Several young women are abducted by a mysterious cult located deep in the jungle. Said cult needs the blood of healthy young gals in order to sustain their immortality. While the offbeat premise has promise, alas Terry Becker's lifeless by-the-numbers direction fails to effectively realize the potential of said premise: The pace is sluggish, the tone too serious, there's precious little tension or spooky atmosphere, and the PG rating puts a damper on any tasty gratuitous female nudity and graphic gore. The competent cast do their best with the blah material: Jennifer Billingsley makes for an appealing heroine as the perky Laura, John Considine acquits himself well as charming cult member Baru, Judith McDonnell adds some much needed (and appreciated) humor and energy as brash and cynical go-go dancer Claire, and Tani Guthrie projects a perfectly ruthless quality as lovely, but evil high priestess Ranu. Moreover, the dungeon of withered old crones is reasonably creepy, Nonong Rasca's fairly polished cinematography provides plenty of pretty shots of the lush tropical scenery, and Richard LaSalle's shivery score hits the spirited shuddery spot. Unfortunately, the always welcome presence of the ubiquitous Vic Diaz is wasted in a regrettably minor part as a police lieutenant. In addition, this picture quite simply lacks the necessary spark to qualify as a fun Grade B fright flick. A merely passable time-waster.
Review of The Thirsty Dead
