Rating: 
Summary: The early seventies-what a great era
Review: Another terrific early seventies creep-fest. With me it's always about mood and atmosphere. This one also has some good gore and of course great bell-bottoms. There is just something about watching this one late at night with the lights off and a beer in your hand. Somehow it just seems perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: A great transfer to DVD; a far from great movie.
Review: I first saw Tower of Evil when I was ten years old and remembered being scared by that viewing. After just recently seeing it for the second time, I discovered that the film has lost much of its punch. The film starts off strong leading the viewer to a gruesome discovery and a path of mystery waiting to be revealed. Then things slow down. I don't mean just applying the brakes, I'm talking putting it on the parking gear! Towards the end it began to pick up, but the final "twist" felt very flat to me. However, I must give a strong Kudos to Elite Entertainment for their brilliant job in the remastering of this film. The picture quality is excellent and the cinematography beautifully stands out. I hope in the future, Elite does this sort of fine work on better films. I recommend this to the slasher movie completist only.
Rating:
Summary: A great transfer to DVD; a far from great movie.
Review: I first saw Tower of Evil when I was ten years old and remembered being scared by that viewing. After just recently seeing it for the second time, I discovered that the film has lost much of its punch. The film starts off strong leading the viewer to a gruesome discovery and a path of mystery waiting to be revealed. Then things slow down. I don't mean just applying the brakes, I'm talking putting it on the parking gear! Towards the end it began to pick up, but the final "twist" felt very flat to me. However, I must give a strong Kudos to Elite Entertainment for their brilliant job in the remastering of this film. The picture quality is excellent and the cinematography beautifully stands out. I hope in the future, Elite does this sort of fine work on better films. I recommend this to the slasher movie completist only.
Rating:
Summary: Schlocky at best
Review: Oh boy, what a schlockfest. This movie seemed more like an R rated Scooby Doo mystery than a horror picture. There were some horror bits, but it was more comical than scary. The plot is that these early to mid-twenty somethings get stuck on this island which has an old lighthouse. After awhile, they find out that the island has a gruesome history, and a terrible secret in the caves under the tower(lighthouse). Soon, they start getting themselves killed off, and it's really no big loss, as they're a bunch of knuckleheads who you don't care about anyway. The shock ending, where you discover the truth about what's going on, was pretty lame. And the sets seemed like something out of Gilligan's Island. Interesting thing is, almost all the women who appear in this movie, get naked at some point. If you're into schlock horror movies, then you may enjoy this one, but if you like your horror movies to be more substantial, then you should probably pass this one up.
Rating: 
Summary: Scooby Doo for adults
Review: Okay: (1) The acting *is* wank (except for Dennis Price); (2) the script is hilarious (One classic exchange: "If Penny didn't kill those kids, then who did?" "Someone else, obviously."); and (3) the "twist" ending is absurd (although it predates by one year the strangely similar finale in _Don't Look Now_).But: This movie is lots of fun. AND it can still generate a couple of screams!! Imagine a live-action, British version of Scooby Doo for adults. This movie is the product of the same time and mindset as the cartoon. It has everything the horror movie fanatic could want: gory murders (even the old severed head rolling down the stairs), secret tunnels, buried treasure, a hint of evil spirits, madness, a monster, sexual intrigue, gratuitous nudity, and lots of creepy atmosphere. That island is the most foreboding piece of land I've ever seen. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Scooby Doo for adults
Review: Okay: (1) The acting *is* wank (except for Dennis Price); (2) the script is hilarious (One classic exchange: "If Penny didn't kill those kids, then who did?" "Someone else, obviously."); and (3) the "twist" ending is absurd (although it predates by one year the strangely similar finale in _Don't Look Now_). But: This movie is lots of fun. AND it can still generate a couple of screams!! Imagine a live-action, British version of Scooby Doo for adults. This movie is the product of the same time and mindset as the cartoon. It has everything the horror movie fanatic could want: gory murders (even the old severed head rolling down the stairs), secret tunnels, buried treasure, a hint of evil spirits, madness, a monster, sexual intrigue, gratuitous nudity, and lots of creepy atmosphere. That island is the most foreboding piece of land I've ever seen. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: The bridge between H.G. Lewis and Friday the 13th.
Review: Right off the bat I'd like to BLOW A VERY LARGE RASPBERRY at a couple of "High Brows" here for POTENTIALLY *BLOWING* the MOVIE'S ENDING for folks interested in purchasing this video! Clear enough? DUHHHHHHHH... Somewhere between the laughable special effects of the 60's H.G.Lewis comedy gore fests and the "in your face" splatter of Jason Vorhees and the Friday the 13th franchise - this little overlooked GEM (Originally titled The Horror of Snape Island) was born. Yes, after 30 years or so, it IS dated in look and feel. But then again, so is PSYCHO. However, when you dissect (no pun intended) the plot, actors, effects, budget and action there is still a surprising - and pleasing - amount of gore and mayhem for your viewing dollars! Whereas the Lewis extravaganzas were "PURE GEEK/bite the head off a chicken" style viewing fare/farce (and a nifty excuse for you and your date to retire to the back seat and make out)- Tower of Evil still actually manages to generate some legitimate shivers and realism. The REAL comparison to Hell Night is the ATMOSPHERE! Those of you who remember seeing the camera open that initial expansive view of the haunted house will undoubtedly remember thinking "THAT is somewhere I would NOT want to BE! PERIOD!" And so it is with Snape Island. This place *is* fog shrouded, desolate CREEP CITY! I don't know about you, but I've always felt that crabs feeding on dismembered body parts is probably Nature's way of trying to tell me something... The "plot" has already been reviewed elsewhere, and frankly there ARE some slow spots and not so clever attempts at beating you over the head with clues to the psychopath's identity. But wait! Getting THERE is HALF the FUN! The shots of the sole survivor's "medically" induced flashbacks are reminiscent of many Avengers episodes with the banks of randomly flashing colored lights serving to remind us of the HIPNESS of the times... Yeah. Right. (Not to mention trying to make us forget that the budget was $37...) But, be of good cheer horror fans, what they saved on the minimalist sets and miscellaneous effects - like the aforementioned boat ride - the producers DID wisely invest in gore and nudity! For what it's worth, this is one of the most amazing restorations I have ever seen! The CLARITY is beyond any movie I've seen on DVD, bar none. It's an amazing feat for a grade B studio offering and even on a 60 inch screen it is pure dynamite! Recognize this offering for what is is: It's a very good and very effective slasher film that was well ahead of it's time and still remains head and shoulders above the vast majority of GARBAGE available over the past three decades. Take a chance! This one's a KEEPER that you'll be proud to spring on your friends... ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: The bridge between H.G. Lewis and Friday the 13th.
