Back of Box:
Dr. Cranston is a successful plastic surgeon in Los Angeles until his daughter is horribly disfigured in a car accident that
he caused. To ease his remorse, he tirelessly labors to replace the mangled features of his sweet Maggie.
Wanting his daughter to be perfect, Dr. Cranston seeks women with the "perfect
nose,""perfect eyes," or "perfect breasts" for his daughter.
Seeking stardom, Melissa runs away from home, once again, to audition with her
"perfect lips." Big sister, Brenda, rushes to Hollywood in search of Melissa and enlists the help of local cab driver
and wannabe actor, Bobby. But the pair discover that this time Melissa is in much more trouble than they realize.
Plot: Mad doctor meets
dysfunctional family in this Psycho-esque pile of cheese. The plot sets things up to be very
fun. Nothing overly original, mind you, but fun none-the-less. Felt like a few things could've been elaborated
on, but that's part of the fun, it's not too complicated. On top of that, the script always managed to stay fresh and
a lot of the comedy worked. Satisfaction (Just wanted to say that because I saw the picture of Reda next to
the copy of Bit Parts on the shelf at Borders).
Acting: I loved Dave
Reda as the slightly awkward Bobby Dumont. Melissa (Molly Fix) gave a decent performance. I felt
for her, but sometimes her intensity seemed a little forced. Sarah Gordon did a great job as the big
sister, Brenda. Doctor Kranston (Christopher Page) was a real psycho, great intensity. Shaun (Drew Nye) was hilarious.
My favorite, however, would definitely be Maggie Kranston (Michelle Angel). She just made it for me.
Gore: Body Count (5
and a chicken) Can't lie, this is the only section I was kind of disappointed about. It's not bad by any
means. I mean, the severed body parts and hanging flesh looked good, I just expected a little more. Oh well, we
still get a very stylish throat slit, death by syringe filled with air, and a face dunked in acid. Word.
Suspense: This section
gave me a little surprise. That's right, there actually was some. Most of it is found in the last ten minutes
of the film. However, there is one very exceptional scene where Melissa tries to reach her cell phone before the sedative
kicks in. Short, but sweet. Just had to mention it.
Directing: I liked it.
At times it seemed a little amateurish, but that's part of its charm. Reda might not fully know his way around a camera,
but he does know his horror. Excellent shot set-ups, nice use of imagery (Burning doll) and scenery, and some
trippy tricks guaranteed to satisfy. Not bad for a first timer. Actually, quite exceptional.
Tech: Most of the
time the lighting was overexposed. Not a problem though. It actually helped add to the gritty, real feel of this
film. The soundtrack was a little offbeat, but it fit perfectly. That, and I've got nothing bad to say about the
sound.
Other: Well, I've
pretty much just got things to say about the script. I love how there were a lot of standout characters. Usually
you get a few good characters and the rest all blend together (They usually just end up dying anyway).
Not here. Every character had something unique to their personality. Very good. I have to
say nice ending. I was very pleased. Oh, my God. I have to mention the "stoner scene." Nothing
overly special about it, but it made me laugh so hard. When Shaun is on the phone talking about "The
Crusher" I almost pissed myself. Then Brenda and Bobby threaten to bust him for possession...HAHAHAHA!
Almost unreal! Anyway, one more thing. I really wanted this film to be longer. Okay...I just didn't want
it to end. Yeah.
Final Word: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am a firm believer that Hollywood is ruining horror with its need to remake everything that was once sacred to horror fans.
I also believe that horror is coming back to the Independent scene and it is slowly being revived by films such as this.
Hats off to those involved, I applaud you all.
