Netherworld is another dull, low-budget clunker from Full Moon Entertainment, director David Schmoeller failing to embrace the cheesiness of his material, leading to a lacklustre horror film that aims for sexy and stylish, with a side-order of surreality, but which misses the mark on all counts.
Michael Bendetti leads a no-name cast as Corey Thornton, heir to his father's Louisiana estate, which comes complete with housekeeper Mrs Palmer (Anjanette Comer), her jailbait daughter Diane (Holly Floria, who is clearly too old for the part), creepy lawyer Beauregard Yates, Esq. (Robert Burr), and unsavoury neighbours, the rowdy crowd at swampside bar/brothel Tonk's Place.
Soon after arriving at the home of his late father, Corey learns of his old man's dying wishes: to be revived from the dead via that ol' black magic, as practised by voodoo queen Delores (Denise Gentile), who has a supernatural connection with birds, those she entrances bearing feathers in their hair (Why? I really couldn't say).
As Corey slowly falls under Delores's spell, the viewer is treated to some weird stuff involving strange characters with bizarre facial features, a saxophone player with a really bad hair style, a flying stone hand that attacks people (!?!), a beating bird's heart, astral projection, women sharing a bath, and Corey's zombie father, all of which might have been fun if it hadn't been for Schmoeller's lame attempt at classy direction.
2.5 out of 10, rounded up to 3 for the music, which isn't bad despite the musician's dodgy barnet.
