Spellcaster (1988)

That was an excellent one.

Sadly Over-hyped

Best movie ever!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A group of people are killed one by one while participating at a million dollar treasure hunt in a mysterious Italian castle.Despite being written by Dennis Paoli (who has achieved fame for writing or adapting "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond"), this is one of the lesser-known Empire films. Is it deservedly lesser-known? Well, I suppose it would be hard to compete with Stuart Gordon's work. But the Empire years were still the best work Charlie Band ever had his hand in.We have Adam Ant as "Diablo" and horror veteran Bill Butler also appears. And, like many Empire and Full Moon films, we have the entire thing shot on location at Band's Italian castle. We have a sort of "House on Haunted Hill" theme going -- locked in a mysterious location, hoping to get rich (if they survive).I enjoyed this one. I saw another review call it a snoozer, but I thought it had a good pace ("Puppet Master" is slower). And it is decently bloody with fair effects. Director Rafal Zielinski deserves more recognition than he gets.

Hokey Charles Band production(Empire pictures before starting Full Moon)about various characters participating in a million dollar treasure hunt in a mysterious castle whose owner doesn't show his face. Dr. Diablo remains in his little lair often caressing his crystal ball casting spells on those characters who represent the loathsome types that normally die in horror films. The french snob/slut eaten by a lion chair(!), a aristocrat(who likes wild game hunting)who winds up a feast for some sort of leaping monstrous leopard, a crook who finds himself chasing after the check and falling to his doom, an American bitch who teases the males of the group who treats everyone rudely and winds up in the clutches of a demon on a painting(!), and so on. Our protagonists are Jackie & Tom(Gail O'Grady & Harold Pruett), a sister and brother from Cleveland. If anyone will survive, they seem to be singled out. You have a VJ, Rex(Richard Blade)for a replica of MTV, who excitingly points out that this treasure hunt is sponsored by the rock star Cassandra Castle(Bunt Bailey), an alcoholic wench who wishes she was elsewhere rather than in this castle with these people she deems inferior and annoying(clearly, she's the annoyance, surprisingly Cassandra is normally the first to go in a horror flick like this, but is kept alive..hmm..).Good monster effects by John Carl Buechler's company redeem this otherwise silly waste of time. I think monster movie fans will like this best because the creatures present are quite well made. But, the premise isn't really taken advantage of to full effect. The castle is a perfect tool for a horror flick, but isn't ominous at all..and when you can not utilize the castle as a horror set-piece, you're in trouble. Adam Ant appears briefly(and effectively)as Dr. Diablo, the mysterious proprietor of the castle who practices black magic..or could very well be ole Beelzebub himself. Best sequence:An overeater literally turns into a pig!

Most everything wrong in the '80s had an influence on this movie. Including the fact it was made in '91. An all around bad horror movie with bad acting and a trite, simplistic script.Richard Blade is given top billing in this mess and is the reason I watched this movie. Currently, in 2007, Mr Blade is an oldies DJ on a radio station in Los Angeles. That was enough to get me to watch this stinker. In the '80s Mr Blade was a popular "Video Jockey" and hence his casting as a "Popular Video Jockey" hosting a contest being held in a castle.Nothing against Mr. Blade personally. I'm sure he was offered money and a chance to broaden his professional resume. If nothing else he proves being a good DJ and a good VJ does not translate into being a good actor.Possibly the movie is bad enough that in a few years this movie can be seen as a true howler for it's script, acting and true datedness.Currently is should only be viewed after checking it's listing here on IMDb to note several of those connected to this horror-ible dud went on to have actual careers! The only true horror I see here is a nail in the coffin of the '80s being dead.That's all Folks!

A brother and sister working as dishwashers win a Rock TV channel contest to participate in a reality TV show. They will be two of seven people joining a pop music video star and a VJ in an Italian castle, to search for a million dollar check. (Finding a check in a house, or even a room might be pretty challenging, but in a castle...?)When they arrive, the camerawoman sends the only two other people from her crew to Rome to get an HD camera. After they've left on their journey, an unseen man in front of a crystal ball causes their car to stop and explode in flames.The video star is stuck up and an alcoholic, and she makes some kind of deal with the VJ whereby he doesn't even hide the check, but gives it to her. Besides the aforementioned team of siblings, there's also a sex-mad stiletto-wielding Italian car thief, a snooty upper- class English huntress, a vain blonde vegetarian cocktease, a sexy French girl, and a fat food-obsessed New Jersey guy.The camera-work is pretty unimaginative, and the lighting uniform throughout, so every scene looks pretty much the same. The exteriors of the castle are nice, and the props within are pretty good, particularly a chair that comes to life, but it really is let down by the direction.Adam Ant eventually shows up towards the end (it's no secret that he's Diabolo, the man behind the crystal ball). Unfortunately, he did not do any of the soundtrack work.I'm surprised this was rated R! The most skin on display were a couple of bare backs, and the worst word "bitch." There's very little violence, and it's pretty brief and cartoonish. I'd have rated it PG.Definitely not one of Full Moon/Empire Pictures/Charles Band's better ones. Pretty mediocre and unimaginative.