The horror underground was nearly dead by the time the new Millennium descended upon us. There were a few exceptions here and there, but I saw a lot of really bad movies being touted as underground film.
Many followed a simple and tired formula. Round up a handful of strippers, give them fake vampire fangs, have a couple of them make out, use ample footage of their surgically-enhanced attributes, and pour on some Karo blood.
Or there were the bargain basement gorefests. Ropy, unconvincing coils of intestines, gobs of blood, flesh being rendered by backyard special effects amateurs.
Seldom was there intelligent dialogue or any real sense of suspense or atmosphere.
One of the exceptions was The Blair Witch Project, in 1999. Like the movie or not, it was a catalyst for the digital future that lay ahead for the genre.
The Blair Witch Project filmmakers were smart enough to create a mythology around their movie. It was a brilliant promotional campaign.
Hardcore Poisoned Eyes, on the other hand, relied on age-old Christian theology to scare its audience.
Rarely had I seen such a smart microbudget movie with intriguing dialogue and genuine tension as I did with Hardcore Poisoned Eyes. The movie's minuscule budget is clearly evident, but in some cases this enhances a horror movie rather than takes away its potency.
Three young ladies brave a snowstorm to visit a secluded cabin. Angelique is the practical, good Italian girl. Jessica is riddled with doubt and anxiety. Sarah is a wild party girl.
Angelique's grandfather was murdered in the cabin. The police chalk it up to a random robbery. He was, however, working on a book about Satanists. She believes there's more to the case.
They arrive, with Sarah already drunk from the ride in. Angelique begins to read her grandfather's notebooks and learns of a cult called The Cloven Hoof.
Unnerved, they all drink heavily, and Sarah makes a deadly mistake. They find a Cloven Hoof member's phone number in Granddad's notes. Sarah foolishly calls it and taunts the man.
A night of terror commences.
Amid the partying and the horrors, the women discuss theology and Satanism. They understand the difference between peaceful Satanists and ones who wish to unleash evil into the world. They discuss God, Satan, and ponder the meaning of good, evil, and the nature of faith.
I don't know about you, but well thought-out characters and conversations make a horror movie more convincing than a lot of dumb action and gore. I don't know Sal Ciavarello, but his name and the movie suggest he was raised in the Catholic faith. It feels like real conviction is within the movie.
Regardless of your current beliefs, Christianity has deep roots in our collective consciousness. It's part of what made The Exorcist so terrifying.
The movie that most reminds me of Hardcore Poisoned Eyes is The House of the Devil. Ti West had a bigger budget, professional actors, and perhaps a more experienced eye for camera angles and film techniques. Despite that, I think Hardcore Poisoned Eyes is the more effective thriller.
I became a Hardcore Poisoned Eyes fan back when it first came out. The old DVD is long out of print and it was produced in the infancy of digital video technology. The quality isn't much better than a homemade videotape.
Saturn's Core Audio & Video is releasing Hardcore Poisoned Eyes in a much-needed, very welcome Blu-ray. It's not quite the restoration fans are hoping for. There's some digital degradation in areas and the audio syncing is a little off now and then. I'm not complaining too much. I don't think Criterion will be getting to this one anytime soon. I'm just glad to see Hardcore Poisoned Eyes back to scare the Hell into us.
Written by Mark Sieber
Many followed a simple and tired formula. Round up a handful of strippers, give them fake vampire fangs, have a couple of them make out, use ample footage of their surgically-enhanced attributes, and pour on some Karo blood.
Or there were the bargain basement gorefests. Ropy, unconvincing coils of intestines, gobs of blood, flesh being rendered by backyard special effects amateurs.
Seldom was there intelligent dialogue or any real sense of suspense or atmosphere.
One of the exceptions was The Blair Witch Project, in 1999. Like the movie or not, it was a catalyst for the digital future that lay ahead for the genre.
The Blair Witch Project filmmakers were smart enough to create a mythology around their movie. It was a brilliant promotional campaign.
Hardcore Poisoned Eyes, on the other hand, relied on age-old Christian theology to scare its audience.
Rarely had I seen such a smart microbudget movie with intriguing dialogue and genuine tension as I did with Hardcore Poisoned Eyes. The movie's minuscule budget is clearly evident, but in some cases this enhances a horror movie rather than takes away its potency.
Three young ladies brave a snowstorm to visit a secluded cabin. Angelique is the practical, good Italian girl. Jessica is riddled with doubt and anxiety. Sarah is a wild party girl.
Angelique's grandfather was murdered in the cabin. The police chalk it up to a random robbery. He was, however, working on a book about Satanists. She believes there's more to the case.
They arrive, with Sarah already drunk from the ride in. Angelique begins to read her grandfather's notebooks and learns of a cult called The Cloven Hoof.
Unnerved, they all drink heavily, and Sarah makes a deadly mistake. They find a Cloven Hoof member's phone number in Granddad's notes. Sarah foolishly calls it and taunts the man.
A night of terror commences.
Amid the partying and the horrors, the women discuss theology and Satanism. They understand the difference between peaceful Satanists and ones who wish to unleash evil into the world. They discuss God, Satan, and ponder the meaning of good, evil, and the nature of faith.
I don't know about you, but well thought-out characters and conversations make a horror movie more convincing than a lot of dumb action and gore. I don't know Sal Ciavarello, but his name and the movie suggest he was raised in the Catholic faith. It feels like real conviction is within the movie.
Regardless of your current beliefs, Christianity has deep roots in our collective consciousness. It's part of what made The Exorcist so terrifying.
The movie that most reminds me of Hardcore Poisoned Eyes is The House of the Devil. Ti West had a bigger budget, professional actors, and perhaps a more experienced eye for camera angles and film techniques. Despite that, I think Hardcore Poisoned Eyes is the more effective thriller.
I became a Hardcore Poisoned Eyes fan back when it first came out. The old DVD is long out of print and it was produced in the infancy of digital video technology. The quality isn't much better than a homemade videotape.
Saturn's Core Audio & Video is releasing Hardcore Poisoned Eyes in a much-needed, very welcome Blu-ray. It's not quite the restoration fans are hoping for. There's some digital degradation in areas and the audio syncing is a little off now and then. I'm not complaining too much. I don't think Criterion will be getting to this one anytime soon. I'm just glad to see Hardcore Poisoned Eyes back to scare the Hell into us.
Written by Mark Sieber
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