Once in a while the cinematic guru's of the world will come across a film that forever changes their lives. Not really, but it may change the next few minutes, but soon enough, we're back to behaving like we're three instead of in our mid-twenties, breaking social ties one has had for years just because we can - Going into cursing tirades for no reason and taking it extra hard on your sparring partner in Jui Jitsu class.
The first time I heard of Satan's Blade was on the mighty Justin Kerswell's site, Hysteria-Lives! I read the review and realized it took place during a snowy setting and that was all she wrote. At the time, I thought the old ma and pa video store in the next town might have a copy. I thought I had remembered seeing it there.
I finally got around to visiting the video store and sure enough there it was in its big box glory. What a great cover. Of course, we all know that the home video market is full of gorgeous flicks on the outside, but when the truth finally sets us free, we're left sitting there feeling dirty and alone like after the hooker leaves and takes your wallet with her.
So, I picked up the flick and done a little shopping with my wife. We ate some greasy chicken McNugget's and it was off to pop the tape in the vcr. Right away, the screen turns red for a moment. In a split second afterwards, we see a glimpse of a man talking. It was almost like an interview. Then, the screen turns black and everything looks like a movie.
To get to the point, Satan's Blade had a profound affect on me. Sure, the movie is as low budget as you can get. I have no idea why the director shot on 35mm instead of 16mm. Like some of the cast members have stated, Scott Castillo Jr.(director) spent more time trying to look like a big time director than actually putting the money where it needed to be.
Reading reviews on this movie, you would think there were no fans who liked cheesy horror. Satan's Blade is more than cheesy horror tho. The acting sucks and there's not much of a storyline, but Satan's Blade is still a disturbing slasher flick.
We open with a wonderful twist bank robbery. It really threw me for a loop. The robbers make their way to a snowy resort in the hills where they hope to hide out for a while and meet their third partner. A double cross ensues and we set the cheese cycle in motion.
Of course, we have to have a bunch of horny females and two cute couples who just so happen to make their way to the same snowy resort. They enter the resort where there's an old woman at the front desk telling the legend of 'The Mountain Man'.
To cut to the chase, what sets Satan's Blade apart from other cheese-fests is that the director takes an ultra-serious approach to the stalk and slash sequences. There's a ton of Halloweenesque scenes that really hold up well when taking the movie in the right context.
The snowy landscape adds a ton of atmosphere. If the movie was set during the summer with a masked maniac on the loose, it wouldn't have had near the same effect. I've always been a big fan of a 'snowy slasher' and maybe this plays a big part in why I like the film so much, but like I said, there's a number of genuinely disturbing scenes that take place when the action starts.
The weapon of choice is obviously a knife, 'Satan's Blade' to be exact, and when the killer stabs his victims, the camera lingers steadily as the victim writhes in pain. It might sound like I'm giving this film more credit than it deserves. This is probably right, but when there's something good in a flick, there's no denying it. Aside from all the bad acting and straight forward camera-work, I actually turned the light on. I haven't did that with a flick in a long time.
While talking about Satan's Blade, one can't forget the piano score that's heard throughout the films running time. It's redundant, but alongside the location, the score is one of it's cornerstones.
One of the actresses in the film said that by the time the shoot was over, the film ended up costing around a million dollars. I'm not sure if this has been confirmed, but she also stated that a lot of money went into production no-no's. She stated that the director insisted on shooting in 35mm which by any standard shouldn't have been the way to go with a film of this caliber. Who knows, that may be the very thing that helps the movie out. The male lead said he never saw a dime. They weren't sure if the film had even been picked up by a distributor, not alone been released overseas.
Satan's Blade in an enigma wrapped up in a piece of ham and a depressing layer of mustard. You know there shouldn't be anything scary about it, but when scary scenes come about, it's just that more alluring.
In a nutshell - For the slasher completest, this is a must see. Whether you like it or not, you'll find one thing's for certain, every other film out there's no 'Satan's Blade'. A rare find for the rare mind.
The first time I heard of Satan's Blade was on the mighty Justin Kerswell's site, Hysteria-Lives! I read the review and realized it took place during a snowy setting and that was all she wrote. At the time, I thought the old ma and pa video store in the next town might have a copy. I thought I had remembered seeing it there.
I finally got around to visiting the video store and sure enough there it was in its big box glory. What a great cover. Of course, we all know that the home video market is full of gorgeous flicks on the outside, but when the truth finally sets us free, we're left sitting there feeling dirty and alone like after the hooker leaves and takes your wallet with her.
So, I picked up the flick and done a little shopping with my wife. We ate some greasy chicken McNugget's and it was off to pop the tape in the vcr. Right away, the screen turns red for a moment. In a split second afterwards, we see a glimpse of a man talking. It was almost like an interview. Then, the screen turns black and everything looks like a movie.
To get to the point, Satan's Blade had a profound affect on me. Sure, the movie is as low budget as you can get. I have no idea why the director shot on 35mm instead of 16mm. Like some of the cast members have stated, Scott Castillo Jr.(director) spent more time trying to look like a big time director than actually putting the money where it needed to be.
Reading reviews on this movie, you would think there were no fans who liked cheesy horror. Satan's Blade is more than cheesy horror tho. The acting sucks and there's not much of a storyline, but Satan's Blade is still a disturbing slasher flick.
We open with a wonderful twist bank robbery. It really threw me for a loop. The robbers make their way to a snowy resort in the hills where they hope to hide out for a while and meet their third partner. A double cross ensues and we set the cheese cycle in motion.
Of course, we have to have a bunch of horny females and two cute couples who just so happen to make their way to the same snowy resort. They enter the resort where there's an old woman at the front desk telling the legend of 'The Mountain Man'.
To cut to the chase, what sets Satan's Blade apart from other cheese-fests is that the director takes an ultra-serious approach to the stalk and slash sequences. There's a ton of Halloweenesque scenes that really hold up well when taking the movie in the right context.
The snowy landscape adds a ton of atmosphere. If the movie was set during the summer with a masked maniac on the loose, it wouldn't have had near the same effect. I've always been a big fan of a 'snowy slasher' and maybe this plays a big part in why I like the film so much, but like I said, there's a number of genuinely disturbing scenes that take place when the action starts.
The weapon of choice is obviously a knife, 'Satan's Blade' to be exact, and when the killer stabs his victims, the camera lingers steadily as the victim writhes in pain. It might sound like I'm giving this film more credit than it deserves. This is probably right, but when there's something good in a flick, there's no denying it. Aside from all the bad acting and straight forward camera-work, I actually turned the light on. I haven't did that with a flick in a long time.
While talking about Satan's Blade, one can't forget the piano score that's heard throughout the films running time. It's redundant, but alongside the location, the score is one of it's cornerstones.
One of the actresses in the film said that by the time the shoot was over, the film ended up costing around a million dollars. I'm not sure if this has been confirmed, but she also stated that a lot of money went into production no-no's. She stated that the director insisted on shooting in 35mm which by any standard shouldn't have been the way to go with a film of this caliber. Who knows, that may be the very thing that helps the movie out. The male lead said he never saw a dime. They weren't sure if the film had even been picked up by a distributor, not alone been released overseas.
Satan's Blade in an enigma wrapped up in a piece of ham and a depressing layer of mustard. You know there shouldn't be anything scary about it, but when scary scenes come about, it's just that more alluring.
In a nutshell - For the slasher completest, this is a must see. Whether you like it or not, you'll find one thing's for certain, every other film out there's no 'Satan's Blade'. A rare find for the rare mind.
