Flicks

I am a fan of Italian horror movie director Dario Argento. He can't write worth a darn, but his visuals are often out of this world. In the 1980s he really pushed the genre into some interesting and outlandish realms.
His newest film, "Queen of Tears" is out now in DVD. It is the long-awaited third part of his Three Witches Trilogy, which includes the great "Suspiria" and the entertaining "Inferno."
I wish I could say this is his masterpiece or even a triumphant third act in the trilogy, but mostly 'Queen of Tears" is disappointing.
Of course there are some gruesome visuals and at times the blood flows freely, but while Argento's tricks often worked brilliantly in the 1980s, in today's gore and violence saturated market, they look a bit cheap and oafish.
The story follows a young woman played by Asia Argento -- looking very tired -- as she gets tangled up in the events leading to the resurrection of the Third Witch, and of course the customary end of mankind.
If the charcters in this movie, including its "heroes," are a good representation of mankind, then we probably deserve universal obliteration.
The plot has its usual holes and abusurdities. After all Argento did write it.
There's little suspense.
Argento fails to live up to his legacy.
Not a good movie.
But I did like the monkey.
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Recommended for Argento and genre fans only.