Shredder
3/4
Starring: Scott Weinger, Lindsey McKeon, Julia Weikel, Billy O', Holly Towne, Brad Hawkins, Peter Riggs, Candace Moon
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Sexuality, Language and Some Drug Use
"Shredder" is a guilty pleasure. In many respects, this is not a good movie, but at least it has the good sense never to take itself seriously. This is a mad slasher movie complete with (almost) every convention established in the 42 years since "Halloween" defined the genre. It has the dim-witted characters, the low-rent Agatha Christie plot, characters who are constantly doing stupid things (going off somewhere alone, the mysterious newcomer, some gratuitous sex and nudity, plenty of blood and gore, and of course, a rising body count. This movie is beyond silly, and the filmmakers know this. What makes it work is that the script is a little more ironic, a little more satirical, and pushed just a little too far to be taken as straight horror. In a way, it works similarly to Adam Green's near-brilliant "Hatchet."
Cole (Weinger) is looking forward to his little road trip. His (alleged) girlfriend Kimberly (McKeon) is stinking rich, and her father just bought an abandoned ski resort. He's looking to hit the slopes before anyone else, and of course get some "personal" time with Kimberly. Much to his disappointment, Kimberly has invited all her friends without telling him. They're the usual lot for this type of movie: the stoner/pro athlete Kirk (Hawkins), the obnoxious virgin Skyler (Billy O') who is recording everything, the ditzy bimbo Robyn (Towne), the maybe-lesbian goth Pike (Weikel) and Christophe (Hawkins), the sexy European stud they pick up at a gas station. Despite the repeated warnings from the angry townsfolk, Cole and his pals go in anyway. But soon they're being picked off one by one by a masked killer with a literal ax to grind against snowboarders.
Roger Ebert once said that "The Evil Dead" worked on two levels: those who saw it on level one would say that it is in bad taste. Those who saw it on level two would say that it is about bad taste. I could say something similar about "Shredder." While it is indeed very dumb and very cheesy, the film has an irreverent sense of humor that attacks the material from all angles. Everything is skewed (and skewered) in such a way that it seems to be laughing at itself, and wants the audience to laugh along with it. From beginning to end, everything is played with the tongue firmly planted in the cheek.
The acting is bad, but not so bad that it truly grates, if you know what I mean. There isn't a single character with an IQ above their shoe size, and the movie has plenty of fun with this concept. And I got a kick out of Aladdin talking about oral sex and serial killers (it isn't a coincidence, as lead actor Scott Weinger did voice the title character in the 1992 classic). Julia Weikel has some appeal as the worldly Pike. Sadly, Billy O' is painfully annoying and has far too much screen time.
If you're looking for a scary movie, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something as clever as "Scream," don't bother. In order to enjoy "Shredder," you have to both appreciate the genre and all the baggage that comes with it. It's proudly silly and willing to laugh at itself and the dimwits in it. There is the requisite blood, gore and nudity, but there's also some quirky humor and wit here. Accept it on its own terms.
Starring: Scott Weinger, Lindsey McKeon, Julia Weikel, Billy O', Holly Towne, Brad Hawkins, Peter Riggs, Candace Moon
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Sexuality, Language and Some Drug Use
"Shredder" is a guilty pleasure. In many respects, this is not a good movie, but at least it has the good sense never to take itself seriously. This is a mad slasher movie complete with (almost) every convention established in the 42 years since "Halloween" defined the genre. It has the dim-witted characters, the low-rent Agatha Christie plot, characters who are constantly doing stupid things (going off somewhere alone, the mysterious newcomer, some gratuitous sex and nudity, plenty of blood and gore, and of course, a rising body count. This movie is beyond silly, and the filmmakers know this. What makes it work is that the script is a little more ironic, a little more satirical, and pushed just a little too far to be taken as straight horror. In a way, it works similarly to Adam Green's near-brilliant "Hatchet."
Cole (Weinger) is looking forward to his little road trip. His (alleged) girlfriend Kimberly (McKeon) is stinking rich, and her father just bought an abandoned ski resort. He's looking to hit the slopes before anyone else, and of course get some "personal" time with Kimberly. Much to his disappointment, Kimberly has invited all her friends without telling him. They're the usual lot for this type of movie: the stoner/pro athlete Kirk (Hawkins), the obnoxious virgin Skyler (Billy O') who is recording everything, the ditzy bimbo Robyn (Towne), the maybe-lesbian goth Pike (Weikel) and Christophe (Hawkins), the sexy European stud they pick up at a gas station. Despite the repeated warnings from the angry townsfolk, Cole and his pals go in anyway. But soon they're being picked off one by one by a masked killer with a literal ax to grind against snowboarders.
Roger Ebert once said that "The Evil Dead" worked on two levels: those who saw it on level one would say that it is in bad taste. Those who saw it on level two would say that it is about bad taste. I could say something similar about "Shredder." While it is indeed very dumb and very cheesy, the film has an irreverent sense of humor that attacks the material from all angles. Everything is skewed (and skewered) in such a way that it seems to be laughing at itself, and wants the audience to laugh along with it. From beginning to end, everything is played with the tongue firmly planted in the cheek.
The acting is bad, but not so bad that it truly grates, if you know what I mean. There isn't a single character with an IQ above their shoe size, and the movie has plenty of fun with this concept. And I got a kick out of Aladdin talking about oral sex and serial killers (it isn't a coincidence, as lead actor Scott Weinger did voice the title character in the 1992 classic). Julia Weikel has some appeal as the worldly Pike. Sadly, Billy O' is painfully annoying and has far too much screen time.
If you're looking for a scary movie, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something as clever as "Scream," don't bother. In order to enjoy "Shredder," you have to both appreciate the genre and all the baggage that comes with it. It's proudly silly and willing to laugh at itself and the dimwits in it. There is the requisite blood, gore and nudity, but there's also some quirky humor and wit here. Accept it on its own terms.
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