Summary:
Newlywed Susan is haunted by visions of a centuries-old woman who murdered her husband on her wedding night.
My Thoughts:
I love a good gothic horror story and I love a good giallo film, and this film is both of those things. I felt as if I should’ve absolutely loved this movie, but instead I found it to be only just passable. There was a lot to like in this film, particularly if you’re a fan of weird, foreign, or atmospheric horror, but unfortunately the characters were rather poorly developed, the story itself felt as if it could’ve been condensed by another ten minutes and we’d have lost nothing (as is, this movie is pretty short), and with a title like ‘Blood Spattered Bride’ I sort of expected this film to make “Tenebre” look like Sesame Street, and instead I was only given one truly fantastic giallo moment.
Yet, truly fantastic that one scene was, and there were a few moments that had me chuckling at their farfetchedness, which is why “Bride” still receives a passing score in my book.
“They’ll Come Back. They Cannot Die.”
Newlywed Susan (Maribel Martin, “The Holy Innocents”) and her Husband (Simon Andreu, “Die Another Day”) go on honeymoon, and soon Susan is beset by horrific nightmares featuring one of her husband’s ancestors. This mysterious woman, named Carmilla/Mircalla (Alexandra Bastedo, “Batman Begins”), is said to have murdered her husband on their wedding night, and Mircalla seems intent on convincing Susan to do the same.
Unless you’re an expert director, like Polanski in “Rosemary’s Baby”, atmosphere only brings a horror movie so far. Aranda is no Polanski; the atmosphere he creates with this film is, truthfully, a bit creepy, but it never gets under my skin in a way that makes me want to cower behind laced fingers. That’s a problem for horror films; if the atmosphere is only creepy, and never truly horrifying, it makes the drawn out moments of atmospheric horror feel somewhat boring and cheap. Were it not for a few rewarding sequences, this film would’ve been far too boring for me to recommend, but as it is, it kept me mildly entertained for the better part of its meager runtime.
While I criticized the story and characters for being rather thinly developed, I actually think that some of the story elements are interesting. For one thing, we never really know what Carmilla/Mircalla’s deal is; it’s hinted at that she might be a ghost, but there are also elements of vampire lore that sort of work themselves in throughout the film too. As a result, there is an air of mystery that surrounds Carmilla’s person, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call that mystery suspenseful, it does give the film a little more depth.
The best part of this film, far and away, is one dream sequence that comes about halfway through the film. (MILD SPOILERS, I SUPPOSE) The sequence depicts Carmilla leading Susan to stab her husband, and the whole sequence is done in weird lighting with wonderfully gory practical effects. I was honestly so impressed by the sequence that it gave me hope the film might rise to one of my favorite giallo films, but after that scene, the best part of the movie has passed, and the rest of the movie is quite tame in comparison.
Verdict:
This isn’t my favorite giallo I’ve ever seen, but it’s not bad. One sequence makes the whole thing worth watching, but there are enough schmaltzy elements to keep me entertained throughout. If you’re looking for a relatively atmospheric thriller with a few great moments and a couple crazy twists, then this film will fit that bill. It wont be the most amazing film you’ve ever seen, but it’s far from the worst.
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