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Quote:

Zombies are the middle children of the otherworldly family. Vampires are the oldest brother who gets to have a room in the attic, all tripped out with a disco ball and shag carpet. Werewolves are the youngest, the babies, always getting pinched and told they're cute. With all that attention stolen away from the middle child zombie, no wonder she shuffles off grumbling, "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha."

- Kevin James Breaux

Monday, August 24, 2015

Film Review: BLOOD GLACIER (2013)



I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed the German horror film Blood Glacier (2013), which I have to admit wasn’t on my radar.  I love foreign horror films but there was nothing about this film that made me even curious and then it came across my desk and I put it in on a whim.  Despite its borrowing a lot from other films especially John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) this is an interesting and well done film. 

A group of scientists doing research in the Australian Alps discover a strange fungus that has turned part of the nearby glacier blood red.    It’s not long before the fungus disappears as if it was never there but its effects are devastating as every life form that comes across it goes through dramatic metamorphic changes.  These “new” creatures are both dangerous and aggressive and fascinating for the scientists who believe that they are at the frontier of a new discovery.  It is only Janek (Gerhard Liebmann) who sees the real danger that is to come.  Now he must convince the scientists as well as a visiting party of diplomats to abandon their base and seek out help before more of the creatures show up and more of their team are killed and/or infected.

Borrowing from the Rob Bottin (creature FX for Carpenter’s The Thing) playbook of practical effects over CGI FX this film has a plethora of morphing creatures that are mixtures of other creatures.  The creatures (both on land and in the air) are very well done and the gore FX fly at an alarming rate.  There is CGI FX in the film but they are used in the right places and do not over shadow or distract from the rest of the film.

Benjamin Hessler writes the screenplay and the film is directed by Marvin Kren who knows how to put together an effective horror film.  This is a thrilling and entertaining film that provides enough new ideas to elevate it above being just a simply copycat of other films or a horror film cliché.  If you’re a fan of monster and creature features then I suggest you give this film a chance.

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