NN OF THE DAMNED
Authorized release! Throw your Jef film version away~
This Aussie/Western variation on the Psycho formula is set in the tiny Outback town of Gippsland in the 1890s, where travelers visiting a remote inn are being bumped off by a mysterious interloper. After a perfectly dreary hour or so, wily lawman Alex Cord solves the mystery that somehow managed to befuddle the rest of the cast -- it seems crackpot innkeeper Dame Judith Anderson and her husband have never quite recovered from the trauma of seeing their children killed by escaped convicts who once invaded their home, and they have been busily hacking up their guests ever since. The setting provides for some pleasant location photography and gives the film a unique look and feel, but the story is completely bogged down by dull pacing and lackluster performances -- except for Anderson, who is always a treat to watch, even when she's given little to work with. ALEX CORD and MICHAEL CRAIG stars!
16x9 RATED R
NIGHT OF FEAR
This mini-feature offers an effective dose of terror in its own compact style. Terry Bourke's script takes an unusual approach, stripping out such niceties as characterization and dialogue to focus strictly on the sights and nonverbal sounds of its story. The offbeat approach works because the cast and crew manage to sustain the intensity necessary to pull this unusual gambit off. In terms of performances, Carla Hoogeveen does a convincing job of charting her character's descent from panic into terror as the film's horrific events pile up and Norman Yemm delivers an intense, primal turn that makes his animalistic villain a frightening force of nature. Most importantly, Bourke's direction really puts the screws to the audience, making excellent use of whiplash-speed editing, bizarre camera angles and a densely layered soundtrack to create a consistently unnerving atmosphere. In short, Night Of Fear is a potent, no-frills little shocker that is likely to delight fans of vintage horror.
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