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Pieces AKA Mil gritos tiene la noche AKA One Thousand Cries Has the Night
R0 - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Neil Bray (11th August 2011). |
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The Film
 “Jigsaw puzzles can be maddening. They can drive you to distraction. You might even go so crazy as to take your own mother down with an axe...and that’s only the beginning for one repressed teenager.” Flash-forward 40 years and a crazed chainsaw-wielding killer is on the loose; hacking up young girls and stealing body parts. If, somewhere out there, there is a pile of films labelled ‘So Bad They’re Good’, then Pieces would be in pride of place at the top of the heap. There are so many things wrong with this film, from jigsaws and phones that wouldn’t have existed in the 40’s to incredibly crass dialogue and wooden acting; but somehow everything comes together to create a whole that is both satisfyingly gory and at times creatively surprising. Admittedly at the midway point a certain amount of tedium sets in as the police investigate the killings and the killer does his jigsaw puzzle (ooohhh, scary!). But the clever mix of oddball humour and bizarre plot elements keeps you transfixed. There is a killer who seems like a mix of Leatherface, Darkman and The Shadow who spends the entire film lurking in the dark but, somehow, never gets spotted despite carrying a whopping great chainsaw around. For all its faults, Pieces is a masterclass in misdirection. At no point did I suspect the actual killer. Everyone else, sure, but not the real killer. So, it is with a heavy heart, that I have to say that the film is let down by some pretty shoddy acting, a crazy unfocused script and a huge amount of really bad dubbing (the film was shot in Spain and it seems that every Spanish actor was dubbed, despite the fact that they were obviously delivering their lines in English). I enjoyed the film but I also know I would never sit through it again – not even to point out to friends just how bad it is. Also, it has possibly the worst final ten seconds I’ve ever seen in a horror film! I mean, c’mon, what the hell was that all about?
Video
Presented anamorphically at 1.66:1, the picture is relatively good. There is a lot of grain evident at the beginning; but this soon settles to acceptable levels. What imperfections are present only added to an atmospheric quality which I found to be entirely suitable for the film and the time in which it was made. Better than VHS but way below DVD standards.
Audio
Two audio tracks are available. An English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track and a Spanish DD 2.0 stereo track. There are English subtitles available. There are moments when the picture and dialogue are out of sync and the audio isn’t anything special; but for a film of this type I really didn’t expect much better. Of note is how bad the dubbing voices are.
Extras
Forced Arrow Films compilation trailer (3.17). Commentary by Callum Waddell and Fangoria Magazine’s Tony Timpone – this is a very funny, derivative and exhaustive track covering a range of topics. Very interesting and engaging. One for a listen definitely. Pieces of Jack: An actor’s experience of Spanish Splatter (17.55) – this interview with star Jack Taylor is interesting but also somewhat dry. He talks about his career and the director’s he’s worked with, but his delivery grew tiresome after a while. Pieces of Deconstruction: Looking Back at a Grindhouse Gorefest (23.15) – This interview has Howard Berger (K.N.B. EFX), Santos Elin, Jr. (Horror Film Historian), Michael Gingold (Fangoria Magazine) and Scott Spiegel (Producer of Hostel 1 & 2) all talking about their individual experiences of seeing Pieces for the first time when it was released. This is a highly entertaining piece which firmly cements Pieces in its place in film history. Of note was the fact that when the film was released it caused a huge amount of controversy over its violence – a fact that is rather quaint when compared to today’s standards. A great little interview!
Packaging
I didn’t receive the box for this film; but according to the press release this will be another great package from Arrow: Reversible Sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork. Collector’s Booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by Stephen Thrower, author of “Nightmare USA”.
Overall
A solid 80’s slasher with its fair share of moments that bring tears of laughter to the eyes. Not anything new to the genre perhaps; but not insulting to it either. Definitely worth a watch for lovers of 80’s slasher movies. Flawed but good.
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