Reel Gore’s third release is The Curse of Doctor Wolffenstein in a Blu-ray and DVD set. This follows their other two releases of Violent Shit and Masks. Will this release satisfy fans of international gore?
The film is in German with English subtitles. The story is about Dr. Victor Wolffenstein, who in 1930 decided he really wanted to be immortal. He developed a vaccine that would give him those powers however the side effect is that taking it infected his body with a flesh-rotting form of necrosis. Obviously this presented a problem when his limbs starting rotting off. So with typical mad scientist planning he decided to just replace his missing limbs with those from local villagers. He was captured and buried alive for his terrible crimes.
The film fast forwards to modern day with a group of teenagers throwing a typical teenager party. They end up stranded in the very same town Doctor Wolffenstein is buried in and chaos ensues. Will they be able to stop the Doctor before it is too late? Will Wolffenstein finally get his revenge and end his curse once and for all? You’ll just have to tune in to find out!
I think it is obvious with the subject matter and plot as to what kind of film this is. It’s not going to win an academy award or be added to the Criterion Collection. The story is pretty basic and straight forward, and nothing much is really revealed in the film. I would imagine that you already know whether or not this type of film is what you would like to see.
In my mind people interested in this film probably have two major questions. Is this film any fun and how are the gore effects? The film seems to take itself pretty seriously and so most of it is played straight. The violence ramps up through the movie and the practical gore effects are well done. I’m not a gore aficionado but the effects seem professional.
The movie does play a bit slow with the pacing, especially considering the run time is practically 2 hours so you might be itching to get to more of the gore earlier than the film reveals it. The dialogue and acting at times borders on camp but honestly it seems like they were going for a serious film. It’s low budget, but it’s not inept, so you don’t get the so bad it’s good vibe. I think if you already enjoyed the previous Reel Gore films released on Blu-ray then you will like this one as well.
Audio and Visuals:
The audio is what you would expect for a low budget horror film. The German dialogue comes through clear as well as the soundtrack. There are nice splatter effects and screams as well. Your surround sound isn’t going to get a work out but what is presented is solid.
The visuals look about what you would expect for a low budget horror film. The colors are a bit washed out and the white balance seems a little off but that is possibly a stylistic choice. The screen shots are very representative of the balance of color and lighting. If those don’t bother you then you will be fine with the presentation.
Special Features:
Behind the Scenes – typical behind the scenes photos and interviews.
Bloopers – in German
Short Film
Slideshow
The Curse of Doctor Wolffenstein Final Thoughts:
This film has lots of blood scenes and quite a bit of female nudity. Usually we are told not to judge a book based on the cover but I think it is safe to do so here. It’s so close to being a NC-17 version of a Mystery Science Theater movie. This is not a film that will appeal to a mass audience, but a cult audience could find things to like about it. I was entertained with what it was, a gory excuse to show an evil mass murdering villain and some boob shots. If you are expecting a social commentary or a deeper meaning you will be disappointed. However if you fit in the demographic that Doctor Wolffenstein was made for then you should check it out. It is available for purchase here at Amazon.
Note: This Blu-ray was sent to us for review. This has not affected our judgement or editorial process in any way. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process.
