Customer Reviews

5 Dead on the Crimson Canvas

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I recently bought this blindly based solely on word of mouth. I've been hearing about it for years, but the VHS tape has been long out of print and fetched high prices on eBay when it would pop up on there. When I found out that it had finally been released on DVD, I jumped at the chance to buy it right away. And, boy, was I glad I did! As a person raised on some of the classic giallos of the 70's from the likes of Argento, Fulci and Bava, I am usually very critical of any attempts to recreate what the Italian masters have already done so well. 5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS proves that you don't have to be Italian to make a giallo, and you can actually be original in the confines of an obvious tribute to a genre you love so dearly. And writer/director Joseph F. Parda clearly loves giallos dearly as evidenced by the little touches he adds here and there throughout the course of the 96 minute film. He stays steady on the delicate line between an homage and a rip off and he succeeds I think. As I said earlier, I'm very critical of this genre and 5 DEAD is not without its flaws. At times certain actors performances came off as a bit campy and at other times the lighting was not on par with the rest of the film. But these instances were few and far between and did not deter my enjoyment of the film in the least. Parda definitely has a unique visual style though that is usually never seen in films of this caliber on this budget. I can wholeheartedly recommend 5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS to even the most minor giallo fan. Bigger enthusiasts, like myself, will no doubt appreciate and get a kick out of this fun film. I look forward to what Parda has to offer in the future. I see that, according to the Internet Movie Database, he made a film called MACHINES OF LOVE AND HATE in 2003. Does anyone know the status of this? I would love to see that as well. Hopefully a DVD of it will come along shortly because just from the positive reviews online that I've read, that film too seems like it could be great!

This movie is worth the watch....lots of twists and surprises the commentary alone is worth the price...lots of gore as well

The acting in this film is really horrid. We pretty much lost what little interest in the film when Genavive was located. She appeared to be a little goth girl yet spoke like a bored valley girl and displayed as much feeling as ordering a value meal at a lcoal fast food drive thru. Also, the scene with the woman dressed in garders attempting to look sexy and domineering for her mate was rather lame and lacked any sort of attempt at erotica. The acting combined with the character development was so bad we didn't care who died or in what manner it was done as long as it happened swiftly so we wouldn't have to endure the film any longer than we did. The overall plot was rather lame as well. The "twists and turns" one could figure out. We could have done without the piano solo at the time of death. The gore is minimal by today's standard so there is a bit but not as much as the previous viewer seemes to think considering the caps he uses to emphasize. There is nudity so if you are into that's fine but not my cup of tea.