This weekend there is an art and music festival in Eindhoven, called “Edit”. During this festival “the best film ever from Eindhoven” (perhaps the only) was shown. I had heard a lot about this zombie-thrasher-horror-film. It was made with a tight budget and the help of 1236 volonteers (which has become the advertisement). Since it was shown in Eindhoven, some of the cast and crew were part of the audience. Also I knew that some people I know are in the film. To the film then. Well, “Horizonica” as a film is not too good. The acting is awfull, the synchronising terrible (as if the actors simply read their text out loud), the images and colours poor (safe for some nice ideas with over- or underlighting), the story thin. Let me start with the latter. In an act of hatred and revenge, a young man poisons the water system of Eindhoven with a virus that turns people into murdering zombies. A few lines are put in the film, such as first-year students being dropped in the woods (for the Blair Witch effect), a group of policemen trying to save the world, etc. The film quickly develops into a typical slasher movie with extremely bloody scenes and grim humour. There are also some Jap-horror elements which works well with the very industrial soundtrack. These sure are the better scenes, but they seem to be a bit out of place in the film. Then there are a few scenes completely loose from the rest with overacting and absurd dialogues, which are the most funny elements of the film. Well then, do you have to watch the film? If you are from Eindhoven or its surroundings: you better. Especially the Eindhoven-promotional beginning is a funny watch. For the rest you will have to enjoy bloody slasher films and/or have a grim sense of humour. The film sure is funny, but good?… nah.
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I almost forgot to mention a nice story about this film. A week ago I was at the DVD rental and couldn’t make a choice. I noticed the Horizonica poster and had already heard that the film would finally be available on DVD (for a proper re-view), so I asked about that. The film was indeed for rent, but not yet for sale, but because the man bought more copies than he rented, I could get an unrented copy of his. So I went home with a pretty expensive double DVD which contains the cinema version with some extras that I haven’t seen yet and a cut version?!? The cinema version is 120 minutes, the other 95. Curious about what would be left out, we watched the short version and what struck me most is that the scene with Henk Westbroek (who also sings a specially written song during the endtitles) is left out. That is a pitty, because it was a funny scene is a weird film! I don’t remember what other scenes I miss, but I guess I will notice when we watch the long version again.