Amusement
3/4
Starring: Kathryn Winnick, Laura Breckenridge, Jessica Lucas, Keir O'Donnell
Rated R for Horror Violence, Terror and Disturbing Images
Most horror movies that fly under the radar do so for good reason: they're horrible movies. Examples include "The Ice Cream Man" and "The Nun." Occasionally, though, you find a diamond in the rough like "Amusement." I won't pretend it's a perfect movie (in fact it has some very serious problems). But for what it is, it's a chilling 85 minutes.
"Amusement" is made up of three short films about three old friends that tie together at the end. First up is Shelby's (Breckenridge) story, where she and her boyfriend (Tad Hilgenbrink) face a nightmarish situation on the road. Next up is Tabitha (Winnick), who has a very creepy experience babysitting (she and Laurie Strode would have a lot to talk about). Finally, there's Lisa (Lucas), who is searching for her missing roommate. A figure from their past is after them, and he has something very bad in store for them.
By far the best sequence in the film is the middle one. Tabitha's segment is splendidly spooky, to the point where I was reminded of "Halloween." Shelby's tale is not as strong, but creepy enough and features one hell of a plot twist. Lisa's story is the weakest; it's not as clever or dynamic as the other two. The climax is solid, but it stretches credulity to its breaking point.
The most impressive aspect of the production is its look. "Amusement" looks fantastic. It's dark but colorful and has a lot of atmosphere. The cinematography by Mark Garrett and the production design by Craig Stearns is first rate. This is one of the few movies where watching it on Blu Ray is going to make a whole lot of difference.
"Amusement" doesn't have any especially good performances, but horror movies rarely do. That said, the acting is effective only by horror movie standards (and lets face it, no one goes to a horror movie expecting Oscar-worthy acting). All of them have their flat moments, but for the film's purposes, they get the job done. Veteran psycho Kevin Gage (he played Waingro in "Heat") and Rena Owen from "Once Were Warriors" have brief appearances.
The film suffers from the common maladies of many horror films: characters doing amazingly stupid things, deus ex machinas, the occasional pacing issue or editing gaffe. They're there and occasionally fairly obvious, but they're not bad enough to completely ruin the movie.
This is by no means a classic horror movie. Or even an especially good one. But, I've seen it twice and I enjoyed it both times. If you're looking for a scary movie and have seen everything else, this is one to try.
Starring: Kathryn Winnick, Laura Breckenridge, Jessica Lucas, Keir O'Donnell
Rated R for Horror Violence, Terror and Disturbing Images
Most horror movies that fly under the radar do so for good reason: they're horrible movies. Examples include "The Ice Cream Man" and "The Nun." Occasionally, though, you find a diamond in the rough like "Amusement." I won't pretend it's a perfect movie (in fact it has some very serious problems). But for what it is, it's a chilling 85 minutes.
"Amusement" is made up of three short films about three old friends that tie together at the end. First up is Shelby's (Breckenridge) story, where she and her boyfriend (Tad Hilgenbrink) face a nightmarish situation on the road. Next up is Tabitha (Winnick), who has a very creepy experience babysitting (she and Laurie Strode would have a lot to talk about). Finally, there's Lisa (Lucas), who is searching for her missing roommate. A figure from their past is after them, and he has something very bad in store for them.
By far the best sequence in the film is the middle one. Tabitha's segment is splendidly spooky, to the point where I was reminded of "Halloween." Shelby's tale is not as strong, but creepy enough and features one hell of a plot twist. Lisa's story is the weakest; it's not as clever or dynamic as the other two. The climax is solid, but it stretches credulity to its breaking point.
The most impressive aspect of the production is its look. "Amusement" looks fantastic. It's dark but colorful and has a lot of atmosphere. The cinematography by Mark Garrett and the production design by Craig Stearns is first rate. This is one of the few movies where watching it on Blu Ray is going to make a whole lot of difference.
"Amusement" doesn't have any especially good performances, but horror movies rarely do. That said, the acting is effective only by horror movie standards (and lets face it, no one goes to a horror movie expecting Oscar-worthy acting). All of them have their flat moments, but for the film's purposes, they get the job done. Veteran psycho Kevin Gage (he played Waingro in "Heat") and Rena Owen from "Once Were Warriors" have brief appearances.
The film suffers from the common maladies of many horror films: characters doing amazingly stupid things, deus ex machinas, the occasional pacing issue or editing gaffe. They're there and occasionally fairly obvious, but they're not bad enough to completely ruin the movie.
This is by no means a classic horror movie. Or even an especially good one. But, I've seen it twice and I enjoyed it both times. If you're looking for a scary movie and have seen everything else, this is one to try.
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