People of a certain age will remember the good old days in the late 1970s and early 80s when BBC2 used to show horror double bills on Saturday nights during the Summer months . We all had our favourites that we're shown and by the same token there would always be a movie that stuck out in its mediocrity . I can't remember the exact details of when it was broadcast but ZOLTAN was the movie that had the distinction of being the worst film of the season when I first saw it and the passage of time hasn't improved it in anyway
The reason I originally disliked it was because it didn't feel like a cinematic film , more like one of those made for TV productions and rewatching it again the feeling still remains with the very static camera and the entirely cheap feel to everything . Not only that but we get some cute all American family that only exist in TVMs and add to this some uber-sweet puppy and the illusion is complete .This sets up another problem and that is film gives the impression it doesn't know what its market is . Family friendly entertainment or straight forward horror . There is a scene involving a death of a trekker but is graphic enough to alienate anyone thinking this is a tame TVM and jars with the rest of the film . Some of the other scenes that are trying to be scary and horror orientated just come across as silly
There is another flaw and there's a considerable amount of obvious plot holes . The message boards point them out such as a servant of Dracula being resurrected , sailing to America and yet arrives in America before a Romanian detective who leaves the next day in an aeroplane . There's also an unanswered question as to why the servant and his hound need to find the Dracula descendant in America when the original Dracula remains in his tomb . One plot hole I noticed myself is how likely is it for someone to escape from the Stalinist regime of Romania and arrive in America without being caught by the authorities of either country ?
In summary ZOLTAN is a lame and dumb horror movie that won't appeal to anyone who has no interest in the genre . Horror fans will find it slow and boring and think they're watching something from the Hallmark Channel . If it was a dog it'd probably end in up in a refuge or failing that taken to the vets to be put to sleep - a fate it also bestows on the audience
The reason I originally disliked it was because it didn't feel like a cinematic film , more like one of those made for TV productions and rewatching it again the feeling still remains with the very static camera and the entirely cheap feel to everything . Not only that but we get some cute all American family that only exist in TVMs and add to this some uber-sweet puppy and the illusion is complete .This sets up another problem and that is film gives the impression it doesn't know what its market is . Family friendly entertainment or straight forward horror . There is a scene involving a death of a trekker but is graphic enough to alienate anyone thinking this is a tame TVM and jars with the rest of the film . Some of the other scenes that are trying to be scary and horror orientated just come across as silly
There is another flaw and there's a considerable amount of obvious plot holes . The message boards point them out such as a servant of Dracula being resurrected , sailing to America and yet arrives in America before a Romanian detective who leaves the next day in an aeroplane . There's also an unanswered question as to why the servant and his hound need to find the Dracula descendant in America when the original Dracula remains in his tomb . One plot hole I noticed myself is how likely is it for someone to escape from the Stalinist regime of Romania and arrive in America without being caught by the authorities of either country ?
In summary ZOLTAN is a lame and dumb horror movie that won't appeal to anyone who has no interest in the genre . Horror fans will find it slow and boring and think they're watching something from the Hallmark Channel . If it was a dog it'd probably end in up in a refuge or failing that taken to the vets to be put to sleep - a fate it also bestows on the audience