Virgil: La Malédiction

Don't Panic (1988) is a Mexican slasher movie that came highly recommended on Twitter recently and I found a free showing of it online using the link below. The movie is about some kids getting together to celebrate Michael's birthday. One of his friends is obsessed with playing games, especially trying out a new Ouija board he found. What could go wrong? This movie is directed by Ruben Galindo (Cemetary of Terror) and stars Jon Michael Bischof (Grave Robbers), Gabriela Hassel, Helena Rojo (Aguirre, The Wrath of God) and Jorge Luke (Clear and Present Danger). This movie reminded me of a cross between Halloween and Evil Dead. The possessed best friend was like a deadite chasing down the main character and the kill scenes were very fun. The montages were a bit corny, as was some of the music selection, but overall this is a very fun and entertaining film that is a must see for slasher movie fans. I'd score this a 5.5-6/10.

I thought this supernatural slasher wasn't too bad. There were a few effective bits, and even a few suspenseful moments. The killings with the dagger are cool, and the bit where Michael is being stalked around the hospital are good. I also got a scare from the part where Virgil suddenly appears at the back window of the car. There are too many boring parts however to make this a good slasher film. If they had used more shots of Virgil stalking Michael and added some more gore, it would have been quite good. The ending is rather cheesy.

Still it's better than many slasher films I have seen so if you're a die-hard slasher fan then seek this one out.

This movie had potential but it end up falling short.

Small amount of gore, close to no nudity, and sort of your been done a 1000 times before story.

All in all a below average horror movie from the 80 don't bother

I thought it was a low-budget horror flick. Well,I was wrong because it`s a no-budget kind of film. Anyway,let`s just say it`s not as bad as it seems. SCREAMING MAD GEORGE(make-up wizard of "SOCIETY","BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR",among others)did the visual effects here. The story(which was told in a better way in "LONG TIME DEAD")centers around a bunch of teens playing with this ouija board. Through this they invite a supernatural killer known as virgil. Director RUBEN GALINDO tries hard to shock audiences but it doesn`t go beyond what we`ve seen already before.

DEDICATED TO HORROR GEEKS ONLY(i`m proudly one of them).

Ruben Galindo is one of those sneaky Mexican exploitation directors who makes quickie-movies for the the American market. The cast is filled with fresh American faces and premise as well as atmosphere are typically US high school-like. Only... the production is entirely Mexican! This technique saves the makers a few extra bucks and the fans of this type of cinema mostly don't notice the difference anyway. However, what you can't but notice about "Don't Panic" is the amateurism. The screenplay makes no sense at all as it attempts to blend the mysteries of the occult (an Ouija-board) with an ordinary high school slasher plot. A group of brainless friends summon a demon (named Virgil...not exactly a petrifying name, if you ask me) and this demon soon after possesses one of the kids. How did this Virgil ended up inside the body of the kid?? Who knows... Why does he think it's necessary to butcher everyone who joined the Ouija game?? Not explained, neither... There's no tension and no sense of humor to detect anywhere in the script. Well...at least not intended humor, because the stupidity and incompetence definitely will make you chuckle more than once! Also, if you plan to watch this film, you're better not allergic to atrocious acting. No matter how hard these teen-actors try, they have no acting skills at all. The best part about "Don't Panic" is – as usual – the gore! Screaming Mad George went nuts again and literally stuffed this film with repulsive massacre and entire buckets of blood. I'm not an expert but I sincerely doubt that an average human body contains so much blood. Oh well, if it wasn't for these gory moments, "Don't Panic" would be completely worthless. In conclusion: this probably is one of the only films ever that feature the hero (supposedly 17 years old) battling evil whilst wearing a ridiculous and utterly childish pajamas. Respect!