Well, what do you know, they do make horror movies in Italy that do not appeal to me after all. The Italians were the undeniable masters when it comes to horror, especially during the seventies and eighties, but obviously not all films can be winners. Just like "Manhattan Baby" and "Zeder", which more or less revolve on similar themes, "Specters" is an incredibly incoherent and painfully tedious film.
The basic premise holds a lot of potential, for sure, but director Marcello Avallone - as well as his three (!) fellow writers - couldn't turn it into a compelling script. Several of the story lines are underdeveloped, the film wastes far too much time on irrelevant sub plots and insignificant supportive characters, the evil's true nature remains a mystery even after the film has ended, the lead roles aren't convincing, and the production incomprehensibly doesn't take full usage of the marvelous filming locations and scenery! Here they are shooting a film in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, below ground as well as on the surface, but all we get to see are pitiable images of some lame ruins.
There's something evil lurking under the city of Rome... The acclaimed archaeologist Prof. Lasky and his crew have been searching for a 19 centuries old tomb for many months now, but it seems that the nearby subway construction works have finally exposed the entry. The discovery might not be such a triumph after all, since the occupant of the sarcophagus - a bizarre type of feline monster - is awakened and promptly goes on a rampage. Well, at least I think it goes on a rampage, because that's the point where the "Specters" really stops making sense.
Many sequences, like the "Nightmare on Elm Street" similar suck-into-the-bed death scene, are played like they are hallucinations whereas other ones, like the head crushing sequence, are reality? There clearly is some sort of (spiritual?) link between the monster and one of the archaeologist's girlfriend (played by the former Miss Denmark Trine Michelsen who recently passed away as a result of bone cancer) but that story aspect is never at one point clarified. You get used to that, though. What's the deal with the blind tour guide in the catacombs? What inflicted the veto between Prof. Lasky and the exaggeratedly gay-behaving elderly antique dealer? Why does literally everybody in this film insist on having extended conversations with themselves? Why isn't the couple from the beginning of the film mentioned anymore?
Never mind all that, it's a silly and lackluster film; - let's jut keep it at that. As usual with the productions he was involved in, special effects wizard Sergio Stivaletti delivers the finest piece of work. The budget was clearly minimal, but he nevertheless still managed to provide some pretty cool and engrossing effects. The always reliable Donald Pleasance, who regularly appeared in Spaghetti horror at that time ("Phantom of Death", "Nothing Underneath", "Nosferatu in Venice", "Phenomena"...) is on auto-pilot, but he always remains a joy to behold.
