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One of the many gripes I've dealt with with Hollywood and oncoming
generation whom are led to believe anything old is defunct and
loathsome, is the slow phasing of old time Hollywood schlock now being
replaced with self-referential Hollywood schlock. What I always enjoy is
the schlock brought upon us by new directors who take it upon themselves
to carve their own pastiche with films that both spoof yet pay respect
to the films of old that audiences are no longer interested in. What
William Winckler does or tries his hardest in doing is both spoofing the
classic horror film while paying his own homage telling this story that
is both simple but entertaining. It's pretty easy to explain the plot of
this within simple sentences.
A group of scientists testing on a creature accidentally let it get
away, the creature is wreaking havoc and now dig up the Frankenstein
monster to test on and use it as a way to stop the creature. It's
transparent though entertaining bit of monster movie fluff that serves
as a fun monster movie. Winckler also takes advantage of the recent
versus craze by pitting together both a sea monster and the classic
monster together. "Blood Cove" is often cheesy and goofy, but that's the
intent, it's low tech in many respects with the creature's monster suit
and the Frankenstein make-up, and the characters are truly idiotic whom
aren't really aware of the threat they're facing. Even after the monster
tears up a super model, they treat the general situation more as a
nuisance than a threat.
The characters are filled with your usual arch-types such as the comedic
relief in the form of a flamboyantly gay photographer who was so over
the top, but worked as comedic relief, and the mad scientist, his
assistants and the heroes. Winckler has a knack for sharp dialogue that
is both hilariously ridiculous and witty. For example, upon looking at a
basement laboratory, one character asks "What is this, a laboratory in
your basement?" Duh. Winckler never shies away from exploitation; the
man sure does love breasts often showing women in the nude for no
particular reason, not that I'm complaining. Winckler doesn't attempt to
turn the film in to anything more than it already is, and there's even a
cameo from Ron Jeremy.
It's difficult to carve a sense of genuine wit and get it exactly right
when spoofing and or paying homage to the classic schlock from the
golden age, and Winckler doesn't quite get it right. I've yet to see a
film that can get the feeling of the old schlock/ exploitation films
just right, and "Blood Cove" is not an exception. In terms of story, it
never seems to know exactly if it wants to take itself seriously, or
spoof what it's attempting to reference. Not to mention the references
to old schlock films of the same genre are literally beat over our
heads, especially one scene which was quite distracting when a person is
describing directions and they say "Ed Wood Drive". Okay, we get it,
this is a schlock film, being made as a schlock film that references
schlock films. Not to mention the sequences ranging from the action to
the drama are almost always repetitive. The first fight sequence is done
almost immediately, and is basically just re-done much later on during
the film, and there's the basic monster mistaking a character as his
bride hoopla and plenty of sequences that are so over done it becomes
exhausting, especially involving the dialogue.
"Blood Cove" is often times very repetitive and shifts from both comedy
to drama unevenly in a hackneyed manner, but it's ultimately a
satisfying bit of schlock and pure dripping exploitation that pays
homage to it while telling its own story. that is simple and
entertaining.
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