Two styles collide; one has a bit more style and flair (with emphasis on mood, lighting and camera angles etc.) while the other treats the material as a straight ahead stalk and slash flick. That's the mishmash that is "Curtains" and while it's a recipe for disaster somehow the film works quite well.

Several aspiring actresses (and a seasoned one) gather at a remote country house (in icy winter, no less) and subject themselves to auditions by an eccentric director (Vernon) for an upcoming feature film. Someone among them is a killer and the actresses disappear one by one.

What started out as an ambitious Hitchcockian thriller (by an ambitious first time director) was quickly shelved by the film's producer in favor of more slasher film elements that were popular at the time. Even though most viewers don't know what exactly was filmed originally and what was added on later; there is a striking difference in tone throughout the film and the climax, in particular, seems like an afterthought (although it's a thrilling sequence) where there's an extended chase scene in such different surroundings than all that's preceded it.

There are some plot elements that appear only to be discarded completely early on (the creepy doll, for instance) and a character played by Michael Wincott must have remained mostly on the cutting room floor as his part is practically non-existent. The beginning; with Samantha Eggar as a seasoned film star voluntarily submitting herself to an asylum for research, is a nifty starting point which doesn't lead anywhere and is resolved rather clumsily once the actresses at the secluded country house storyline has begun. This feels rather disjointed and is definitely the work of two colliding directors.

With all that said; "Curtains" is really an OK thriller and it's overall weird vibe propels it through it's rough spots. It's very well acted, not only by pro's Vernon and Eggar but Lynne Griffin and Lesleh Donaldson turn in fine work as well. The look of the film is splendid and there's an absolute stunner of a scene where the killer slowly approaches a victim on ice skates on a frozen lake which culminates in a very nasty and inventive kill scene; the stuff slasher fans eat up with delight. Also I think the "hag" mask the killer dons is quite unsettling and creepy as hell.

A complete and utter mishmash but a treat for slasher fans who'll definitely be the ones giving this film a fair shot to begin with anyway. Highly recommended for that lot.

Plus; I thought it was a nice touch to credit the main character Jonathan Stryker (the name of John Vernon's character) as the director since neither wanted the credit.

"Curtains" features a group of women who have been summoned to a prestigious director's mansion to audition for a film; meanwhile his frequent collaborator and muse, a glamorous and established actress, has intentionally admitted herself into a psych ward in order to prepare for the role he is now offering to one of the younger talents. Things are doomed for the the young women from the start when a killer in a grotesque hag mask begins killing them along the way.

One has to wonder why a film like "Curtains" has been so longly ignored except among cult horror purists— fans have ached for a proper DVD release of the film, and it certainly deserves at least that. It is not a great film, but it is great if we're measuring it on a slasher scale.

Though it is most definitely a slasher movie, there are shades of class here that set it apart from the sleazier body count films of the era, and the performances are part of this, but also a great deal of attention to cinematography and the establishment of mood. The entire film has a dark, somber, weather-drenched atmosphere that is immediately off-putting, and things become progressively macabre after the girls reach the remote mansion.

It's an interesting and unusual setup, and there is a lot of subtext about filmmaking and performance that is played up with some minor intelligence. While the establishment of mood is fantastic here, and the setting is delectably spooky, there is a sense of disconnectedness in the film on a tonal level. Given the film's purportedly lengthy, troubled production, this makes sense, but it does create a feeling of the film not really being the sum of its parts— at least not the sum that it could have been. That said, the film is nevertheless successful at maintaining an eeriness.

The performances here are great, with John Eggar as the cold and calculated director, and Samantha Eggar as his glamorous "has been" muse. These two are the veterans of the film, both literally and narratively. Linda Thorson, Lynne Griffin (of "Black Christmas"), and Lesleh Donaldson ("Funeral Home") are welcome additions to the younger actresses, and give respectable performances, especially Griffin.

Overall, "Curtains" excels at being a moody and moderately classy slasher film. There are enough death scenes to appease the gore crowd, and enough suspense and mood to engage the more narratively-inclined audience, and, while the film's disjointed production seeps into the final product, the parts are effective enough to take precedence over the sum. 8/10.