lancepv's reviews

"They" owes more to Val Lewton than to Wes Craven. there is even a well

done pool stalking scene lifted from "Cat people". The film is aided by

some great casting and a persistent subtle tone that really gets under

your skin. The director does well in keeping the title entities largely

unfocused and hidden in shadow. I was very impressed as a lesser talent

could have easily steered this project into schlock territory. As it is,

"THEY" is a well done adult horror fairy tell that will certainly find

extended life on video shelves as it is the most original and well done

psychological thriller in years. I highly recommend that anyone

interested in intelligent horror support this film and see it in

theaters to get the full effect and enjoy the creative use of sound and

light.Good work from all

This is the worst of the current batch of "horror" films. This is the absolute low point and could possibly kill the genre with it's own putrid stench. If this film was playing on an airplane I would jump to my death rather than view it again. This movie stole the bloody nose trick from ALONE IN THE DARK. Go rent ALONE IN THE DARK! This movie stole the valentine theme from MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Go rent MY BLOODY VALENTINE! The revenge motif is lifted from TERROR TRAIN. Go rent TERROR TRAIN! GO rent ANYTHING!

One of the better Italian slasher flicks of it's time.

Interesting use of color and editing. The story is rather typical but it moves about quickly enough. If you enjoy the earlier Argento flicks, Bava or even Fulci's "Don't torture a ducking" you should enjoy this.

LIGHTHOUSE (dead of night) is without question one of the best thrillers to come out in years. How this gem fell through the cracks I'll never understand. (Though in the states, blaming A-pix for it's forced, inappropriate title and amateurish B-grade box art is a good place to start!) Perhaps the film is just too sophisticated for the slasher set and too gruesome and effective for thriller fans. It deserves a genre all it's own. above all else it exists as an exercise in suspense and a very successful one at that. Sporting vividly realized, even brilliantly conceived scenes of terror visually reminiscent of Argento's best and pacing that could only be compared to that of the young John Carpenter, LIGHTHOUSE should be seen by anyone the least bit interested in Horror or good film making. One of my favorite scenes involves a flashback/dream sequence so beautifully composed it evokes the Great German expressionists in it's vague shadowy ambiguity. (When was the last time you rewinded a scene in a horror movie to watch it over again?...Sad isn't it?!) Before the film ends, it miraculously transforms genre yet again into full throttle action as the heroes find themselves dangling outside the lighthouse in a final showdown with the madman. The background sets in these scenes (orange grey skies, endless ocean) are as glorious as something out of old Hollywood or the films of the great James Whale. How teenage dreck is released into theaters while brilliance is shoved into a videobox with a generic skull on it is anyone's guess. This film deserved the same release as other harder to classify, Adult genre films like THE CUBE, RAVENOUS and EXISTENZ. Expect to find LIGHTHOUSE in years to come referred to as an overlooked classic and expect it's Director to be on the forefront of the next wave of horror.