Director – Nick Millard (Cemetery Sisters. Death Nurse 2)
Starring – Priscilla Aldean (Death Nurse 2, Nash Bridges), Albert Eskinazi (Cemetery Sisters, Doctor Bloodbath), and Royal Farros (Criminally Insane 2)
Release Date – 1987
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Edith Mortley, RN. She’ll take good care of you”
Several years back I came in contact with Slasher//Video when a film I reviewed was released by this small distribution label. I checked over their releases and several caught my eye. The first that I was really drawn to wasCemetery Sisters. The film looked cheap as hell but fun. Those of you that like S.O.V. horror flicks know exactly what I am talking about.
The next film that I found interesting was the 1987 flick Death Nurse starring Priscilla Aldean. When I saw that the film had spawned a sequel I was hooked. Sadly, I never had the time to review it so I never ordered it and over time I completely forgot about it. Recently, Slasher//Video and Olive Films partnered up to release most of the Slasher//Video catalog on DVD and blu. I reached out to my friends over at Olive Films and they were kind enough to send a review copy of Death Nurse my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows nurse Edith Mortley (Aldean) and her brother Doctor Mortley (Eskinazi) who run their own private practice. They accept patients from hospitals and care of the state for treatments ranging in a variety of reasons. They accept several patients at a time to care for and when they think no one is paying attention, they kill them and then bill their insurance for their care as if they are still alive. They then bury the bodies out back or feed to the influx of rats in their basement that is pouring in from the sewer. However, a friend of one of their patients come snooping around and almost ruined their scheme.**Spoiler Alert**
Death Nurse is one of the few films I get that I am actually excited about reviewing. I am always excited to watch any film but rarely am I excited about reviewing it. Death Nurse is one of the few exceptions. The film was just as bad as I thought it would be but it was still fun and held my attention for the film’s 60 minute running time.
The acting in this one is what you would expect from the typical S.O.V. horror flick. They speak their lines but their interactions are far from genuine. They are awkward to watch and this makes most of the scenes just drag on when no one is getting murdered. This is the standard for any S.O.V. flick but there is always hope for one that doesn’t suck in the cast department.
The story for this one is very close to the story in another Millard film, Cemetery Sisters. That film followed two sister who marry and then kill their husbands for money. This film followed a brother and sister pair that kill patients for money. Not much originality in that department. However, it did pull the viewer in with the few deaths we get and how they have been able to get away with the murders. The film then throws in a little mystery angle when the friend starts investigating them looking for her friend.
Finally, the film has several deaths but they mostly take place off screen and implement several cleverly placed camera tricks. The practical effects are bad but that is part of the charm of the S.O.V. kills. Overall, Death Nurse is bad but it is fun which is more than you can expect from other horror flicks. It is well worth a watch so check it out.
