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Carpathian Eagle
(Slasher) 4****skulls
*Blood* *Violent* *No Strong Language* *No Sexual Situations* *No Nudity* *Not Particularly Gory*
1982/Color/ Min./Thriller Video & ITC Entertainment, Inc. & IVE & A Jack Gill Presentation & Chips Productions Limited & Cinema Arts International & Hammer Films/English/Not Rated
Director.............Francis Megahy (The Great Riviera Bank Robbery,Taffin)
Screenplay.......Bernie Cooper & Francis Megahy
Music................Wilfred Josephs
Producer...........Roy Skeggs
Executive Producers.....Brian Lawrence & David Ried
Dramatis Personae
Cliff.................Anthony Valentine(The Dirty Dozen 3, A Father's Revenge)
Natalie............Suzanne Danielle (Carry on Emmanuelle)
Mrs. Henska....Sian Phillips (I, Claudius, The Age of Innocence)
Tony................Barry Stanton
Tader..............Johnathan Kent
Andy...............Mathew Long
Police Doctor..Ellis Dale
Bacharach......Gary Waldhorn
1st victim.........Barry Stokes (Alien Prey, Spaced Out)
last victim........Pierce Brosnan (Lawnmower Man,Remington Steele, Taffin)
Critique: There is no doubt that the best part of this film is Elvira. Whether she's worth the price of admission, however, is not clear. As Elvira notes, they do a pretty good job of keeping us guessing who the murderer is. This is very questionably a horror movie, particularly because of all the time spent with the cops. Hey! How'd the cops get in house? And where was she hiding the princess outfit?
Plot Summary: A fellow picks up a hitch hiker and brings her back to his room that he keeps for special occasions. Unfortunately, he gets a little surprise of his own when his heart is cut out with a hook. The police are concerned that this is looking like a serial killing, as the murder resembles another recent one. Inspector Clifford hears something on the radio on a book (by Natalie) about a countess who had cut out the hearts of her victims. In the book, the husband gave the murderous countess a baby eagle and when she cuckolded him, he had her dragged through the streets and branded with an iron. He locked her up in a tower where she submitted to him every night until one night the eagle, now full grown, attacked the Count and ripped out his heart. The cop for some reason suspects a descendent, Mrs. Henska, an aging woman with a strong accent. She is the last descendent. When the others leave, she tells Dadic that she's going out. Meanwhile in a bar a woman, again with an eastern European accent, and then, another scene in a cool pad, and the fellow has his eyes closed. Soon the dagger is coming down. Natalie brings inspector Clifford to her psychiatrist. The psychiatrist suggests that a multiple personality might be at work. The police have been watching Taric Kuchinsky, Mrs. Henska's nephew. Taric is working as a female impersonator. Inspector Clifford asks him about the murders. The murderess dons a blonde wig and heads down the street. A rich guy with his chauffeur picks her up and brings her to his digs. This time, however, it doesn't pan out, and she has to run out. Soon, however, she's got a young guy on tap. Inspector Clifford comes by to see Natalie, but she isn't there. He comes by again the next day, as they've pretty clearly got a romantic thing going. However, Clifford seems to suspect Natalie as there are a couple of cops waiting when Natalie goes into the room for what he expects will be the heart cutting scene. However, the cops don't find anything, and she sends them out. Clifford searches Natalie out the next day and she seems to forgive him, agreeing to lunch. However, the lunch doesn't turn out as he'd hoped. Natalie is on to her next book, about a strangler this time.
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