RyanPC
05-03-2003, 12:44 AM
THE INCUBUS was filmed in 1981, around the time of the slasher craze, when films like Friday the 13th and Halloween 2 were popular. It is a film that could easily be mistaken for just another slasher film, but on closer inspection it is much more than that. There are more supernatural elements in the film, which make it all the more interesting. Elite has released this nearly forgotten film on DVD, so let's take a closer look...
THE PLOT
A doctor named Sam (John Cassavetes) and his daughter Jenny recently moved to the small town of Galen. It is the kind of town where word gets around fast, and where the neighbors like to gossip and eavesdrop on conversations. When a string of rape/murders begin to occur, Sam feels it is his job to solve the case and find out who the killer is.
At the same time, Jenny's boyfriend, Tim Galen, is having terrible nightmare. Every time he has one of these nightmares, someone is raped and murdered. Tim himself even begins to think that he is the killer. His grandmother tries to tell him that he has nothing to do with the murders, but it is obvious that she is hiding something.
Sam discovers that the rapist had dry intercourse with the first victim, but an unusual amount of sperm is found in the next victim. The sperm is also unusual because it is red, and not because of the blood. Also, each of the victims uteruses have been ruptured.
He meets a female reporter named Laura Kincaid (Kerrie Keane), who is new in town and investigating the case. The two work together to solve the case and find out who the killer is.
I must say, I wasn't too impressed with the beginning of this film. Also, it was boring at times and there was too much talking going on. But there is some cool gore effects, and some very disturbing rape/murders, which definitely makes up for the boring gaps in the plot. Also, without giving anything away, I have to say that the ending was truly disturbing and really made the film a whole lot better for me, once you know who the killer is.
This is certainly one of the best Canadian slashers of the 80's, although I probably shouldn't call it a slasher as it is more a supernatural murder mystery. It should please fans of those types of films though, and I certainly recommend it. Also, the acting is top-notch from almost everyone, especially John Cassavetes, whom it is a pleasure to see. The one I was disappointed in was Kerrie Keane as Laura; while she was good (and she really doesn't have that much of a role, in my opinion), she just wasn't as good as I had hoped she would be (although she is stunningly beautiful). Great film, and I highly recommend it to those who are looking for a good murder mystery with a twist. Like I said, I might not have liked it as much had the ending not been so bizarre.
Rating: 4/5
VIDEO QUALITY
Elite has presented THE INCUBUS in widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions. I hadn't seen this film until now, so I have nothing to compare it with, but I am sure this is the best it has ever looked. There is minor grain in most of the scenes, but on the back of the box it says this grain is due to the original film elements used. But the colors were somewhat vivid, and for a film made in 1981, it looks great. Good job from Elite!
Rating: 3.5/5
SOUND QUALITY
The sound is Dolby Digital Mono, and is exactly what Mono is-- Mono. The track is alright, but I definitely think they could have done better. The dialogue is clear and the music sounds very good.
Rating: 2.5/5
SPECIAL FEATURES
Unfortunately, all Elite has included is a theatrical trailer, which is pretty interesting but hurts the disc overall. Even though extras for a film like this might be hard to come by, I still think Elite could have found at least a little something more to put on the disc-- even some talent bios or a still gallery would have been a nice addition to the disc, but no such luck.
Rating: 0.5/5
OVERALL
This is a film I found to be very good and, like I said earlier, I highly recommend it to those looking for a bizarre murder mystery. The video quality is good and the sound is OK, but this is basically a bare bones release. Unless you really love this film, you may want to rethink the situation before spending the $24.95 retail price tag. Fortunately, I got this disc in a trade! :D
Overall Rating: 3/5
THE PLOT
A doctor named Sam (John Cassavetes) and his daughter Jenny recently moved to the small town of Galen. It is the kind of town where word gets around fast, and where the neighbors like to gossip and eavesdrop on conversations. When a string of rape/murders begin to occur, Sam feels it is his job to solve the case and find out who the killer is.
At the same time, Jenny's boyfriend, Tim Galen, is having terrible nightmare. Every time he has one of these nightmares, someone is raped and murdered. Tim himself even begins to think that he is the killer. His grandmother tries to tell him that he has nothing to do with the murders, but it is obvious that she is hiding something.
Sam discovers that the rapist had dry intercourse with the first victim, but an unusual amount of sperm is found in the next victim. The sperm is also unusual because it is red, and not because of the blood. Also, each of the victims uteruses have been ruptured.
He meets a female reporter named Laura Kincaid (Kerrie Keane), who is new in town and investigating the case. The two work together to solve the case and find out who the killer is.
I must say, I wasn't too impressed with the beginning of this film. Also, it was boring at times and there was too much talking going on. But there is some cool gore effects, and some very disturbing rape/murders, which definitely makes up for the boring gaps in the plot. Also, without giving anything away, I have to say that the ending was truly disturbing and really made the film a whole lot better for me, once you know who the killer is.
This is certainly one of the best Canadian slashers of the 80's, although I probably shouldn't call it a slasher as it is more a supernatural murder mystery. It should please fans of those types of films though, and I certainly recommend it. Also, the acting is top-notch from almost everyone, especially John Cassavetes, whom it is a pleasure to see. The one I was disappointed in was Kerrie Keane as Laura; while she was good (and she really doesn't have that much of a role, in my opinion), she just wasn't as good as I had hoped she would be (although she is stunningly beautiful). Great film, and I highly recommend it to those who are looking for a good murder mystery with a twist. Like I said, I might not have liked it as much had the ending not been so bizarre.
Rating: 4/5
VIDEO QUALITY
Elite has presented THE INCUBUS in widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions. I hadn't seen this film until now, so I have nothing to compare it with, but I am sure this is the best it has ever looked. There is minor grain in most of the scenes, but on the back of the box it says this grain is due to the original film elements used. But the colors were somewhat vivid, and for a film made in 1981, it looks great. Good job from Elite!
Rating: 3.5/5
SOUND QUALITY
The sound is Dolby Digital Mono, and is exactly what Mono is-- Mono. The track is alright, but I definitely think they could have done better. The dialogue is clear and the music sounds very good.
Rating: 2.5/5
SPECIAL FEATURES
Unfortunately, all Elite has included is a theatrical trailer, which is pretty interesting but hurts the disc overall. Even though extras for a film like this might be hard to come by, I still think Elite could have found at least a little something more to put on the disc-- even some talent bios or a still gallery would have been a nice addition to the disc, but no such luck.
Rating: 0.5/5
OVERALL
This is a film I found to be very good and, like I said earlier, I highly recommend it to those looking for a bizarre murder mystery. The video quality is good and the sound is OK, but this is basically a bare bones release. Unless you really love this film, you may want to rethink the situation before spending the $24.95 retail price tag. Fortunately, I got this disc in a trade! :D
Overall Rating: 3/5