Curse of the Blind Dead

Curse of the Blind Dead is about what you would expect from a Blind Dead movie, not much on plot but with a decent amount of atmosphere and gore. The plot begins like some of the previous entries with the Knights Templar getting ready to perform a satanic ritual only to be stopped, blinded, and executed. The movie then transitions to the main story, which in this case is a post apocalyptic tale of a father trying to protect his pregnant daughter from scavengers and a cult that wants to sacrafice her child to the undead knights. What I liked about this movie is that it moves at a brisk pace, the effects work on the Knights, and the gore. The Knights in particular look pretty good and it's a nice update to their look. The setting is also interesting enough, though it does feel like not enough was done with it. If there is one thing I've learned from Blind Dead movies it's that it's never been big on story or acting, and in this regards the movie fits right in. The story is predictable, and the acting is pretty campy. Where the movie faulters though is that it doesn't capture the haunting feel when the Knights are on screen. The previous films used slow motion to give the Knights a very haunting feel, it's part of what made these movies stand out. This movie only does this once, and while it was nice to see again, it didn't capture that haunting feel. Overall Curse of the Blind Dead is a middle of the road horror film. It's not awful, but it's also not great either. Blind Dead fans may dig it, or fans of campy movies.

I was drawn like a moth to a flame (or a fly to...something) to the Italian production Curse of the Blind Dead. It opens in the 14th century (presumably as the filmmakers aren't big on details) with five Templar knights preparing to sacrifice a baby. They are stopped by some villagers and the world's best Christian fighters are captured without putting up a fight. Hell, they don't even draw their swords. They are blinded and then burned at the stake. Fastforward several millenniums and the world is now recovering from a nuclear war (showcased by a big green forest). Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes...er, Michael (Aaron Stielstra) and his daughter Lily (Alice Zanini) are wandering around aimlessly, apparently searching for "Paradise" that they hear about from a radio signal (again, I was forced to suss this info out on my own). They are attacked by some marauders and saved by followers of a religious order led by Maestro Abel (Bill Hutchens). Of course, cinema law dictates any benevolent group is really looking to kill you and sure enough Abel wants to do the whole baby sacrificing ceremony again for the now zombified Knights Templar. Wait? How are these guys back? No idea. They just are because "the ancient prophecy" says so. The sightless Knights Templar zombies that graced Amando de Ossorio's four Spanish films have always been one of the more unique takes on the undead subgenre. So much so that I thought the concept would be great for a revisit. But this ain't it. I am always baffled how films like this exist. How do you get through writing a script, scouting locations, assembling a crew and cast and then deliver something so flat? To quote the paramedic from Return of the Living Dead (1985), this thing has "no blood pressure, no pulse." It is so maddeningly boring that I almost wanted to pluck out my own eyes. It is the kind of film where nearly everyone in the post-apoc world has normal clothes and nice haircuts with trimmed beards. The kind of film where a guy gruesomely severs his own thumb to get out of some handcuffs and then it doesn't bother him after that. The kind of film that casts Italian action legend Fabio Testi and gives him one line. The kind of film where the director has a POV shot for one of the blind zombies (he will probably say he was trying to convey their "hearing" sight, but I ain't buying that, chief). There is some gore but I swear the masks for the blind dead guys are just refurbished Darkman masks. This feature opens with the Uncork'd logo and, honestly, that is the perfect home for something like this dreck. The only remotely interesting thing about this film is now I will spend the next few days wondering if this was better or worse than the Blind Dead knockoff that had a Knight having sex with a busty blonde on the cover.

There have been a few one-off sequels to Amando de Ossorio's quartet of Blind Dead films. The four original films, which were released in the early '70s, dealt with very slow-moving animated corpses who invariably made their way after scantily-clad females, on equally slow-moving horses. The films have acquired cult status over the years and inspired more modern-day directors to tell their own stories featuring the bedraggled Knights Templar. Director Raffaele Pocchio is working with a limited budget, and this has earned his film criticism from some quarters - yet Ossario's productions were always modestly financed; he even created the masks and costumes for the villains himself. These Knights have an agenda. They are on a mission to kidnap newborn babies for reasons not made clear (unless I missed them) and so therefore, we are treated to several gruelling, enthusiastically played childbirth scenes. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it appears the Knights want to fashion the young to their ways. There are several gut-wrenching scenes, and while the acting is distinctly mixed, there's a definite energy here which propels the murky story. 70's Italian star Fabio Testi makes a tiny cameo and it's curious that he's used so sparingly. Good to see him though. I enjoyed this broad and bloody tale. It doesn't adhere to many of the rules of the original films (which were always changing their own backstory anyway) and makes its own narrative. My score is 8 gore-soaked points out of 10.

A film full of nonsense screaming almost all of the runtime.

