Experiência Mortal

Schenkel's "Exquisite Tenderness" is not exquisite at all. As a movie it does not present anything new because it tries very hard to be a good hospital mystery and it fails in that. It's sadly ruined by big plot holes and lack of true idea that would be a guidance for the whole movie. From beginning to end I cannot extract anything. Actors are mild, direction is so usual that it hurts and the story that is meant to be scary, is not that at all. Instead we've got Dr. Julian Matar who is very boring character and even after 20 bullets in his body he's not dead. Because Schenkel needed ending. Ending is such a cliché, with that old message that evil never dies. Sad movie for Remar, Boyle and McDowell and really no reason for you to watch it.

This was one of the most repulsive and disgusting movies I've ever tried to watch. So much gore and special effects splatter overwhelm whatever extremely minor narrative pull the movie has. The movie starts off stupidly as a would-be attempt at irony (e.g., horrible violence set to silly '50s pop song) lets you know how wrong this flick is gonna go. If not for the extremely lovely presence of leading lady Isabel Glasser I never would have spent as much time on this splatter-dog of a flick as I did. Didn't need to see James Remar's tackle, either. All in all, a waste. I will keep my eyes out for Glasser in the future, though.

When I watch a slasher, I don't expect it to be particularly intellectual. I expect a lot of blood and guts. If the movie turns out to be more than that, then it's a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, "The Surgeon" tries to be intellectual but fails. It could have just stuck to being a gorefest and I would have been satisfied. Instead, it fizzles out very early on. Not even the presence of Malcolm McDowell and Peter Boyle can save it.

There's just no reason to see this movie. It's a total waste. Much like how the one "Twilight" movie that I saw tried too hard to be both a vampire flick and a teen romance, "The Surgeon" tries too many things at once and ends up making no sense.

The Surgeon is an overlooked little hospital horror chiller that's worth the price of admission just for the opening scene alone, a spooky black and white prologue in which a young boy witnesses a surgery gone horribly wrong, all set to that cheery 'Lollipop Lollipop' song, quite a memorable way to kick your film off. After that it's fairly standard, as he grows up to be a scalpel wielding slasher who roams the wards of a huge hospital, killing patients, doctors and undergrads at leisure. Two intrepid doctors in training played by Isabel Glasser and James Remar are onto this beast and gradually begin to realize there's foul play afoot, and the demented surgeon, played by Sean Haberle, continues his stealthy rampage throughout the halls. Malcolm McDowell is also there for a bit, sorely underused as an arrogant, short lived doctor who likes to trial weird drugs on chimpanzees in the basement. Peter Boyle chews scenery as a bumbling detective, Charles Dance has a fun bit and it all hurtles along like the B movie it is. That opening though, quite a well accented bit with the song, and an eerie setup for the schlock to follow. The film's actual title on IMDB is Exquisite Tenderness, which was rebranded for DVD release as The Surgeon, which is slightly less.. European of them than the original one, but it does suit the low grade silliness. Decent stuff, for what it is.

There is a misuse of music in almost the entire film. The film would be better not to have too loud music, especially in dramatic moments when the sound is too strong and counterproductive - instead of contributing to the drama, it only reduces it and distracts from the plot.