The Theatre Bizarre

An anthology horror movie that opts for a more cerebral approach than usual, this predictably uneven effort features six short films that are tied together (after a fashion) by filmmaker Jeremy Kasten's linking episodes featuring a weird host (Udo Kier) in a theatre with a single woman in the audience. The best of the lot by far is Douglas Buck's “The Accident,” a moody, reflective piece in which a young girl talks to her mother about death after witnessing a motorcyclist killed in a collision with a deer. Also of interest is Karim Hussain's “Vision Stains,” about a woman obsessed with preserving others' memories by injecting herself with fluid from their eyes as they're dying. But Buddy Giovinazzo's “I Love You” and David Gregory's “Sweets,” both of which deal with men dumped by strong women, depend overmuch on gore-filled final twists, although the former boasts good acting and the latter has some striking candy-colored visuals. Tom Savini's “Wet Dreams,” focusing on a psychiatrist who brings a couple's sexual nightmares to gruesome life, manages to be both pretentious and unpleasant, while Richard Stanley's “The Mother of Toads” is an undercooked attempt to add Lovecraft-like flavor to a tale of a couple who encounter a witch while on a European vacation. Two-for-six is not a great batting average, and while the film admittedly tosses some ideas in with the blood and guts, they're not enough to make this Theatre a must visit. Optional. (F. Swietek)