Rezension von dtb

LEECHES! (love that retro exclamation point! :-) turns what could have been another low-budget schlock horror flick into good creepy unpretentious fun, thanks to the witty, twisty script by Michael Gingold (of FANGORIA Magazine fame) and the stylish direction of David DeCoteau. The scaly-scary leech puppets are well-done considering the tight F/X budget, and the swim team angle provides a nice excuse to watch the cast of hotties writhe around in as little clothing as possible -- *yum!* ;-) Gingold freshens the Nature Goes Nuts plot by making the leeches' deadly transformation the result of sucking on the swimmers' steroid-rich blood -- so you see, LEECHES! is not only an effective horror film, it provides a strong subtext about the dangers of relying on steroids to enhance athletic performance, not to mention swimming in unknown waters! :-) The leech-attack set pieces were staged suspensefully and inventively (I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil any surprises). My only complaint is the strobe-light-style transitions; I suspect director DeCoteau might have been trying to emulate the lightning motif he's used in previous movies (listen to his commentary on the DVD for more details), but I'm afraid I found these flashing transitions migraine-inducing (I'm not being snarky -- I am in fact a migraine sufferer). Luckily, these are only a very small part of this otherwise enjoyable popcorn flick; it's a fun rental for a lazy afternoon or night of horror movie-watching!