a review of 死灵武士

2019 CULT MOVIE CHALLENGE WEEK 36: USA UP ALL NIGHT WEEK On one hand, this movie feels like a monster makeup demo that got out of hand, with the titular maniacs coming across as a more of a random mixed bag of gimmick characters a la the Village People than a truly frightening threat. And at times, the low production values make it seem like it's barely even a movie. But there's also a few touches that make it worth a watch -- namely the kinda fun musical performances at the battle of the bands by a handful of no-name acts that were probably never heard from again, as well as a semi-memorable performance by Donna Locke, playing a variation on the stock monster-movie nerd character that was just then starting to become commonplace in 80s horror films. It's never clear whether she's supposed to be the same age as the other high school characters, or is maybe five years younger or older than them, but she's the only character who seems to have a concept of what's going on, which makes her immediately sympathetic and relatable.