Necronos: Tower of Doom (2010)

I love this movie so much

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This is "Necronos", a German(-language) 2010 movie by writer and director Marc Rohnstock. According to IMDb, it runs for 2 hours and 7 minutes, but the version I watched only went on for 111 minutes and that's perfectly enough. First things first: If you expect quality storytelling or great acting, then this is not your movie to see. This is splatter, this is gore. And in order to get in as much blood and violence as possible, they had to make cuts in other areas. The cast includes many successful actors from the genre, such as the incomparable Manoush of course. I am not a fan of bloody horror films at all I must say, but i still see some positive in here. Unlike some other movies from this genre, it was obvious from start to finish that this movie (the way Rohnstock wrote it) did not take itself seriously at all. The result was that it got pretty absurd at times, but it also made it something similar to a comedy actually and these moments were the best the film had to offer. There are many way worse splatter films out there. Nonetheless the movie dragged a bit sometimes and it did not turn me into a fan of the genre either, which is why I have to give it a thumbs-down. It is not a failure though and genre fans may have a great time watching I believe.

Necronos is just one more of these utterly bad German gore fest movies.Plot, acting, whatever makes a good movie - it is as bad as it gets in this case. Don't waste your time or money on this unless you know what plot less German gore movies are meant to be. There are some "famous" names in this business, their almost non-existing fame has almost completely faded away. Worst of all, their successors are not doing any better.It is kind of strange to read too nicely written, positive reviews of trash movies like this. However, IMDb does deserve honest and realistic reviews - which is the main reason I have decided to post a brief "review" myself for the very first time. Garbage remains garbage even if you put a ton of perfume over it.

The background story is set in medieval times and consumes the opening title sequence at a brisk and gory pace but then rapidly transfers to the present day. Just when the viewer is getting accustomed to a placid transition set within pleasant scenery, the body count accelerates rapidly as the agent of death and destruction gets familiarised with the modern day environment. It is a period of calm before the unrelenting storm of death which follows right to the end.The producers have assembled a remarkable cast list containing some of the stalwarts of the European horror movie scene. The length of roles vary. In some cases the viewer no sooner appreciates the presence of a familiar face than they have gone - usually as a victim thus giving a new interpretation to the term 'disposable asset'. Some do not hang about for long whilst others are strung up for a longer period. Their presence in the film is much appreciated and adds to the interest factor.Manoush is an actress who always captures my attention with her ability to make an immediate impact on any scene that she appears in through her eye contact with the camera. In this film she has a substantial amount of time in a familiar type of role as a witch in which she entrances the viewer with a projection of a dark threatening presence involving a penetrating gaze and demented laugh. I have suspicion that there was only one name on the short list of potential actresses to play this part - Manoush. I can think of no other actress who could have performed this role so effectively.Tanja Karius is a young German actress who has impressed me in the past with her brief appearances in films I have seen her in. I have always felt that this lady deserves a more substantial role which would provide her with the opportunity to make a greater impact. Full marks to Marc Rohnstock for giving her that chance and she certainly repays his confidence in her ability with an excellent performance in a difficult role. Tanja certainly possesses a photogenic presence which is ably captured by the cameraman on this occasion. She is filmed to fullest effect in the scenes which feature beautiful woodland and lakeside.Amidst the galaxy of well known talent, there was one actress in particular who caught my attention whilst making a debut screen appearance. Saskia Neumueller is a name to watch out for in the future on the evidence of her performance in this film as she displays an innocent and demure personality with sensitivity.The Special Effects crew have ample opportunity to display their skill when a vast array of weapons are deployed. There is an imaginative use of many familiar household items of equipment and tools in the scenes of carnage which also involve a colourful assortment of liquid and vapour. The SFX people seemed intent on demonstrating their proficiency in the creation of visual effects that can be utilised in scenes depicting every conceivable method of elimination and dispersal. In this case the high quality of their finished product matches the large quantity and variety of special effects utilised in the eruption of spraying, sprinkling and splattering which takes place.In the midst of the carnage there are moments of a subtle but dark sense of humour on display such as in a scene when a skeleton's arm is used to lift a key off the wall to unlock a door.In addition to the the special effects and cast performances, another strong positive point to the credit of the film is the admirable choice of locations used in this lively 'undead' two hour epic. These excellent locations feature castles, woodland and a lake. This combination of cast, SFX and locations when combined with a good storyline provide the foundations for a very entertaining and enjoyable viewing experience.