countchocula
10-02-2002, 04:29 PM
http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/cover_art1/premutos.jpg
When the director of a film strives to top the gore quotient of Dead Alive, you know you’re in for some explicit goodies. Premutos: Fallen Angel’s (That’s actually the German subtitle. I refuse to use the goofy subtitle that the US slapped onto this flick, Lord of the Living Dead. Ugh…) goals are set almost unfeasibly high, but somehow, director Olaf Ittenbach manages to cram as much violence into his cinematic bloodbath as humanly possible. The first fifteen minutes alone are more gruesome than your average zombie opus, which is saying something. Presented with this over-the-top prologue, I began to wonder if a plot would show up anytime soon. Not that I needed one, of course. The storyline is always extraneous with this subgenre. But one does exist. Premutos, a fallen angel that predates Lucifer, is conjured up in present time via a Necronomicon-esque mishap. Gore, gore, and gore ensues. My bloodthirst was quenched, but I noticed a few abrupt cuts here and there. Was the editor in kindergarten, or did I own a cut version? Well, this DVD is billed as completely uncut, but as I discovered a few minutes before writing this review, such is not the case. Apparently, some footage is missing from this edition. It is noticeable, but still, this is a fucking powerhouse where carnage is concerned. We’re treated to countless decapitations, impalements, gut-munching, and sequences of skin mutilation that would impress Clive Barker. In a nutshell, if you dig excessive bloodshed, this is the film to get your claws on.
It’s obvious that Ittenbach had one thing on his mind. The frenzied, elaborate death sequences display his competency in the field of exploitation, and I wager that he only wanted to prove this to the viewer. The splatter is delicious, but EVERYTHING else is severely lacking. It’s common knowledge that no one should be hoping for character development here, but the characters that we must endure are inexcusable. Ittenbach should’ve taken a stab at creating halfway likeable heroes/heroines. After all, if he’s learned anything from watching Peter Jackson’s films, it’s that splatter alone doesn’t make a fun movie. Jackson gives you witty dialogue, amusing characters, and a brisk pace in addition to the gore. Ittenbach does not. The dialogue is laughable at best. For example, when ravenous zombies crash a party, the host says in a relatively calm tone, “That does it. I declare war on you.” !!!??!??! Not only are those lines ridiculous to an unreal extent, but this guy doesn’t seem terribly impressed by the fact that his family and friends are being wiped out by the undead. I guess it’s a common occurrence for him. Another qualm I have is with the awful dubbing. The DVD gives you two options. You can watch Premutos with English dubbing, or you can watch it…in German! We aren’t offered subtitles! A detrimental move on Shock-O-Rama’s part (unless it wasn’t their fault). If you thought the dubbing in House by the Cemetery was appalling, wait until you hear this! Often, a character will scream, and the screaming isn’t audible. Voice fluctuations aren’t even parallel with what the characters are saying. None of this is the film’s fault, but nonetheless, it killed the mood for me. Perhaps the film would’ve left a better impression on me had it been blessed with subtitles. I may never know…
During the many flashbacks, I detected a hint of atmosphere. Ittenbach milks scenery for all its worth (thick snow always does the trick). He also tampers with inventive lighting every once in awhile, but these efforts don’t contribute much to the film as a whole. If it weren’t for the extravagant gore, there’d be absolutely no reason to invest money into this flick. When it relies on the characters to keep you entertained, it embraces tedium; when the violence kicks in, you’re a happy camper. But in this case, the violence just isn’t enough.
My rating-2.5/5
When the director of a film strives to top the gore quotient of Dead Alive, you know you’re in for some explicit goodies. Premutos: Fallen Angel’s (That’s actually the German subtitle. I refuse to use the goofy subtitle that the US slapped onto this flick, Lord of the Living Dead. Ugh…) goals are set almost unfeasibly high, but somehow, director Olaf Ittenbach manages to cram as much violence into his cinematic bloodbath as humanly possible. The first fifteen minutes alone are more gruesome than your average zombie opus, which is saying something. Presented with this over-the-top prologue, I began to wonder if a plot would show up anytime soon. Not that I needed one, of course. The storyline is always extraneous with this subgenre. But one does exist. Premutos, a fallen angel that predates Lucifer, is conjured up in present time via a Necronomicon-esque mishap. Gore, gore, and gore ensues. My bloodthirst was quenched, but I noticed a few abrupt cuts here and there. Was the editor in kindergarten, or did I own a cut version? Well, this DVD is billed as completely uncut, but as I discovered a few minutes before writing this review, such is not the case. Apparently, some footage is missing from this edition. It is noticeable, but still, this is a fucking powerhouse where carnage is concerned. We’re treated to countless decapitations, impalements, gut-munching, and sequences of skin mutilation that would impress Clive Barker. In a nutshell, if you dig excessive bloodshed, this is the film to get your claws on.
It’s obvious that Ittenbach had one thing on his mind. The frenzied, elaborate death sequences display his competency in the field of exploitation, and I wager that he only wanted to prove this to the viewer. The splatter is delicious, but EVERYTHING else is severely lacking. It’s common knowledge that no one should be hoping for character development here, but the characters that we must endure are inexcusable. Ittenbach should’ve taken a stab at creating halfway likeable heroes/heroines. After all, if he’s learned anything from watching Peter Jackson’s films, it’s that splatter alone doesn’t make a fun movie. Jackson gives you witty dialogue, amusing characters, and a brisk pace in addition to the gore. Ittenbach does not. The dialogue is laughable at best. For example, when ravenous zombies crash a party, the host says in a relatively calm tone, “That does it. I declare war on you.” !!!??!??! Not only are those lines ridiculous to an unreal extent, but this guy doesn’t seem terribly impressed by the fact that his family and friends are being wiped out by the undead. I guess it’s a common occurrence for him. Another qualm I have is with the awful dubbing. The DVD gives you two options. You can watch Premutos with English dubbing, or you can watch it…in German! We aren’t offered subtitles! A detrimental move on Shock-O-Rama’s part (unless it wasn’t their fault). If you thought the dubbing in House by the Cemetery was appalling, wait until you hear this! Often, a character will scream, and the screaming isn’t audible. Voice fluctuations aren’t even parallel with what the characters are saying. None of this is the film’s fault, but nonetheless, it killed the mood for me. Perhaps the film would’ve left a better impression on me had it been blessed with subtitles. I may never know…
During the many flashbacks, I detected a hint of atmosphere. Ittenbach milks scenery for all its worth (thick snow always does the trick). He also tampers with inventive lighting every once in awhile, but these efforts don’t contribute much to the film as a whole. If it weren’t for the extravagant gore, there’d be absolutely no reason to invest money into this flick. When it relies on the characters to keep you entertained, it embraces tedium; when the violence kicks in, you’re a happy camper. But in this case, the violence just isn’t enough.
My rating-2.5/5