Change Your Image
dkindred
Reviews
Nosferatu - Phantom der Nacht (1979)
Pound a stake through the heart of this miserable, slow film.
It is very difficult trying to decide if I have ever seen a more miserable film than this. Certainly "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" and Madonna's "Evita" would be contenders for the honor, but it is a tight competition.
Last night, I went into Washington, D.C. to the German Goethe-Institut to view this film in its original form, with English subtitles. To say that it was terrible would be a vast understatement. How so many of you rate this film so highly? Haven't you ever seen any quality films? The shots are _too_ long, the acting is wooden, the plot could be conveyed in nearly full detail in a paragraph or two, and the editing... there didn't seem to be any editing. I was given the impression that they took all of their raw footage and spliced it together without concern.
Oh, and don't get me started on the subtitles. There were only subtitles for about 50% of the words spoken. There would be entire 5 minute scenes without subtitles, then we'd get one for "Guten morgen". Gee, thanks, couldn't figure that one out on my own. I had to rely on my German speaking pal to fill me in on some of the areas of the film. The best we could figure was that the subtitle man kept falling asleep on the job.
If the film had been cut down from 107 minutes to, roughly, 15 or 20 minutes, maybe the pacing would have increased enough to keep a member of one of the actors' families interested in seeing how they looked 25 years ago, but that might be asking too much of them.
It's too late for me, but save yourselves. Do not bother with this abysmal film!
--David
Tatort: Mördergrube (2001)
Terrific film with great twists
My wife and I have been enjoying the Tatort series of films being broadcast in the DC area with subtitles. This one has been our favorite so far. An engaging story line, several plot twists, good action and great characters. They really keep you guessing about "who dunnit" in this one. It's really a fun movie, and we love it. I only wish they would ditch the cheesey 1970's title sequence they use for this series. --David