Flashback

I won't waste time repeating what many others here have already said; I just wanted to add my support for the film because I really enjoyed it. I think it's current 5.1 rating is criminally low.

If you like German Horror films, then you might like this one; it is no 'ANATOMIE' by any stretch of the imagination. I REALLY loved that film and thought it was quite sharp and brilliant! This one doesn't even come close to that level, but if you are in the mood for a simple but entertaining slasher film, then you'll probably enjoy this one, and the English dub isn't too bad.

Just one slight caution though... If you really love animals... well..., uh... let's just say that some beloved pets do meet their demise in rather grisly ways. But, the way it is done plays well into the dark humour of the film and doesn't go out of it's way to be overly cruel about it. However, if you are sensitive about animals (or you enjoy making nice protein shakes after your workout... heh heh...) then you might want to keep that in mind.

Not a masterpiece by any means, but entertaining and with some good twists that catch you by surprise...

* minor spoiler * The director of this movie apparently helmed a lot of TV-movies in Germany and it sure shows. This German slasher tries very hard to be stylish looking in a "gallic" way, but seldom succeeds. The look is distinctly like a German TV-movie with harsh lighting in the night scenes and a rather flat look in the daytime scenes. The plot however is very "giallo" with twists and turns. The screenwriters really try to fool the viewer, but since everything is telegraphed in advance in different ways, I was rarely surprised and saw the outcome miles away in advance.

Also hurtful is the way the characters are presented. We can feel no sympathy for these young spoiled brats as they meet their bloody ends. The awful dubbing on the DVD I saw was also a big drawback. At best it's amusing, for the most part it's irritating. However, everything is not bad. The scenery is awesome, we get some nice killings with a sickle and Elke Sommer does a quite nice turn as the stern housekeeper (it would have been nice if she had been the villain of this movie, but alas...), still looking quite good for her age.

This movie also contains quite a few comedic scenes, rarely found in American or Italian slashers. They mostly involve some bumbling cops and if you like that or not is a matter of taste. Quite a few scenes border on farce actually, even a few bloody ones. Especially as they are accompanied by some really strange and in-appropriate music.

So "Flashback" is a decent time waster, but I wouldn't pay too much to see it.

This film was an average slasher film that heavily copies other films already done in the genre. It isn't bad, but it's not great and there's really nothing new. The high point would have to be Elke Sommer playing the character of Frau Lust (that's pronounced Loost).

The visuals in the movie are outstanding, if it deserves some praise then it is for the above average cinematography. The audio, on the DVD at least, is presented in it's original German format or a dubbed English format. I watched a few minutes in the German audio and it just didn't do much for me, and i enjoy native language films with subtitles. I can understand German very well, but i switched over to the English dub and enjoyed it much more. It's almost comical at times in the English format and i would recommend viewing it that way...it's just a touch over the top and adds to the whole experience.

Another thing is...BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD. The annoying teenage idiots in the movie make you want to hate them and cheer for the killer hunting them down near the end.

The ending? In one word, dumb. Why is it that every movie these days has to have some lame "Sixth Sense" shocker ending that makes little sense. It seems to be the trend these days and it's getting old.

Conclusion: I give it a 5 out of 10. This is worth a single viewing for fans of the genre. I really don't have the urge to watch it again anytime soon, but i wasn't bored. People who are not fans of the genre will probably hate it...

But to be honest and pun aside: the movie is your average slasher. It is predictable to say the least. So no brownie points if you guess correct - not really an achievement to know what or who did what ... or when.

Still it is a decent effort. If you like the genre, you might like what you get served here. There is enough blood for sure for that. Though I reckon some might have liked this to have more skin/nudity. Just in case that is something you are looking for, be aware there won't be any in this movie right here.

Acting is ... well I guess you can call it ok. Again it is all things considered and if you see it in the constraints of the genre this plays within. The end twist is a bit much ... but maybe you like it, so who am I to judge?

This is the german attempt to do a horror movie. Since the horror genre was very popular in the late ninety's (consider the scream series) they tried to copy the concept and changed the setting to a small village in the austrian alpes. First of all I think it's much too late for this. There are too much better horror movies. Everything in this movie is stereotype, a lonely village, some stupid cops etc... It's a bit boring, nothing new. It's just a film which was not necessary. The only plus is the good playing of the main actress (the nice and cute Valerie Niehaus) and that the film does not take itself too serious. Some funny scenes. And a unusual ending. I'll give 6/10. If you want some popcorn horror-cinema go out for the US Productions. They did it a lot better...