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Reviews
La mansión de los muertos vivientes (1982)
A very good 80's Franco film
Another underrated film, apparently a bit far off of the beaten path for most viewers. Like most Franco films this one has a good deal of atmosphere and some genuinely strange moments (and lots of nudity but not much gore). I also found the story to be well done and an interesting take on the older Blind Dead series. Franco also has some interesting things to say in the commentary on the Severin Films version, relating the dead monks in the film to his view of the Spanish Catholic church -- an insightful view, in fact, reflecting popular attitudes in Spanish Catholicism that define monks and priests as theoretically saintly figures that are also motivated by the needs and failings that drive ordinary men. I also agreed with Franco's commentaries on George Romero and his zombies (unlike a previous reviewer). I admire Night of the Living Dead for its innovative approaches, but I have always found the zombies to be very boring because in moral and intellectual terms they are complete ciphers. I've seen NotLD in at least four different decades -- and I will see it again I'm sure -- but I'm not a fan of the zombies. The living dead in Franco's film, although they could be more well-developed, are much more interesting. Kind of like the zombie "hero" in Jean Rollin's Zombie Lake who has some kind of moral sense despite his deadness.
Dolly Dearest (1991)
An underrated if somewhat predictable movie
I agree with the earlier review by Richard Wheeler: if you see this as a rerun of Child's Play you are not getting the gist of the film. The story centers on a classic horror device (one that I never get tired of) of pitting different realities against one another: the extinct Sanzia reality (the devil child spirit), the Mexican Catholic reality (nuns and candles), and the modern American reality (explosions). This occurs in relation to another classic device, the possessed doll -- although in this case the dolls derive more from Curse of the Doll People than from Child's Play. The story follows fairly predictable lines (the biggest twist: no sudden twist at the end -- thankfully!) but kept me entertained throughout. I also like Rip Torn in the older roles, and Denise Crosby was good. The child actors were also not annoying (and the little girl was on occasion pretty scary). The production designer also deserves kudos for the simple but effective crypt.
My only complaint is that I could do without the animatronic doll faces, which were well enough done but not very original. Possessed dolls whose faces remain placid and serene are much scarier, plus they don't talk as much.