After delivering a movie called Specters two years earlier, director Marcello Avallone would foist another called Maya upon audiences in 1989. Like its predecessor, it would serve up more of the same, that being a plot and a story that could have used a bit of work, but would add in a good chunk of gore and a fair amount of nudity to keep the interest of its viewers.

To be fair, there is a germ of an idea that is quite interesting but it is never fully realized or explored in the film, that of being able to move between the worlds of life and death. Instead, there is also a subplot about a curse of some kind, related to that previously mentioned idea, a dead archaeologist and the lead character played by Peter Phelps who spends his time sleeping around. Peter is a man who worked with the dead archaeologist and the curse seems to follow him around, striking those he comes into contact with. It is all fairly nonsensical as the picture moves along yet Avallone continues to float the supernatural aspects throughout, usually rearing their head when somebody is killed. Most of the killings are fairly gruesome in nature and there is a decent amount of blood to be had for those that love the red in their horror movies. Out of everything present, the murders are by far the most interesting bits even though taken by themselves, they mean nothing. Phelps being present at least gives them that connective tissue and as distasteful as he might be, he at least is something to latch onto.

Good to see was that there was a bit of a budget with this movie and it showed in the practical effects used. One of the better scenes in the entire film involved a couple of wrestlers who were battling it out with their fingers when in a fairly gruesome moment, had his finger split in two and nearly taken off. As mentioned, the women in this film spend about fifty percent of the time outside of their clothes and one has to know that at least one of them is going to die in their birthday suit at some point. As things move along, there is a bit of comedy relief with the addition of a couple of horny young men, guys full of piss and vinegar as it were and though meant to be funny, they are the complete opposite and a waste of celluloid. Avallone could have used the time he spent on them to explore more of his main story points yet instead, the audience got what they were given and it is what it is. At the very least, the man was able to create a decent atmosphere throughout, creating some palpable tension at times when a person was about to be killed and trying to beef up those moments of horror, what little there was.

Maya may sound like it is not the greatest of films and in all honesty, it is not but there is enough here to enjoy if not keep one entertained at the very least. There is some good and some bad, which is true of any movie and sadly there seems to be more of the latter than there is of the former. Still, Maya is worth a look, but only one before relegating it to the sands of time.

2 out of 5