Movie Review: TIGER STRIPES (2023)

TIGER STRIPES 
Written & Directed by:   Amanda Nell Eu

  After seeing the trailer for TIGER STRIPES, I was very intrigued.   It didn't really look like a horror film, but IMDb list it as Horror/Body Horror.  I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.   Here is a brief synopsis from the film's press release:

The first amongst her friends to hit puberty, Zaffan, 12, discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracised by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning that to be free she must embrace the body she feared, emerging as a proud, strong woman.

  The first thing I thought of while watching this film, was that is it reminded me of a Malaysian version of CARRIE.   The focus of the film is on Zaffan and her changing body as she is the first among her friends to go through puberty.   While Carrie went through changes and lashed out with her telekinetic powers, Zaffan lashes out in a more primal, animalistic way.   While the changes are subtle at first, they begin to slowly increase and cause visible physical changes, ranging from scars all over her body to whiskers and even a tail!   To be honest, the transformation is not the focus of the film like you might expect from a Horror film.   I feel like the focus is more on the social dynamics with her friends and family, and the changes her relationships with them go through.  That is the real transformation of TIGER STRIPES. 

 Although listed as a Horror film, it is not true horror like you might be used to reading about on the 4H blog.   This is more of a dark drama with Horror elements throughout.    There is little to no gore, except for one scene where the Doctor that is trying to heal Zaffan makes her mad, and finds out the hard way what she is capable of when she is angry.    Please note, there is a bit of animal mutilation and death in this film, which I know some people are sensitive to.   It's not done in a explotive way, though, and is obviously fake/special effects. 

  The acting in this film is superb, especially from young star Zafreen Zairizal who plays Zaffan.  The film is shot very well also, with a beautiful backdrop courtesy of the Malaysian terrain. 

  TIGER STRIPES was the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Critic's Week Grand Prize Winner and is in select theaters now, and will be streaming VOD on July 9th!

CEMETERY MAN (aka DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE) (1994)

CEMETERY MAN

Directed by: Michele Soavi
Distributed by: Severin Films

After talking with other Horror fans, I am amazed at how few know about the film CEMETERY MAN. The film is directed by Italian director Michele Soavi and is known by the alternative/original Italian name of DELLAMORTE DELLAMORTE. The film was made in 1994 and remains to this day one of my top 5 Zombie films of all time. The film stars Rupert Everett as Francesco Dellamorte, the caretaker of a cemetery. For some reason, every body buried in this cemetery rises from the grave after the 7th day of being buried. Francesco is fine with killing the "returners" as he calls them, until a woman he falls in love with is killed and is buried in the cemetery. Here is a more detailed description from the Severin Films press release:

Two-time BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Rupert Everett (ANOTHER COUNTRY, MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING) stars as cemetery watchman Francesco Dellamorte, tasked with dispatching the recently deceased when they rise from their graves. But when he falls in love with a beautiful young widow (Anna Falchi), will his resurrected lust for life become greater than his bond with death? François Hadji-Lazaro (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) co-stars in the finest erotic romantic existential black comedy zombie gorefest of our time, featuring a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the Cinecittà negative and over 3 hours of Special Features – including new interviews with Soavi and Everett.!

I have been a fan of this film for years, and was super excited to be able to check this film out again, this time on 4K UHD. This is quite the upgrade from my old DVD copy that I have had for years and have watched many times. This is not your typical zombie film. I have always described it as an "Art House" style zombie film. The zombies are really more of a side story, as the love story is the real focus here. The film is shot beautifully and has an amazing soundtrack. It truly is a beautful film, which you can't really say about most zombie movies.

Check this movie out if you haven't seen it already...it might be one of your new faves you didn't even know was out there! CEMETERY MAN is available now on Blu-Ray or 4K UHD and contains the following Special Features:

*  Audio Commentary by Director Michele Soavi and Screenwriter Gianni Romoli

*  At the Graves - Interview with Michele Soavi

*  Of Love and Death  -Interview with actor Rupert Everett

*  She - Interview with actress Anna Falchi

*  Italian Trailer (only available on the UHD release)

*  English Trailer  (only available on the UHD release)

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD