Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Deformed. Devious. Delightful., July 29, 2005
Okay now, when it comes from Full Moon Pictures and has a title like HIDEOUS!, it should be obvious to any potential customer or renter that the film is not going to be Oscar quality. But it is equally reasonable to assume that connoisseurs of the tasteless and the outrageous are gonna be in for a treat. 1997's HIDEOUS! is another direct-to-video flick from the Full Moon duo of director Charles Band and writer Benjamin Carr, the same pair who gave the public B-movie gems like HEAD OF THE FAMILY (1996), THE CREEPS (1997), and Mystery Monsters (1997), to name but a few.
According to the plot of HIDEOUS!, there is a semi-underground network of the obscenely wealthy who collect "pickled" examples of biological deformities. The more unusual the deformity, the more valuable the piece to the collector. Superbitch Belinda Yost (Tracie May) is an opportunist who earns her very comfortable living by brokering sales of these titular "collectibles." She has connections to unsavories who work in places like sewage processing plants, and these folks seem to find all kinds of, um, interesting samples of biological deformities (both animal and human). And since Ms. Yost also knows the twisted moneyed folks who want these items, she's more than willing to act as the middle man.
When one of Ms. Yost's "suppliers" comes across a grossly mutated human embryo, she knows just who to sell it to and how to get the best price. Unfortunately, she underestimates the intelligence of her ditzy blonde secretary, who herself informs another collector of the bizarre find. And when the two rival collectors engage in a one-on-one struggle to gain possession of the unique freak, things get really weird!
The acting in HIDEOUS! is surprisingly good for a direct-to-video flick. Former soft-core porn star Jacqueline Lovell expertly delivers a lot of hilarious off-color quips and retorts, and the aforementioned Ms. May convincingly portrays Belinda Yost as one of those money-hungry sirens that you just love to hate. Michael Citriniti (a.k.a., J.W. Perra) is wonderfully smarmy as one of the rich collectors, and Mel Johnson, Jr., delivers one of his best performances to date as the prim and proper rival collector. Genre fans will recognize Mr. Johnson from his role as Benny, the mutant traitor, in 1990's Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle TOTAL RECALL.
The production design is fabulous, providing a deliciously dark ambiance. Most of the story is set inside of an old gothic castle owned by one of the collectors, and the sets, props, and set dressing are as fun to look at as the actors. The little mutant creatures look pretty cool, too, when they are not moving. Unfortunately, bugetary restrictions reduce the special FX to mere human-hand puppetry, and it is very noticeable when the "hideous" little buggers come to life. Nonetheless, this doesn't detract from enjoyment of the film whatsoever. (Indeed, some B-movie fans are known to admit that poor FX actually enhance the fun.)
Though HIDEOUS! is not nearly as witty or satirical as Full Moon's previous offering HEAD OF THE FAMILY, it is still pretty entertaining fodder for movie watchers who love the bizarrely burlesque, the lusciously ludicrous, and the truly tasteless. And for those film fans who watch horror solely for the gratuitous T&A--and you know who you are--the scene where the shapely Ms. Lovell runs around in the snow wearing nothing but a leather skirt and a gorilla mask is must-see video!
The DVD edition of HIDEOUS! is of the standard quality that one would expect from Full Moon. The film is offered in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and digital transfer is pretty good (the colors seem a bit too saturated, but not unbearably so). There is also a featurette with some behind-the-scenes footage, and as usual, there are several trailers for other Full Moon offerings. Well worth the reasonable price for collectors of "hideous" B-movie fare.
NOTE: If amazon.com allowed the use of half-stars in their rating system, HIDEOUS! would get 3.5 stars. But it's just not quite good enough to justify rounding up to 4 stars, hence the 3-star rating.
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leather shorts, hiking boots, and a gorilla mask, April 27, 2003
The plot is simple: biological freaks vs collectors-- freaks 4, collectors 0.
I loved this movie. In fact, as soon as I saw it I ran right back to Amazon and lost no time buying HEAD OF THE FAMILY, which is isn't as good, but still amuses. Jacqueline Lovell picks up this movie and walks off with it. Watch it with friends. We laughed, we groaned, we pointed out mistakes, and we all fell in love with Lovell's Sheila character. Anyone can be a highwayperson but how many do it in the dead of winter amidst a snow covered landscape dressed ONLY in hiking boots, leather shorts and a gorilla mask? Definately a first for me. However erotic many may have thought this scene, I found it full of fun and was one of those 'touches' that make a movie better.
The effects were laughable, which made the movie even more fun although I would like to have seen what they could have done with a bigger budget. I was totally impressed with the acting. Tracie May was fantastic as the 'middleman' in the genetic oddity business. Her customers, Michael Citrinti and Mel Johnson, Jr. were perfect fanatics. "Elvina" and the P.I. were great in their roles and, once again, surprisingly good actors. The castle in which most the action takes place was also impressive.
The only lack in this little flick was the special effects, but the fun more than made up for it.
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This movie is not trying to be good-don't judge it, October 8, 1999
This movie is about dealers in biological oddities, undead babies with two mouths found in sewers, and the conflicts between them. How can you say its bad? It's trying to be entertaining. To me, when a topless woman with a gun in a gorilla mask leaps out of a car and says, "I am woman, hear me roar", it means I've finally found a B-movie without pseudo-intelligence. I love this movie. By the way, that woman is also in 'Head of the Family' and 'The Killer Eye'. Head of the Family is much like this movie, but The Killer Eye really is crap.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Tim Thomerson
DVD ~ Chris Babson
DVD ~ Dylan McDermott
DVD ~ Clint Howard
DVD ~ Melissa Sue Anderson
