03-25-2009, 11:22 AM
The chess game with the devil was a big let down. True, there was heraldry stuff on the wall, and weapons, even some armor, but Klaus Kinsky never donned any of it. And the devil wasn't all that menacing, just a woman doctor in a white smock (same as Klaus's attire). As for the chess game, hell, it was checkers! Talk about lowering the bar. It was a game of checkers lasting all of twenty seconds, at which point Klaus rises defeated and the devil says, "Clearly your mind isn't on the game." Nor, to be candid, on the movie.
Still, Klaus does wander through some corridors, utters a few words, and successfully collects another paycheck while others do the heavy lifting.
Speaking of which, the real engine of this movie is Rosalba Neri, who I knew nothing about but a little research reveals is a cult fave; and one can readily see why as she struts her stuff without benefit of plot or clothes -- not even fishnets -- a siren whose allure preceeds her like the twin engines on a Cessna.
Still, there has to be better vehicles to see her in than Slaughter Hotel. She stars in Frankenstein's Daughter (though I suspect Joseph Cotten got top billing (yep, he's in it)), and I'm tempted to check that out sometime.
As for Slaughter Hotel, don't bother. I do applaud the director's innovative use of money-saving techniques, which no doubt kept the film well within budget. But when the same scenes play over and over again (under the lame excuse of memories or dream sequences), and are further expanded through the magic of slo-mo, you have to question how it enriches the viewing experience.
As close to total junk as I've encountered of late. And trust me, I've dug deep in the trash of late.
Still, Klaus does wander through some corridors, utters a few words, and successfully collects another paycheck while others do the heavy lifting.
Speaking of which, the real engine of this movie is Rosalba Neri, who I knew nothing about but a little research reveals is a cult fave; and one can readily see why as she struts her stuff without benefit of plot or clothes -- not even fishnets -- a siren whose allure preceeds her like the twin engines on a Cessna.
Still, there has to be better vehicles to see her in than Slaughter Hotel. She stars in Frankenstein's Daughter (though I suspect Joseph Cotten got top billing (yep, he's in it)), and I'm tempted to check that out sometime.
As for Slaughter Hotel, don't bother. I do applaud the director's innovative use of money-saving techniques, which no doubt kept the film well within budget. But when the same scenes play over and over again (under the lame excuse of memories or dream sequences), and are further expanded through the magic of slo-mo, you have to question how it enriches the viewing experience.
As close to total junk as I've encountered of late. And trust me, I've dug deep in the trash of late.