The urge for a decent Italian gore film is a tough itch to scratch. The problem is that most of the time you are forced to sacrifice substance and style for a few minutes of mindless entertainment. Unfortunately Maya is no exception to this rule. While not a terrible film, it's a case of been there done that one too many times.

A young girl is in search of answers when her father mysteriously dies on an archeology expedition in Venezuala. Blah, blah, blah, there's a mysterious force that is slowly knocking people off one by one as the town prepares for the Festival of the Dead. Most of your stereotypical characters are represented here including the good guy, the strong willed woman, the tough teens (who don't look very tough at all mind you), everyone seems to be accounted for. There's really nothing new here, but it's not like Maya doesn't have anything to offer. There are quite a few steamy soft-core scenes with some ultra sexy Latino babes, that has to account for something! In addition to the sexual debauchery (and believe me there is plenty of it) we are also treated to some groovy gore. There is plenty of red stuff flowing here, and much of the kills are creative as well as gruesome. There is one brutal scene in which a woman is assaulted while taking a bath from an "unseen force" (ala The Entity) and another involving fish hooks, nasty!

Considering the title at hand, Maya looks exceptionally well on this DVD provided by Dragon Entertainment. Colors are sharp and stable and there is really only minimal print damage. Maya is presented full frame, and it's hard to tell if this is its original aspect ratio. It doesn't seem as if we are losing any real pertinent info, the framing seems comfortable.

Sound is a simple Dolby Stereo Mix and is also quite appealing. There is really no distortion to speak of, and dialogue remains clear. The music and effects are never too overpowering.

Extras are limited to a text interview with the director (in German only) and your standard Bios along with a trailer.

Fans of the genre could do a lot worse than to spend some time with Maya. Fans of the film should be please, while other may want to give it a look for the sex and violence quotient alone. Keep in mind that this is a PAL Region 0 DVD, so you will need a player that can convert PAL to NTSC in the US.