Escape from Death

As usual, with the Fulci Presents line, you're going to get unusual, lesser known Italian horror.

While these films are a bit odd, they definitely fall into the mainstay tropes of deception, violence, and sleaze.

A bit slow in parts, but still solid.

If you're into Italian horror, you pretty much know what to expect.

Not top-tier, but worth checking out.

Decent transfer, but still has that somewhat gritty feel.

After the recently released and also terrible Massacre, another "Fulci presents" title, my expectations were subterranean for this next one, and in many ways, it's even worse than Massacre. At least Massacre had something of a giallo/slasher structure, it was terribly done but it mostly felt like a horror film. Escape is an excruciatingly boring 90 minutes (actually less, but it feels like 2+ hours) of a soap opera-like drama, and very far into the film, some kills happen. Pretty much the entire film takes place at this fairly large rural manor, with scenes occupied by a few of some of the most unlikeable and uninteresting characters, none of whom I cared about. The entire plot hinges on whether this wealthy disturbed woman actually killed her husband or not, as he, or, a doppelganger returns a year after his supposed death which noone else has ever verified. That's all the lame intrigue this film can muster, as we get scene after scene, **** near an hour, of her, some random people she employs or knows, including estate workers, and a shrink, just standing and sitting around this same house talking about her dead (or just disappeared) husband, her finances, mental state, and her husband's novel writing. I cannot overemphasize how incredibly unengaging and dull this all is, from start to finish, it's truly painful to sit through, never kicks into any other gears or gets better in the slightest. Some kill scenes finally happen in the last 30 minutes, but they're really nothing…

The Fulci presents lineup is a hit or miss bag for most but Escape from Death is still a fun ride for me. Is the plot confusing as **** with plot holes galore? Yes, very much so, but this is late 80's Italian horror and that was just something you dealt with. No, I'm here for the sleaze, gore and WTF that most of these films contain and Escape is that in spades.

A film like this probably doesn't deserve such a great transfer by VS but I can say I very much appreciate it for this slice of dumb horror.

An awesome horror movie. Gore effects are on point. A new selection of Lucio Fulci films 😊

Vinegar is on a roll great titles!!!