Review: Right off the bat I'd like to BLOW A VERY LARGE RASPBERRY at a couple of "High Brows" here for POTENTIALLY *BLOWING* the MOVIE'S ENDING for folks interested in purchasing this video! Clear enough? DUHHHHHHHH... Somewhere between the laughable special effects of the 60's H.G.Lewis comedy gore fests and the "in your face" splatter of Jason Vorhees and the Friday the 13th franchise - this little overlooked GEM (Originally titled The Horror of Snape Island) was born. Yes, after 30 years or so, it IS dated in look and feel. But then again, so is PSYCHO. However, when you dissect (no pun intended) the plot, actors, effects, budget and action there is still a surprising - and pleasing - amount of gore and mayhem for your viewing dollars! Whereas the Lewis extravaganzas were "PURE GEEK/bite the head off a chicken" style viewing fare/farce (and a nifty excuse for you and your date to retire to the back seat and make out)- Tower of Evil still actually manages to generate some legitimate shivers and realism. The REAL comparison to Hell Night is the ATMOSPHERE! Those of you who remember seeing the camera open that initial expansive view of the haunted house will undoubtedly remember thinking "THAT is somewhere I would NOT want to BE! PERIOD!" And so it is with Snape Island. This place *is* fog shrouded, desolate CREEP CITY! I don't know about you, but I've always felt that crabs feeding on dismembered body parts is probably Nature's way of trying to tell me something... The "plot" has already been reviewed elsewhere, and frankly there ARE some slow spots and not so clever attempts at beating you over the head with clues to the psychopath's identity. But wait! Getting THERE is HALF the FUN! The shots of the sole survivor's "medically" induced flashbacks are reminiscent of many Avengers episodes with the banks of randomly flashing colored lights serving to remind us of the HIPNESS of the times... Yeah. Right. (Not to mention trying to make us forget that the budget was $37...) But, be of good cheer horror fans, what they saved on the minimalist sets and miscellaneous effects - like the aforementioned boat ride - the producers DID wisely invest in gore and nudity! For what it's worth, this is one of the most amazing restorations I have ever seen! The CLARITY is beyond any movie I've seen on DVD, bar none. It's an amazing feat for a grade B studio offering and even on a 60 inch screen it is pure dynamite! Recognize this offering for what is is: It's a very good and very effective slasher film that was well ahead of it's time and still remains head and shoulders above the vast majority of GARBAGE available over the past three decades. Take a chance! This one's a KEEPER that you'll be proud to spring on your friends... ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: Passible at best - But it does offer a few scares....
Review: This film starts off with a BANG by giving us a good premise, excellent atmosphere, good suspense, and a couple of good bloody scenes. But then about half way into the film, it starts to become sluggish, and struggles to keep our interest. The problem ???? Two fishermen land on a deserted island and find 3 freshly killed bodies amist the grounds of the 'ghostly' lighthouse...They then stumble upon a naked woman, splattered in blood and running through the landscape screaming hysterically with a dagger in her hand. We are then shown a scene in which she is under some heavy psychological testing to try and 'revive' her memory of what happened that night. Flashbacks are used VERY effectivly for these sequences - but she is then left out - half way into the picture ! So all we are left with is a group of about 7 people who travel to the island to investigate the crime scene & look for LOST TREASURE ! WHOOOO-WEEEEE, I just LOVE the 'lost treasure' scriping in films !!! (not to mention the smattering of simulated sex and nudity that is BADLY misplaced in this film). This movie could have REALLY been something - but it just falls into the same old cleshe about "an insane killer on the loose" plot....Passible - Not really a TERRIBLE movie, but it could have been SO much more.
Rating:
Summary: Passible at best - But it does offer a few scares....
Review: This film starts off with a BANG by giving us a good premise, excellent atmosphere, good suspense, and a couple of good bloody scenes. But then about half way into the film, it starts to become sluggish, and struggles to keep our interest. The problem ???? Two fishermen land on a deserted island and find 3 freshly killed bodies amist the grounds of the 'ghostly' lighthouse...They then stumble upon a naked woman, splattered in blood and running through the landscape screaming hysterically with a dagger in her hand. We are then shown a scene in which she is under some heavy psychological testing to try and 'revive' her memory of what happened that night. Flashbacks are used VERY effectivly for these sequences - but she is then left out - half way into the picture ! So all we are left with is a group of about 7 people who travel to the island to investigate the crime scene & look for LOST TREASURE ! WHOOOO-WEEEEE, I just LOVE the 'lost treasure' scriping in films !!! (not to mention the smattering of simulated sex and nudity that is BADLY misplaced in this film). This movie could have REALLY been something - but it just falls into the same old cleshe about "an insane killer on the loose" plot....Passible - Not really a TERRIBLE movie, but it could have been SO much more.
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