Tubi Thursday: Specters (1987)

 Just for fun, let's look at the only two Horror Films Directed by a Director.

First up, a Film that I constantly try to re-spell the Title of...

It is 'Specters' in English, in case you didn't read the Header.

I'm immediately hit by Italian Horror Deja Vu as a bunch of folks- including Donald Pleasance, naturally- dig up some secrets in the Catacombs.

This isn't just the fake Movie from inside Demons, is it? 

The Film is an interesting exercise in a start-stop narrative and full of time-wasting.

They spend 5 whole minutes on a Surprise, It's Actually a Movie They're Shooting bit.
My joke about Demons seems more apt now, eh?

While they're working there, a group of 'teenagers' go on a Tour.  The Horny Guy and Gullible Girl break away from the group- led by a Blind guy- to make out.

It goes horribly awry as wind and rocks fly...but they don't actually die and never factor into the Plot again.

This kind of happens alot here.  That and the woman having dreams of Copywritten Universal Monsters (and Nosferatu, in shadow).

Skipping way ahead, they keep working and investigating before a mostly-off-screen monster kills this lady and a few others.

On the plus side, the tunnels look neat.  I'm getting real Alien vibes and I'm not just saying that to trigger any algoritihm.

Why not just make the Film set down here?

Her dreams and reality eventually come together as she's sucked down to the Catacombs for the big finale.

Will the creature finally show its face?
Will you be awake still?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that has good moments...spread out over 90 minutes.  It just wastes so much time.

So much walking.  So much staring.  Again- 5 minutes wasted on the fake-out!

The Story had promise.  It wasn't that original- even in 1987- but it could have been good.

Easy pitch- they take some artifacts from the Tomb.  While most of them are down there (with Pleasance and someone else topside), all hell breaks loose.

Now they are trapped and exploring AND trying to escape the Monster.
It's better than what we get, which includes a prolonged Scene of a Waiter being scared, running away and then dying for no good reason.

Good people were at least partly involved here.  Dardano Sacchetti is one of the Writers!  Pleasance was better off being killed by an evil Violin!

Sadly, the Film is overshadowed by stuff like Demons.  Hell, it is overshadowed by Demons III: The Ogre.

Now about that Creature from The Black Lagoon Remake in the news now....

A Film that should have at least been a crazy, breezy Horror Film.  It's like picking apart a tiny chicken wing for 3 scraps of dark meat though.