Blood Relic (2005) Reviews

• Great Twist in an Average Slasher Movie

  claudio_carvalho2008-03-22

  In 1983, the aviator Hank (John Christian) kills three sailors in a military airbase while wearing a voodoo talisman that he found in a mission in Granada. He hides the object in an electrical box and twenty-two years later, he is released from the asylum where he had been hosted considered mentally sane again. Meanwhile, the former base is transformed in an aviation museum owned by the idealistic Harry (Billy Drago), who is facing financial difficulties to keep the establishment working and problems with his partner and brother. When one of the workers finds the weird hidden artifact, she gives it to Harry. In the end of the working day, the group of co-workers decides to meet each other after 10:00 PM for a séance followed by sex, gamble and beer. When two couples vanish, the others decide to seek them and find them killed. Sooner they meet Hank that tells the survivors that the talisman unleashes a fiend that possesses the person that is wearing the necklace, forcing the owner to kill people with sadism. The group joins forces trying to find a way out of the museum while Hank chases the killer. "Blood Relic" is an average slasher low-budget movie, with all the common clichés of the genre including many breasts, exits closed, silly lines and stupid decisions. However, most of the deaths are original and there is a great twist in the end when the identity of the real killer is disclosed (I confess that it was a good surprise for me and totally unpredictable). The acting is not as bad as indicated in some reviews, in spite of the exaggeration of Billy Drago and the incoherent and frantic attitudes of Joshua Park. In the end, as a fan of the genre, I had fun with this movie. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "Maldição Voodoo" ("Voodoo Curse")

• Solid Old School Slasher

  danthewrestlingmanorigin2006-12-28

  Everything you desire in an 80's slasher movie is here. And what elevates Blood Relic somewhat, is the unique location used, which certainly beats the cheap storage garage sets many low budget films use today. Also two of my personal favorites, Debbie Rochon, and Billy Drago are involved. Sadly Debbie is not the star, but her scenes are still beneficial to the film. And for my money, Billy Drago can be in the most lousy piece of trash film imaginable, and still deliver an engrossing villainous performance. The kill scenes were solid here, and the ladies shed there clothes often. Ingvordsen has finally got a grasp on what fans of this genre enjoy, after his watchable, yet almost pg level Bog Creatures. In the end this is an above average throwback, with a unique setting, and the required horror goodies.

• Formulaic, yet entertaining.

  donquixote-32005-06-23

  Director Ingvordsen's third foray into the horror genre proves to be his best attempt yet. Not a masterpiece by any means, but also devoid of any pretense claiming itself to be... his movies never try to be anything more than they are - a stab (no pun intended) at some good old fashion scary fun. Although the story has a couple of clever gags, beyond the smoke and mirrors the script is rather formulaic, and thus somewhat predictable. The actors are a bit of a mixed lot with Park, Grant, & Steccato a step above the rest. Ironically, the film's only actor of mainstream notoriety, Billy Drago gives a tremendously "over the top" effort and the worst performance in the film. Scream Queen Debbie Rochon does her job well and provides a nice mammary cameo... but other than that she is rather forgettable. The locations used are pretty cool and definitely up the production value. Although Ingvodsen has begun to introduce more flesh and gore with this movie -- he hasn't learned that although Sam Raimi was from the bootleg special effect school, he at least did it well. Note to the director - get a real special effects artist next time, there is only so much disbelief to be suspended. In writing a critique, I am being critical... with my pet peeves aside, the movie was worth a watch. It held a good pacing, was well shot and edited, and has some great moments. If it's a low-budget slasher flick you want, then you've found it.

• I DO love a good, cheesy horror film!

  webweasel22007-01-19

  There isn't really a whole lot one can do in making a horror movie that doesn't at least remind you of another horror movie you've seen. In that respect, Blood Relic is no different. There's not enough time spent showing how all these folks who know each other actually know each other, or why those who DON'T know the others are there in the first place. Some films talk too long about integral parts of the movie, but Blood Relic just slaps the main inanimate character in, expects you to believe it, and then tries half heartedly about halfway through to explain where it came from. A few gratuitous partial nudity shots for no apparent reason, some excess blood from small wounds and not enough from large ones, and a few other shortcomings detracted from the whole movie. My main complaint is that the characters aren't explained or developed at all. After each character's fatal meeting with the bad guy(s), you're generally left thinking "Awww, and I hardly even knew that one, either." I had no problem with the movie though. As someone who takes every opportunity available to watch what others routinely refer to as 'bad' movies, I'd give it a five (or even better) because it had a little of the horror, blood, screeching, running around senselessly, etc. that I've come to love in my movie fare. And another feature to this flick... Do you simply LOVE a freaky ending? I like unexpected twists, as long as they're plausible. The ending of Blood Relic is... Something you'll just have to see for yourself!

• Bloody Talisman

  UFO2006-02-05

  A navy Pilot (John Christian) with an evil talisman goes ape crap and starts killing people for no reason.Before he's captured and locked away in an asylum, he hides the talisman in a hanger: 22 years later, the hangers are being re-opened to serve as an air space museum. Harry (Bill Drago), a rather obsessed man, is in charge of this project, and he brings in a group of you folks: Terry (Jennifer Lauren Grant), Pam (Melanie Radmaker). Max (Jesse Steccato), Corey (Debbie Rochon), Dan (Joshua Park, Rachel (Kelly Ray) and Allison (Caitlin Saibins, to clean the place up and work as tour guides once the place is open. Pilot Hank is released from the mental institution at the same time and he kinda wants his talisman back. But one of the gang is a scavenger, and she finds the talisman. It disturbs her and so she gives it to Harry, who locks it away. Then the killing starts and the kids decide to have a séance. Great idea huh? They're not timid about gore, here, but at the same time,they don't over use it. And some of these people deserve to die. I like when a film has characters that you actually want to die. It gives one a sense of satisfaction. Because in some way, you always kinda root for the killer, as long as he's killing people who deserve it. And have you ever noticed that, in the movie world, in any given group of kids together in a bad situation, someone ALWAYS has a Ouija board? The sound here was rather bad, but this was the screener, I'm assuming that would be fixed in the final version. The lighting was excellent here, used to good effect, but never too much. The film isn't shy about nudity, which is always a good thing. There's too much hand-held camera-work for my tastes. I realize the hand-held camera-work is supposed to make the action scenes more immediate, but here's the tip. The film is lensed in 24P digital video, and DV has the effect of making jitters of hand-held camera work more noticeable and more irritating. Fortunately, there's not enough of it to hurt the film. The sets should also be mentioned here, I don't know how the filmmakers scored these sets on a low budget but they're GREAT. The acting is professional level. I found Debbie Rochon a little wasted here, playing essentially a side (but interesting) character. Debbie Rochon is easily capable of taking the lead in any feature she works in, which is not a slight to the other actors featured. The flick has a very nice ending, and the credit sequence, which features out takes, is not to be missed. In the final analysis, I enjoyed the film a great idea. It was fun. - Ron Leming The Hacker's Source Magazine