The Keep - A quick retrospective review with some personal points

I have been a fan of horror for just about as long as I remember.  I have, in fact, been a horror fan probably longer than some of you have been alive.  One of my earliest memories of watching a horror film is that of The Keep.

My memories of the film are thus - a Nazi regiment takes over a keep.  This is the titular keep of the title.  After some troops die, a more awful Nazi regiment arrives.  In the meantime a something (I always took it to be a demon) is released and kills the Nazis.  In my memory, the demon is almost the good guy.  I mean he prevents the gang rape of Eva Cuza (played by Alberta Watson).  He kills a lot of Nazis.  However, my naive young brain (and so addled memories) missed the subtext.  That being, the demon was manipulating me, as well as Doctor Cuza.  When this is revealed, things go very wrong in the film.

On viewing again a few times, there is rather more to the film.  Firstly, I would point out that I firmly believe that the acting still holds up.  Ian McKellen may be a little strained at times, but I was captivated in particular by the presentation of Jurgen Prochnow.  Scott Glenn was also effective as Glaeken.  He was suitably strange and creepy.  Perhaps otherworldly is the best description, given he is perhaps angelic in nature in this movie.

Modern audiences may well be slightly turned off by the poor special effects of this film.  Whilst I enjoy The Keep, I am not a fool nor a sycophant.  Times change and effects do too.  In movies, we want to be absorbed and believe in the world that is being presented.  Unfortunately, I cannot state that this is the case with The Keep.  The opposite is the case with this film.  The drawn/animated effects show poorly, whilst the physical effects actually hold up.

I for one am glad that The Keep has not made the modern reboot list (at least at time of writing, August 2017).  I still believe that it stands the test of time better than many other films of recent release.  The concept is disturbing, the use of evil manipulating good offers a metaphor that modern audiences can understand.

My final verdict remains that Michael Mann's The Keep demonstrates that he is an auteur of the highest order.  Only a true visionary could produce something so deeply concerning, historically troubling and also relevant to a modern audience.

Final verdict: 4/5.

The Windmill Massacre - Review

I watched The Windmill Massacre over two sittings.  I'm not sure that this is the UK DVD box art but it certainly sums up the film rather well.  Make of that what you will.  There's no certification shown but I can confirm that the general release cut is 18 rated.

The Windmill Massacre is set in Holland and features a bunch of tourists who have all elected to get on a tour bus for a bit of a jaunt into the countryside, to take in some culture that isn't the red light district or cannabis cafes.  This is where things go very wrong.  It is quickly revealed that each character has a somewhat shady past and it literally comes back to haunt them.  Their lives are then put in danger by the thing from the box art shown above.

I'll just get it out there at this point in the review - this is a budget film in the sense that it is quite clearly made to a very specific price point.  I have no issue with watching a bit of shlock now and again and I'll presume that you don't either, given that you are reading Thursday The 12th.

That being said, better decisions could have been made on timing, special effects, pacing etc.  The first death in the film is so quick and so graphic - with requisite ropey effects - it'll probably have you in shock.  Just not in a good way.  Things that could have been hinted at are shown fully on camera.  This exposes the effects for what they are, namely often unimpressive to the point of silly.

The cast seem to be reasonably well chosen and each brings a suitable grimace of horror when presented with the 'sin' of their past.  Some pull off their wince-inducing death scenes better than others.  The acting, like the effects, leaves something to be desired.

I don't often write that there are no single redeeming features about any movie or TV show and I'm not about to start now.  I would say however that this is an unfortunate exercise in what could have been.  If the film makers demonstrated more care and subtlety in their art, perhaps even cutting out the jump scares completely, we might have had something far more interesting to watch.  Instead, we have a bit of a muddled monster-of-the-week story blended with some black magic and good old fashioned serial killer stalking.

Possibly best enjoyed if you have visited a cannabis cafe and had some absinthe for good measure.

Final score: 1.5/5.