Bloodbath in the House of Knives - [DVD]

Regional horror films are the sort of thing every film maven lives for. I remember well the days of noting strange titles on drive-in marquees and wondering about their origin. Every one of us knew at least somebody who caught The Night Daniel Died on a one-week run or discovered the original Night of the Living Dead at the bottom third of a week-end bill. And once in a great while we too might have found something special at 2:30 AM on a local TV station. Because having access to this sort of experience is what made you cool among other film geeks.<p>So I was delighted that Mr. Ted Moehring would elect to send me his giallo, Bloodbath in the House of Knives</i>. Made in the isolated town of Boyertown, Pennsylvania (and surrounding environs), Bloodbath</i> is a neat little film that shows how people with limited means can still create something to hold the attention. Using a cast of unknowns, it manages to capture the spirit of Bird With The Crystal Plumage</i> and Suspiria</i>.<p>The plot is complex: a nightclub hypnotist puts a man in a trance. Suddenly, the trancee goes on a rampage, killing a member of the audience before he is felled by a bullet from an unknown shooter. Meanwhile a sinister figure in black wearing a Greek theatrical mask is randomly killing people. And a woman named Ivy keeps getting threatening phone messages from a stalker. Are the killings related? And when is the intrepid police detective going to put it all together?<p>There are a number of effect-laden murders, none accomplished with CGI as well as good use of lighting, color, and a surprise ending. - Timothy Mayer