So what was this supposed to be? A tribute to the 1972 "Tombs of the Blind Dead" movei? A tribute? A sequel? A stand-alone movie with only the shared title? Regardless of its intention, the 2020 movie "Curse of the Blind Dead" was not really an outstanding movie. Especially since it was lacking a proper storyline. The plot and script was so weak that you could easily leave the movie for a prolonged time - say a bathroom break, snack break, etc. - and come back later and not have been missing out on anything vital to the storyline. Because there simply was nothing vital to the storyline. Director Raffaele Picchio just shambled through the storyline at an incredibly slow pace, which really didn't do much to spruce up the overall enjoyment of the movie. In fact, the slow pacing was just helping to make the movie all the more unbearable to sit through. However, I managed to do that, sit through the entire movie. But trust me, I was by no means entertained here. But still, being a zombiesque movie, of course I sat through the movie to the end. I will say that while the movie was just plain boring, then "Curse of the Blind Dead" actually had adequate effects, both for the templar zombies and for the blood and gore. And that, at least, counted for something, but it just couldn't make up for the shortcomings on an improper storyline and script. The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the total lack of proper characters, script and dialogue. All in all, there really is no reason for bothering sitting down to watch the 2020 "Curse of the Blind Dead" movie. I am rating it a generous three out of ten stars, and that is solely based on the blood, gore and special effects.

This is a terrible movie. They even got the name wrong It is not "Knight Templars", they were "The Knights Templar" and they were NOT Satan worshipers. They worshiped God. Jacques Demolay was the last one burned at the stake.unlike what the movie says.This movie has as much credibility as the movie "Argo" which was a complete lie about the release of The Iran Hostages.

The film has zero atmosphere, zero suspense, zero tension n it is not at all scary. It has some gore n thats it. A scene is copied from Antropophagus n Cottage, the spine removal scene. We have a snake plissken a la poor man's Kurt Russell with an eye patch. Cos of the low budget they cudnt show the roads, highways or cities in dilapidated or post apocalyptic state, so they shot the entire movie in some park or fields.

I was drawn like a moth to a flame (or a fly to...something) to the Italian production Curse of the Blind Dead. It opens in the 14th century (presumably as the filmmakers aren't big on details) with five Templar knights preparing to sacrifice a baby. They are stopped by some villagers and the world's best Christian fighters are captured without putting up a fight. Hell, they don't even draw their swords. They are blinded and then burned at the stake. Fastforward several millenniums and the world is now recovering from a nuclear war (showcased by a big green forest). Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes...er, Michael (Aaron Stielstra) and his daughter Lily (Alice Zanini) are wandering around aimlessly, apparently searching for "Paradise" that they hear about from a radio signal (again, I was forced to suss this info out on my own). They are attacked by some marauders and saved by followers of a religious order led by Maestro Abel (Bill Hutchens). Of course, cinema law dictates any benevolent group is really looking to kill you and sure enough Abel wants to do the whole baby sacrificing ceremony again for the now zombified Knights Templar. Wait? How are these guys back? No idea. They just are because "the ancient prophecy" says so. The sightless Knights Templar zombies that graced Amando de Ossorio's four Spanish films have always been one of the more unique takes on the undead subgenre. So much so that I thought the concept would be great for a revisit. But this ain't it. I am always baffled how films like this exist. How do you get through writing a script, scouting locations, assembling a crew and cast and then deliver something so flat? To quote the paramedic from Return of the Living Dead (1985), this thing has "no blood pressure, no pulse." It is so maddeningly boring that I almost wanted to pluck out my own eyes. It is the kind of film where nearly everyone in the post-apoc world has normal clothes and nice haircuts with trimmed beards. The kind of film where a guy gruesomely severs his own thumb to get out of some handcuffs and then it doesn't bother him after that. The kind of film that casts Italian action legend Fabio Testi and gives him one line. The kind of film where the director has a POV shot for one of the blind zombies (he will probably say he was trying to convey their "hearing" sight, but I ain't buying that, chief). There is some gore but I swear the masks for the blind dead guys are just refurbished Darkman masks. This feature opens with the Uncork'd logo and, honestly, that is the perfect home for something like this dreck. The only remotely interesting thing about this film is now I will spend the next few days wondering if this was better or worse than the Blind Dead knockoff that had a Knight having sex with a busty blonde on the cover.

Let me preface by saying that I am a huge fan of the Blind Dead series. I didn't want to watch this because everything I had seen on it looked like crap. But it's free on Amazon Prime so I tried to watch. The good; Anton Abril's score is heard in the beginning and sprinkled throughout. The composer also did a good job of blending the original music to match. And...that's about where the good ends. Armando De Ossorio is rolling in his grave. If I were in charge of his estate I would sue these guys to remove his name from it. It has nothing on his creation. The post-apocalyptic setting is unbelievable. The idea to set it after an apocalyptic event is plain stupid as it could've been set in contemporary times. I actually had written a treatment for a Blind Dead sequel and was able to pull it off. The original 4 films had atmosphere and were well acted and scenes were well staged. You'll get none of that here. Acting is a joke. CGI is terrible. The gore effects are decent but. It enough to redeem this train wreck of a movie. Also the Blind Dead themselves look like they're wearing Halloween club discount isle costumes and masks. The original films were low budget as well but pulled it off much much better. I would've scored it better for the gore and music but the insult this is to Amando De Osorio is simply unforgivable.

The movie is slow, very slow. It takes almost an hour for the "zombies" to show. Until then you are subjected to ridiculous acting and story that makes little sense. The gore is good but the Templar costumes are not. How is it the "zombies" looked better in the original Blind Dead movies?