Xangadix

Never read any reviews of this movie, until I called it up today. I'd thought it was fairly obscure until Anchor Bay put it out. (Never seen their version.) Had mine for years. Surprised by all the complaints about the dubbing, it's never a problem on mine. I have always liked this one, it's not the usual pile of cliches. It does try very hard to lose it's national character, and could easily pass for some more European origin. the acting is good, but seems stilted by some odd relationships, and a tendency towards cliche in some of the more minor parts. The payoff on the ancient ritual is played like most slasher films, but is elevated slightly by the backstory. And the image of the preserved Xangadix fetus in amber, is rather haunting in the conclusion. Probably aimed at an American audience, but possibly a bit much for some crowds. It's not everybody's cup of fungus, but it isn't bad.

As a huge fan of b-movies, horror and especially non-Hollywood horror, this movie shocked with just how badly a movie can be acted. I feel confident that the people who did the english dub had never actually witnessed human beings speaking to each other. This is the way space aliens might imagine dialog if they found a script. Seriously, compared to this your sister's second-grade Xmas play was Oscar-worthy.

Also several really stupid plot techniques were used. The main characters father would be the stupidest of all, with a performance that has to be seen to be disbelieved. I spent the better part of the movie hoping his son would bash him on the noggin with something evil.

Again, I have serious suspicions that this movie isn't really Dutch, but from another planet. The sad thing is it really quite an original storyline and could have been a great flick. There were several sequences that were downright chilling, but not enough to make up for the chicken suit.

I have watched a lot of movies in my time, but this, by far, is the single most HORRIBLE movie I have EVER watched. The Audio is not in synch with the lip movements in the LEAST. It's like a bad Godzilla movie! Not to mention the fact that the "gore" is not realistic, and the main villains whole course of action is to dress as potatoes. I watched this with a group of friends at a party and we, as a group, made so much fun of this movie it seemed to be an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000! Without "spoiling" the movie for anyone reading this--and if you consider seeing it, do yourself a favor and watch it in a group so you can laugh together--the entire movie centers around men dressed as potatoes. Save yourself the two hours and stay FAR, FAR away from this movie!!!!

Probably the first dutch horror movie I've ever seen, and I didn't even feel cheated or annoyed. The title revers to the 7 unknown brothers Emalee Lucas has. These brothers are being kept in a mental institution after having killed several other kids when they were 7 years old. One day they escape (probably the most stupid part of the movie) as they have to impregnate their sister according to some old myth...

Pretty cheap as you would expect, but not as bad as it sounds. A gutsy attempt by the director of Evenings to make it work and decent acting by Herdigein, Van de Ven and in particular by the young De la Bretoniere, who hasn't really been showing up the last couple of years.

6/10.

Twenty-one years after the birth of seven siblings, Professor Keller (Kenneth Herdigein) is summoned by a government agency to give support to the treatment of the seven men that became killers since they were seven years old. Professor Keller finds a connection with an ancient Indian cult to bring evil to destroy Earth. Meanwhile the photographer Victoria Lucas (Monique van de Ven) is invited to take pictures in an isolated place and she travels with her fourteen-year-old daughter Emalee Lucas (Esmée de la Bretonière), who is under psychological treatment due to gruesome nightmares she has, and they camp nearby the facility where the seven brothers are. Out of the blue, the seven brothers escape and hunt Emalee. What is the connection among them?

I saw "De Johnsons" on 05 September 1998 and I liked this Dutch horror movie. Yesterday I decided to see this old VHS again and I found a film with great potential if a higher budget and better conclusion were available. Vader Keller, for example, is the awful father of Professor Keller and a silly unfunny character. The destruction of rare footages and notes is ridiculous. The idea of an incest to bring evil on Earth is magnificent; but the stupid conclusion with explosion is terrible. The photographer Victoria Lucas lives in a building apparently alone since there is no movements of neighbors or people on the street. But the story is dark and the main idea is interesting. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Filhos da Morte" ("The Sons of the Dearh")