"Curtains" is one of the better entries in the slasher cannon, though it's still somewhat flawed.
**SPOILERS**
Preparing for a movie role, actress Samantha Sherwood, (Samantha Eggar) and director Jonathan Stryker, (John Vernon) place her inside an insane asylum for research, but he just leaves her there and continues on with the movie. Actresses Brooke Parsons, (Linda Thorson) Laurian Summers, (Anne Ditchburn) Patti O'Connor, (Lynne Griffin) Tara DeMillo, (Sandee Currie) Christine Burns, (Lesleh Donaldson) and Amanda Teuther, (Deborah Burgess) get wind of his decision to carry on and go to a private casting session at his mansion. Training them for the role, their jealousy and bitterness towards each other forces them to immediately distrust the others. As the weekend continues, they notice that the number is decreasing, which is at first attributed to the failure to adhere to the workload but soon found to be the work of a maniacal killer intending to get the part themselves. Banding together, they try to outlast the masked killer before taking them all out.
The Good News: When it really tries, this here really does work wonderfully. There are a number of scenes which really stand out, including where one of the women driving up to the house spots a small figure standing on the rain-slicked highway. On further investigation, she sees it is a large doll with its arms stretched out. As she gazes into its blank glass eyes, the arms shoot forth and grab her. This is incredibly jolting, as is the following when it simply refuses to give up it's grip even when a car is soon closing in on the scene and a race to free herself before the crash is just out-and-out suspenseful. Perhaps one of the best stalking scenes in any slasher movie comes when another of the actresses decides to relax whilst indulging in a spot of ice skating on an isolated frozen pond. When she bends down to see why the boom-box has stopped working, she spots a small hand poking out from underneath the snow. As she digs deeper she excavates a large doll and pulls it out. Unbeknownst, in the distance a figure, wearing an old crone mask, is skating across the frozen pond. The figure reveals from behind its back a lethal looking scythe and soon closes in upon the unfortunate figure skater. An icy pursuit ensues and the slashing and screaming make it all the more creepy. There are some intriguing images used, as the forest of mannequins hanging from the ceiling is especially successful. That it features in the middle of one of the single most tension-packed stalking scenes ever, as they maneuver through the backstage area full of different obstacles is just masterful and is just as good as any other slasher chases ever. The kills aren't out and out terrible, but could've been better as the really good ones occur off-screen, but there's still a nice decapitation, a slit throat, repeatedly being stabbed in the stomach and some gunshots to give it some bloodshed. Otherwise, it's stalking scenes are it's best quality.
The Bad News: While not terrible, there isn't much wrong with it. What really hurts this one is the sheer confusion it projects. While the identity of the killer is nice, the fact that this just comes out of nowhere and seems like it's just a mere afterthought given that there's no set-up at all for it. It's just a scene after all the slashing has been done where the killer reveals their identity to the last survivor and that's it. That's just one big example, as there's plenty more of them in the film, including the actual fate of some of the victims. Many of them are simply killed off-screen and never referenced again, as it's implied they've been killed but there's no resolution of it all. That there's such a large amount that occur off-screen is a little disheartening, as it could've included a little more in the film to spruce it up a little more, as simply seeing the aftermath isn't the same. The only other thing in here that really doesn't work is the killer's disguise. The mask looks pretty bad, as that old-faced hag just doesn't really inspire terror the way better masks do. An evil grin or smirk would've made it a little more acceptable, but there's nothing to fear from the way it looks in the film. Those are it's only real flaws.
The Final Verdict: When it really tries hard to be a slasher, it works well, if only because it's stalking scenes are top-notch. If that's a requirement for slasher acceptance or just a fan of the genre, then give this one a shot, otherwise seek caution with it as some of the flaws can be quite pronounced if looking for them.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Nudity
**SPOILERS**
Preparing for a movie role, actress Samantha Sherwood, (Samantha Eggar) and director Jonathan Stryker, (John Vernon) place her inside an insane asylum for research, but he just leaves her there and continues on with the movie. Actresses Brooke Parsons, (Linda Thorson) Laurian Summers, (Anne Ditchburn) Patti O'Connor, (Lynne Griffin) Tara DeMillo, (Sandee Currie) Christine Burns, (Lesleh Donaldson) and Amanda Teuther, (Deborah Burgess) get wind of his decision to carry on and go to a private casting session at his mansion. Training them for the role, their jealousy and bitterness towards each other forces them to immediately distrust the others. As the weekend continues, they notice that the number is decreasing, which is at first attributed to the failure to adhere to the workload but soon found to be the work of a maniacal killer intending to get the part themselves. Banding together, they try to outlast the masked killer before taking them all out.
The Good News: When it really tries, this here really does work wonderfully. There are a number of scenes which really stand out, including where one of the women driving up to the house spots a small figure standing on the rain-slicked highway. On further investigation, she sees it is a large doll with its arms stretched out. As she gazes into its blank glass eyes, the arms shoot forth and grab her. This is incredibly jolting, as is the following when it simply refuses to give up it's grip even when a car is soon closing in on the scene and a race to free herself before the crash is just out-and-out suspenseful. Perhaps one of the best stalking scenes in any slasher movie comes when another of the actresses decides to relax whilst indulging in a spot of ice skating on an isolated frozen pond. When she bends down to see why the boom-box has stopped working, she spots a small hand poking out from underneath the snow. As she digs deeper she excavates a large doll and pulls it out. Unbeknownst, in the distance a figure, wearing an old crone mask, is skating across the frozen pond. The figure reveals from behind its back a lethal looking scythe and soon closes in upon the unfortunate figure skater. An icy pursuit ensues and the slashing and screaming make it all the more creepy. There are some intriguing images used, as the forest of mannequins hanging from the ceiling is especially successful. That it features in the middle of one of the single most tension-packed stalking scenes ever, as they maneuver through the backstage area full of different obstacles is just masterful and is just as good as any other slasher chases ever. The kills aren't out and out terrible, but could've been better as the really good ones occur off-screen, but there's still a nice decapitation, a slit throat, repeatedly being stabbed in the stomach and some gunshots to give it some bloodshed. Otherwise, it's stalking scenes are it's best quality.
The Bad News: While not terrible, there isn't much wrong with it. What really hurts this one is the sheer confusion it projects. While the identity of the killer is nice, the fact that this just comes out of nowhere and seems like it's just a mere afterthought given that there's no set-up at all for it. It's just a scene after all the slashing has been done where the killer reveals their identity to the last survivor and that's it. That's just one big example, as there's plenty more of them in the film, including the actual fate of some of the victims. Many of them are simply killed off-screen and never referenced again, as it's implied they've been killed but there's no resolution of it all. That there's such a large amount that occur off-screen is a little disheartening, as it could've included a little more in the film to spruce it up a little more, as simply seeing the aftermath isn't the same. The only other thing in here that really doesn't work is the killer's disguise. The mask looks pretty bad, as that old-faced hag just doesn't really inspire terror the way better masks do. An evil grin or smirk would've made it a little more acceptable, but there's nothing to fear from the way it looks in the film. Those are it's only real flaws.
The Final Verdict: When it really tries hard to be a slasher, it works well, if only because it's stalking scenes are top-notch. If that's a requirement for slasher acceptance or just a fan of the genre, then give this one a shot, otherwise seek caution with it as some of the flaws can be quite pronounced if looking for them.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Nudity