"Would it kill you to love her?"
"Would it kill you to love her?"
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Reviewer |
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Jonny Cage |
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Year |
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2008 |
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Director(s) |
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Roger A. Scheck |
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Writer(s) |
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Roger A. Scheck |
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Actors |
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Nitzan Mager |
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Runtime |
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1h 29m |
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Categories |
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Slasher |
Synopsis
Alice is a shy, self-oriented, homey-looking woman who is not very much of a conversationalist. She befriends Abby and Megan who end up using her to test Abby’s fiancé, Alex’s, loyalty. The joke’s on them when the situation takes a dire turn when Alex goes missing. Alice lends no aid in their search for Alex; however, since she is the last person to see him alive, they are suspicious. What transpires is a cluster-bleep of torture and a psychotic mania that rivals most true stories of its nature.
Review
I first heard of this film when the operator of the official MySpace page for the movie sent me a friend request. I was intrigued at first glimpse. From there, gosh, it’s just a blur of blood and psychosis. Not only was the movie wicked bad-ass, it was smart. This is not something you see a lot from A-list films. Most big-budget features are more preoccupied with which popular actor to inappropriately cast in a movie they have no reason being in. For all of you out there who have not discovered the wonders of the B-rate horror scene…get…off…your…ASS!
The story portrayed here is one that I have never seen before. The basis of the story, yes but, not the compounding of dynamics. Not only was this film smart, like I stated earlier, but it was brilliantly executed. One of the cornerstones of this dynamic was the replacement of the stereotypical male-oriented protagonist. The Alice character was one of the most disturbing personas that I’ve ever had the privilege to witness. Not only was this character masterfully executed, which I will get to later, it was written with a Shakespearian-like grace. Even though the character was obviously extremely disturbed, mentally and emotionally, there was still a grace about her that made the viewer almost feel some morsel of pity.
The acting was good for the most part. I was not terribly thrilled with Amanda Taylor’s performance; it just seemed like she was trying too hard. I gotta hand it to her though, she’s gorgeous! And what a rack! This is some Grade-A toobage here people…believe me. But, sticking to the issue, I think that Nitzan Mager stole the show, figuratively speaking. I know that she was the main character and all but, even if she was not on the screen, I was constantly wondering what she was up to. She was so compelling that she actually gave me chills. Yes, her acting gave me chills! Watching her snap from sweet-Alice to psycho-Alice and back again was just amazing. It reminded me a lot of that movie The Stepfather (1987) with Terry O'Quinn; when he’s in the basement flipping out and screaming and his step-daughter comes down and in the snap of the fingers he goes back to being a loving, docile father. I think the thing that creeps me out the most about that concept is how someone can just turn their “crazy” on and off without even blinking. Shutter.
The gore and effects in this feature were very well done. It seems that these SFX companies, who work in the B-rate horror business, take more pride in their work than most A-list-oriented companies. There is a love there…a respect…a level of expertise that most would give their left nut for (or the female equivalent for you hard-core, Scream Queens). It’s another one of those ingredients in the dynamic I spoke of before; gore can make or break a film like this. If you have too much gore, people will laugh or be drawn away from a potentially excellent story; if you have too little, your gruesome point won’t be made; if it’s done sloppily, people will not take it seriously. There are many factors to account for in this area, and when they are all properly utilized and married, you get a film like this.
Wrap It Up
From start to finish I was captured. I enjoyed watching Alice’s anti-segue into her own psychotic breaks, watching her take out frustrations on human flesh, and finally having a female “bad guy”. I think that this film won’t get the recognition it deserves, and that’s just due to lack of exposure. That’s why I try to help any way I can; even if it means just doing a review. People, listen to me…yes, some of the big-budget films out there are very well done and are deserving of there fortunes but, there is another world here; a world where passion and artistry reign supreme. The world of B-rate horror has so much to offer and it is being underutilized. If you can handle the occasional poor acting, get with it!
21/25