Gleefully D-Movie DVD horror film distributor Wild Eye Releasing effectively mixes old school and modern terror in the anthology film "The Horror Network." Eye blatantly acknowledges this in aptly comparing "Network" to classic horror television series such as "Tales From the Darkside."
The homage to the masters is evident from the outset; the pre-opening credits story has an unseen tormentor terrorizing a woman in an isolated country house. The time-tested elements include creepily menacing telephone calls and things going bump (and otherwise making their presence known) in the middle of the night.
"Edward," which is the first story after the opening credits, arguably is the best of in the film. It has the titular disturbed young man increasingly telling his Russian-born psychiatrist his deep dark thoughts and then moving on to increasingly taunt/torment that medical practitioner. The ultimate reveal awesomely ties things together in a manner that makes sense.
A very surreal foreign-language (with English subtitles) entry has the escalating abuse be by a husband and directed at his wife. This culminates with a truly Hellish/nightmarish experience that ranks a 10-plus on the gore scale. Said sequence easily is the most elaborate one in the film.
The filmmakers end on a high note with a silent black-and-white offering in which a typical suburban middle-aged man is revealed to have a pitch-black dark side; the final scene will repulse even the most hardened horror fans. Having cards with Bible verses provide the narration is the icing on the cake.
All of this amounts to a film that stays true to the aforementioned vintage genre. Whether they should make 'em like that anymore remains subject to debate.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Network" is welcome to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdgyuy.
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