reading the synopsis at SXSW this year, i was intrigued by the comparison to Jason and Freddy. sadly, this was not even close to the truth. ultimately, it came down to the fact that this was the first movie where i could absolutely tell that this was the fault of the director. Bostin Christopher was completely miscast. he looks 20, not 40, as they repeatedly say he is in the film. Ashley Johnson was about as good as i've seen her. but man, Illeana Douglas? Daniel Stern? i've seen these actors put on great performances, but this was horrible. and Kevin Pollak? i've never seen him do a bad performance, until now. it can only mean one thing when you have that many consistently bad performances from so many good actors: the director is to blame.
even the lighting was bad. when you have the torture chamber focusing so much on the light, you need to invest in a good cinematographer. sadly, this looked more like a soap opera with soft lighting, than a horror/comedy with harsh lighting. half the time it felt more ethereal than scary, because of the bad lighting.
the only saving grace for me was Jere Burns. his consistent "i don't give a rat's ass" mentality was great. over the top at times, yes, but he was the only thing i laughed with, not at.
even the lighting was bad. when you have the torture chamber focusing so much on the light, you need to invest in a good cinematographer. sadly, this looked more like a soap opera with soft lighting, than a horror/comedy with harsh lighting. half the time it felt more ethereal than scary, because of the bad lighting.
the only saving grace for me was Jere Burns. his consistent "i don't give a rat's ass" mentality was great. over the top at times, yes, but he was the only thing i laughed with, not at.