DECADENT EVIL

So here I am again, in the world of the low-budget horror movie - although expectations were a little higher this time around when I saw that Charles Band was in the director's chair. It's easy to be misled though, isn't it? I thought we might be for in for another Full Moon style horror treat - because whilst Full Moon films aren't exactly masterpieces, they have a certain charm about them, which always makes them entertaining. Not so with Decadent Evil I'm afraid…

Decadent Evil is supposedly a follow-on/spin-off from The Vampire Chronicles and follows the fortunes of vampiress Morella (Debra Mayer) and her two acolytes - Sugar and Spyce. Corny…but there you go. Oh yeah - they both work at a lap dancing club, so you know you're in for lots of titillation that never really quite delivers. The main thrust of the story is that Morella is nearing her 10,000th spurt of 'primal blood', which will imbue her with unspeakable powers. Also, unbeknownst to Morella, one of her underlings, Sugar, has fallen for the club DJ, which she tries to keep hidden from Morella. Things soon come unstuck though and something of a power of wills ensues - but it's all delivered in such a lacklustre fashion that it's not very dramatic at all. In fact, the film just sort of runs out of steam until it eventually finishes. Does Sugar get to flee with her lover? Does Morella get her 10,000th spurt of 'primal blood'? Does anyone care? Oh, and let's not forget the tiny dude in the cage, though he doesn't really figure until the end, which is a twist I won't spoil for you, just in case you actually enjoy the movie. I should also add that Phil Fondacaro is in the movie too, and he's the best thing in there - I always love his performances, so I would say that he is the one saving grace of this abysmal production.

All-in-all, I have to say I was very disappointed by this movie, as I expected more from an old hand in the genre field like Charles Band. But, I guess we all have our 'off' moments - and I think this was all a bit misjudged. There are the odd enjoyable moments, but generally this is a complete misfire. I really wanted to like this, since I'm an unashamed fan of Full Moon fare - but this one doesn't quite hit the mark, I'm afraid. I'm not sure who I could recommend this to or why. You'll have to decide for yourselves whether this is for you or not.

The movie is presented in a 1.85:1 ratio, but without anamorphic enhancement (which in itself is shameful in this day and age). The image also looks quite rough at times and whenever there is an abundance of red in the image the red is coursed through with noise lines - like bad digital imaging. So it's not really a great transfer, to be honest. The audio is a serviceable 2.0 stereo track, which is perfectly adequate. The disc also comes equipped with some extras, which are always welcome (even for a film as poor as this - perhaps something will be revealed as to what went so wrong!!). Included in this package are a behind-the-scenes featurette, a featurette on Doll's Graveyard, a blooper reel and a 'Message from Wizard Entertainment'. There's also a handful of trailers for other movies to be found elsewhere on the DVD. Not a lot, but better than nothing.

Overall, it's a pretty poor package that is further let down by a poor main feature with a rather awful transfer. Not much for me to recommend here, I'm afraid.

Review by C J Otter