Review of Rituals (1977) by James O — 28 Apr 2011

I'm going to admit it right here and now: I did not like Deliverance that much. I think this was the reason I went into Rituals expecting nothing much. Actually, this movie is FREAKING AMAZING! The body count is higher than Deliverance, and I can live without seeing Ned Beatty r*ped by a hillbilly.

Plus, this one's got Hal Holbrook! There are some really epic scenes of suspense, and a shocking head-on-a-stick scene. Now, I'm not really sure if if the killer in this is dead or not. (SPOILER) In the end, Hal's friend is burned alive by the maniac, as Hal grabs a double-barrel and fires at a strange figure.

The figure turns out to be horribly burnt, and collapses on the floor, dead. Now, was this our mysterious killer, or was it Hal's friend? I think it's the killer, if you ask me. (SPOILER OVER) Overall, I highly encourage you to watch this film.

I think it was recently released to DVD (and not part of the Drive-In Movie Classics Set), so it's highly recommended.