Psychos

Rojo Sangre

Rojo Sangre (2004)

Pablo Thenevet (Paul Naschy) is an aging actor down on his luck. After playing many classic characters on stage and on screen, he is now relegated to pitiful walk-on roles and sucking up to his scumbag agent. After making a deal with Reficul (Miguel Del Arco), owner of a decadent nightclub to make appearances dressed as the great murderers in history such as Jack the Ripper and Ivan the Terrible. Now back on his feet, Pablo turns to executing those that have offended him. Unfortunately, Pablo did not read the fine print of his contract and now he must pay for his recent successes with his soul.

Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy is excellent in this well-made though rather odd film. The editing is top notch, even inspiring and the camerawork is flawless. CGI effects are mostly well done with a few awkward moments but nothing too awful or embarrassing. While quickly paced, the ironic and comically cruel story has a strange (and only occasionally hokey) flow to it and the ending is very bizarre as well.

Naschy fans will be very pleased to see the great Jacinto Molina still in fine form this late in his career. The script (written by Naschy himself) gives the actor a chance to vent some rage at the state of the film industry. The opening conversation where Pablo explains to a fellow actor why he enjoys putting mice in a very special place is a riot. There is plenty of blood, gore, sex, and sadism to be found in this surprising little number from Spain.

Les Démoniaques (1974)

The film opens with a brief description of the wreckers, a group of pirates who, instead of cruising the seas to plunder, light fires on the beaches to lead passing ships into the rocks and then loot the wreckage. This particular group of wreckers is led by The Captain (John Rico) and is a particularly nasty and bloodthirsty bunch. While they are looting a wreck one night, two survivors (Lieva Lone and Patricia Hermenier) are washed ashore. Upon discovering them, the wreckers proceed to rape and assault the girls then leave them for dead. The two girls make their way to an abandoned cathedral where a swarthy demon is kept prisoner by a clown (Mireille Dargent) and a hippie. They make a deal with the demon in order to get their revenge on the wreckers.

Jean Rollin (Requiem for a Vampire, Grapes Of Death) directs this very weird yet visually stunning tale of pirates, a demon, the undead, psychic powers, and a clown. The soundtrack is composed of jazz and what sounds like stock horror movie music. Jean-Jacques Renon’s cinematography is gorgeous and he makes excellent use of the haunting locations. The already modest pacing of the film is hindered by some softcore sex moments but never slows to a crawl like some of Rollin’s artier efforts.

Joëlle Coeur (Seven Women for Satan) is awesome and extremely sexy as Tina, the most psychotic and violent of the wreckers. Tina’s pursuit of the two girls is unrelenting and when she screams “I’ll bring you back their heads!” well, I’m perfectly convinced she would have, if given the chance. John Rico is great as the Captain, a man who is haunted by his past misdeeds. Paul Bisciglia (Grapes Of Death) is very cool as Paul, the drunkard of the group, whose bloody (albeit highly unlikely) fate is perfectly ironic.

The two beautiful actresses, Lieva Lone and Patricia Hermenier, play their parts mute for whatever reason. According to the film these two demoniacs lose their ability to speak after getting their powers from the demon which is funny because in most of Rollin’s films, the heroines are almost always completely silent anyway. Either way, it’s kind of silly and a shame that these two actresses didn’t do more horror films. Their performances are haunting and very well played.

Les Démoniaques is an incredible film but I have to warn viewers not accustomed to Jean Rollin to put on their patience pants. Although this is certainly easier to jump into than say Rape of the Vampire or The Shiver Of the Vampires. A better Rollin starting point for casual horror fans may be found in Grapes Of Death or The Living Dead Girl. The dreamlike quality of this one may be too much for folks looking for splatter. However, what Les Démoniaques lacks in arterial spray and squewered intestines, it delivers with frightening brutality and disturbing rape scenes. There’s also gratuitous clown makeup and a disco fab “demon” man. So, if you’re looking for some trashy Eurohorror delivered with style and an unforgettable ending, then check this one out, people.

Office Killer

Office Killer (1997)

Carol Kane plays Dorine Douglas, a proofreader for the struggling magazine, Constant Consumer. One night, while working late to get an article finished on time, Dorine accidentally electrocutes blowhard Gary (David Thornton), one of her co-workers. Instead of calling the police, Dorine takes Gary’s body home, unbeknownst to her crippled and senile mother (played by Alice Drummond).

Now, Dorine is bent on removing all the cruel and dishonest workers from her office. One of the writers, Kim (Molly Ringwald) sees right through Dorine’s mousy exterior but can’t find any proof of foul play. Norah (Jeanne Tripplehorne), a consultant who is responsible for the company’s downsizing, soon learns that her embezzlement may carry a punishment worse than prison once Dorine finds out.

The multi-talented Cindy Sherman directs this very quirky and dark horror comedy. Despite its hokey and often unbelievable plot, the amount of style dedicated to Office Killer is incredible. The many subtle, quiet moments and creepy scenes mix very well with the campy feel of the storyline. The cinematography of Russell Lee Fine is sharp and well realized, often giving the film a documentary feel.

Carol Kane (When a Stranger Calls, Pandemonium) is perfect as the very disturbed Dorine. Kane really cranks up the crazy dial, especially during the scenes in which she talks to the corpses in her basement. Molly Ringwald does a fair job of playing the skeptical and bitchy Kim but comes off as overly whiny and distracting in places. The beautiful Jeanne Tripplehorne also has some trouble with the role of Norah and her performance seems forced. Luckily, Tripplehorne gets it together for the film’s climax and portrays a thoroughly terrified and desperate person.

Although it has its faults, Office Killer is a fun horror flick. Some of the performances are too mechanical and the plot has some stretches of the imagination. But its offbeat style will appeal to those looking for something strange to watch. Surprisingly, there are some gory and brutal moments that add to the pulp novel feel of the film. I can only hope that Cindy Sherman returns to the genre and delivers another pulpy and goopy horror flick.