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Screams of agony fill our ear holes as monks chant in the background.  Something is amiss in this dichotomy of sounds.  Soon, we realize that a restrained pregnant woman is being brutally held against her will by a bunch of misguided Knights Templar.  But these alchemists; these rapists; are not of God and as the baby is born, their intent becomes clear.  

SATAN IS IN THE HOUSE!

It is the 14th century and buckets of blood are soon spilled as this group of Satan worshipers are silenced by enraged locals, but not before being blinded with hot iron rods.  Even the newborn is not spared as this massacre, ending with a sworn promise from the Templars to return to haunt the village for good, opens the brutal world enclosed in Writer/Director Raffaele Picchio’s engaging Curse of the Blind Dead, a retooling of Amando de Ossorio’s Blind Dead series.

Staring Aaron Stielstra, Alice Zanini, Francesca Pellegrini, and Bill Hutchens, Curse of the Blind Dead concerns itself with a post-apocalyptic world of contaminated water and haunted forests as the Undead Knights make their return to the land of the Unholy thanks to a mad preacher and a bizarre sect of survivors who want yet another baby to sacrifice to THE HORNED ONE.

The end of the world feels a lot like this.  Images and images and little dialogue.  But the strength in this retelling comes in those images.  Gory and full of visual punches, there’s a lot to like when the story in Curse of the Blind Dead falls a bit short.  So, here’s what we settle into after the opening massacre: another unyielding situation as a father and his pregnant daughter - who are at the center of this narrative - try to survive another nightmare scenario after being rescued in the woods.  

With a solid atmosphere of horror (at the edges of mankind!!!) and some grizzled effects, Curse of the Blind Dead works less as a horror film and better as a survivor’s tale thanks to the panicked performances from Stieslstra as Michael and Zanini as Lily, his pregnant daughter.  Their terror is absolute and palpable as they face all kinds of evil in the woods and then in what looks to be an underground bunker of some sort.  Lets just say that sometimes a rescue is not as it seems as this Italian horror flick amps up the paranoia in this out of the frying pan scenario.

Don’t trust a soul.  The entire world has flipped its lid and, if there is a downside to the events in Curse of the Blind Dead, it is that we already know the score and the chances aren't good for anyone to escape this brutality.  Sure it works to drum up some pressure early on, but it deflates the tension a bit as the unforeseeable becomes clear: deceit, betrayal, and sacrifice at the hands of the resurrected Knights Templar.  All of this awaits the father/daughter team as their rescue party turns into an endless nightmare right before our eyes.

Stylized and brutal, this retelling of Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead series works - even if we can guess the twists and turns - as it goes for broke with a look that isn’t quite as effective as what came before.  Raffaele Picchio’s Curse of the Blind Dead comes to DVD and Digital March 2 from Uncork’d Entertainment and High Octane Pictures.

The dead ARE the lucky ones!

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Available on Blu-ray
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 87 mins
Director: Raffaele Picchio
Writer: Lorenzo Paviano; Raffaele Picchio
Cast: Aaron Stielstra, Alice Zanini, Francesca Pellegrini
Genre: Horror
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Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Uncork'd Entertainment
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/Mafarka-Film-415460445538619/?hc_ref=ARSwwfXTYvIIhOT3volkJ-Fplt7CVUAaajk5U-BgzTTjJ3DTDqmn1_MAZnEHLh47SOY
Release Date: March 2, 2021 (DVD & digital)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: In the 14th century, a group of Satan worshipers, the Knight Templars, is captured during a ritual and brutally murdered by the locals. Just before the execution, the Knights swear to return from their graves to haunt the village and the nearby forest. Centuries later, in a post-apocalyptic future, a man and his daughter try to survive against both the Undead Knights and a sect commanded by a mad preacher.