Haeckel's Tale

The first 2/3 of this movie is really well done. It plays out like any solid fantasy/horror movie would. When it has to wrap things up, it starts to falter. Given the state of horror movies these days, however, having a good first 40 minutes seems like a significant accomplishment.

The story is about a man who goes to an old woman (a "necromancer") in an effort to raise his recently deceased wife. She warns him that before she does so, she must hear a story about a medical student named Haeckel from many years ago. The movie then picks up with the story of Haeckel.

Everything is done really well - the atmosphere, acting, storyline, etc. Unfortunately, in the last 20 minutes the story tries to inject more horror elements. It doesn't work and the story gets progressively worst and the characters less believable. (In fairness to Clive Barker, I'm willing to believe story probably worked well in print).

Many horror fans will find this step above most horror movies because of the nice setup - see it if that is good enough for you.

In the nineteen century, a man seeks help with a necromancer, asking her to revive his beloved wife. The woman advises him that the process could be dangerous, since she can bring the body back, but not necessarily the spirit and proposes him to listen to Haeckel's story to help in his decision. Ernst Haeckel (Derek Cecil) is a cocky medical student fascinated with resuscitation. When the illness of his father becomes terminal, he travels to visit him and in his journey he meets the necromancer Montesquino (Jon Polito), who claims to have the ability to bring the dead back to life. While preparing to spend the night nearby a cemetery, the old man Wolfram (Tom McBeath) offers him shelter in his home, telling him that it would be very dangerous to stay near the necropolis. Haeckel accepts the invitation and meets his young wife Elise Wolfram (Leela Savasta). He feels seduced by the sexy woman, and sooner he finds her eternal love for her deceased husband.

"Haeckel's Tale" is a great erotic zombie tale and one of the best episodes of "Masters of Horror". The atmosphere is creepy, and the Canadian is one of the sexiest actresses I have ever seen. Her sensual "zombie gang bang" is morbidly fascinating and absolutely original, but not for conservative and bigoted audiences. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Terrível História de Haeckel" ("The Terrible Story of Haeckel")

This is really a slow builder. It's really the telling of Haeckel's story of course but it take a while before it all becomes creepy and even a bit scary. But at the end of the day it was rather good. Still, clocking in just under an hour I would have liked that the horror would come in earlier.

A necromancer's help is needed to revive a man's beloved wife. It is told that the process isn't without any danger. When Haeckel's father becomes ill he travels toward him but comes across the necromancer Montesquino showing him how to bring a dead dog alive. Haeckel is fascinated and stays at the house of an old man married to a beautiful young wife. Haeckel is warned not to visit the cemetery nearby because the necropolis has it's dark secrets but Haeckel is attracted to the young woman and discovers her dark secrets.

It is until the dark secrets are shown on the necropolis that the real horror comes in. Sure, when Montesquino shows that he can bring the dog back alive has it's own gruesome show but face it, the necrophilia at the end with the young woman is were it really starts to work. Leela Savasta who plays the young woman shows it all here and goes fully naked on the grave to have sex with the death and even goes for a trio. Leela moved further after this episode to some famous series and she's best known as Tracey Anne in the much acclaimed Battlestar Galactica (2008) series.

I can understand that some will hate this episode due the storytelling and nothing really happening until the final minutes but it's worth the wait.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Masters of Horror: John McNaughton: Haeckel's Tale: 7 out of 10: Can one justify seeing a rather pedestrian one hour episode simply because a gorgeous woman has one of the most bizarre and erotic sex scenes near the films "climax"? I'm certainly going to try.

First the pedestrian stuff. This is an historical horror movie, all horse drawn carriages and talk of electricity. It's nice for a change of pace and is well done here.

The films main character is that old chestnut "a man of science". He is trying to replicate Victor Frankenstein's experiments and is instead setting corpses on fire. The movie takes a very unexpected turn as he is summoned to his dying father and precedes on a leisurely peregrination kind of like that the gay character takes in As Good As It Gets.

On his jaunt he runs into a Necromancer that raise people from the dead for a fee who is very well played by Coen favorite Jon Polito (A cheap talented Danny DeVito). Man of science is curious but disparages the hocus pocus mystical explanation of the necromancers skills.

The movie continues to meander much like the main character until he ends up at the house of a weird old man and his too young and beautiful wife. This is where my patience with the film paid off.

Leela Savasta made such an impression on me I immediately want to see the rest of her films… both of them. Heck I want to buy an office block in Vancouver. (She sells Canadian real estate as well as acting and modeling). Yes I turned from bemused viewer to gushing fan boy almost immediately.

So in conclusion movie is decent albeit slow and Savasta will make a man leave his wife and travel a continent and buy a small affordable Canadian strip mall. Or at the very least see that new Black Christmas remake.

"Haeckel's Tale" takes place in the XIX century, which contributes to the dark and gloomy atmosphere, but the story itself is very slow and without tension, and twist is unsatisfying. It left me with the impression of a dark fairy tale more than horror. Film culminates in one of the most bizarre sex scene I've ever seen and, if for nothing else, it's worth watching this episode. Trust me, you won't forget it any time soon.

6/10