Since, well... forever, I'm attracted to "The Deathhead Virgin" because of its lurid title, the awesome cover poster, and the promising plot-concept of an evil sea-witch guarding the treasures of a sunken Spanish galleon. But for exactly as long, I've also been put off by the low rating, harsh reviews, and the simple fact this is one of those low-budgeted Filipino-horrors from the early 70s. Curiosity always wins, in the end...
Everything about "The Deathhead Virgin" is slow, dull, and unstructured. The opening titles go on forever, and we're already 15 minutes into the film before "directed by Norman Foster" appears. Then there's a forty minutes' lasting (40!) flashback to explain why the movie begins with a funeral service. I still think the plot is interesting enough to tell, as it mixes typically 70s treasure-hunting elements with local Philippine folklore myths, but the pacing is so intolerably slow and the spectacle-level is so dreadfully minimal, that most people will give up (and understandably so). After the flashback (it lasts so long you'll even forget it's a flashback...) there's an interesting twist, but it's too little too late. The "monster" is a naked home girl wearing a ridiculous mask, the underwater footage is underwhelming, and the supportive role of Filipino B-movie hero Vic Diaz is hardly worth mentioning. Believe the rating and the reviews; - "The Deathhead Virgin" isn't worth your time.
