NATAS: THE REFLECTION (1983) Directed by Jack Dunlap
Thrillervideo VHS
THE FILM
My mother-in-law wasn’t so thrilled by this one.
After about fifteen minutes:
“Well, this is kind of slow, isn’t it?”
After the guy with the mustache complained for the tenth time about going out to the desert: “Why did that guy come along if he hates it so much?”
And, the most damning of all:
Her: “What is this?”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Her: “Is this supposed to be a horror movie?”
Me: “I’m going to have to get back to you.”
To answer her questions:
It is, indeed, kind of slow. Even when the pace picks up it keeps going kind of slow.
That guy just keeps complaining like that. I think he came along in case it turned out to be something big. He wanted to be there.
It is a horror movie, mostly.
A fellow with a nice haircut is on the quest for a 200-year-old Native American named Smohalla somewhere in the deserts of Arizona. It’s become an obsession. He’s lost his job over it. His girlfriend (who never seems comfortable) is about to leave him over it. Then, suddenly, he finds the old fellow and begins the quest to Natas Tower to free the souls being held prisoner before the evil one can claim them forever!
Pretty sweet.
I think this one was made more for me rather than my mother-in-law. It is slow. The film is a kind of mystical journey thing for about fifteen minutes. It’s loaded with acting that’s a bit off and mystical bafflegab that’ll lose you every time. Then, our hero stumbles upon a ghost town filled with creepy zombies with bendy, echoey voices. Just when you think he might be there for a while, he escapes.
Then, he returns with some friends in tow. The ghost town is there but the zombies are gone. Something starts to kill them in a sort of The Slayer kind of way. A mini-slasher film pops up in here. The killings are pretty decent and gory.
Then, the hero and his girlfriend encounter Natas and, using a mystical mirror, force the evil one to see his reflection and save the day. Then, there is a final twist that is alternately fitting and 100% dippy.
It is slow. But, every time it settles in a little too far, it shifts its gears and becomes interesting again. For a while. Then, it has to jumpstart once more. I will say that the scene where they hear a saloon piano playing and go down the steps is probably the slowest minute of cinema ever. Ever. I know they’re scared but that doesn’t mean we need to see each of them go down each step so, so slow especially considering we had just watched them go up the steps real slow five minutes previously.
Regardless, the film is just odd enough to be worth a good viewing. Your mother-in-law can join you if she’s around. She’ll keep you grounded.
(Oh, the hero’s name is Steve. I thought the scene at the beginning where he chats with a friend of his and the guy keeps saying, “Steve, now wait a minute, Steve. There’s no proof, Steve, that this map is authentic, Steve!” was hilarious. For some reason, I just like the name Steve and this movie knew that.)
AUDIO AND VIDEO
I had to turn it up a bit. But, in the end, I heard everybody. The video was as superb as Thrillervideo would allow.
EXTRAS
Elvira’s intros. I actually chuckled a few times in here so, if you’re so inclined, watch and enjoy.
There are several previews for other Thrillervideo tapes, including some of those SOV British shows. The ones where I watch and think “I’ve seen all of these people on Doctor Who.” Then, suddenly, Patrick Troughton appears. (He was The Doctor from 1966-1969.) Nice.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Definitely worth a watch. It is sort of teetering on that spot in between “a hell of a lot of fun” and “just too slow” but I thought it hovered on the former more than the latter. Natas: The Reflection is pretty looc.
— Dan Budnik, 07.19.07 | 
Still rocking
SIKE!
Too dead to care
Eomsewa %001
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