - Paul Tucker (Amityverse: Infinity, Steamboat Willie: Blood on the Water) and Jeff Van Gerwen (Blight, Clickbait)

Starring - Trey Ball (Clownsquatch, Sharksgiving), Jib Haddan (Semicolon), and Elizabeth McCoy (Royal Jelly, After Life Crisis)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Cloudy with a chance of death"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     The Amityville Horror did something that many other horror properties could do and that's spawn a series of unofficial sequels that are still popular to this day.  The original film and subsequent sequels are among some of the most popular genre films in history.  However, about 20 so odd years ago we started seeing films that had nothing to do with those films appear using the Amityville title.  These unofficial sequels are known for their outlandish stories and absurd titles.  While many genre fans watch them to see just how bad they truly are, I look forward to them because I truly love indie cinema.  A few weeks ago I was browsing an indie horror group on Facebook when I found a post talking about the horror comedy Amityvillenado making it's way to Tubi.  I fucking adore Tubi and quickly added the film to my watchlist.  I had originally planned on watching the film for fun while I was working on other review but I decided to write a review for it instead.  I was seriously impressed by the film and thought many other genre fans would be interested in it as well.

     The film follows two friends who are house sitting for the sister of one of them with plans of hitting up a concert nearby.  This just happens to be near the legendary home that spawned the Amityville legend.  It just happens that when they arrived in town, the iconic home was destroyed by a freak tornado.  As they try to get settled in and ready for their concert, more tornado sightings occur where those near them are left dead.  The police suspect that there is a serial killer on the loose but those in the loop know that something sinister was unleashed when the house was destroyed.

     I'll be honest.  I went into Amityvillenado expecting the worst and found myself actually enjoying it.  It's not a perfect film by any standards but it's entertaining for the most part.  The acting in this one is not bad but the characters are not likable at all.  It's almost as if the characters were written to be cliched in a funny way but they all come across as unlikeable.  The acting is solid for the most part but I wish some of the cast could have provided us with a character that didn't make me want to turn the movie off.  The story for this one pokes fun at some of the original Amityville sequels while giving us a no budget comedic tale that fits in nowhere among all the Amityville films.  I loved the idea behind the film with the Amityville house becoming so evil that is turns into tornadoes that kills.  Honestly, I really enjoyed this goofy story and how it played out.  My only real complaint about it is that very little time went into character development.  A "funny" guy that isn't funny and is always shitting, a dude that is a major buzzkill, many other unlikable characters drag a good bit of the fun down.  Finally, the film has some cheap visual effects that is not the worst I've seen but is still very noticeable.  I would have loved to see some great practical effects and memorable deaths but that wasn't in the cards with this one.  Overall, Amityvillenado is a goofy film all around and while the humor doesn't really find it's mark, the film itself is pretty fun.  I don't see myself revisiting it anytime soon but I will recommend it to someone looking for no budget fun.  Check it out.  

       

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.