In 1978, Roger Ebert declared I Spit on Your Grave as "The worst movie ever made". Wow. Harsh words from arguably the most respected film critic to ever roam the earth. The film starred Camille Keaton as an aspiring writer that is raped and left for dead by four men whom she exacts her revenge. It may not have been the first female revenge film, but sure was one of the more memorable ones, and to this day it is still banned in various countries throughout the world.
Thirty plus years later, I began reading that an update to the 1978 cult classic was looking to go into production. I suppose it was one of the last remaining films from the era that has yet to have a new glossy look now that The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes have been checked off Hollywood's new To-Do List.
Sarah Butler steps into the Jennifer Mills role as the victim who exacts her revenge on the men who brutally torment and assail her. Her fury releasing vengeance will make Keaton's Mills look like a girl scout while leaving audiences either cheering or peeking through their fingers to stomach what's next in store when the baddies become the victims.
My first curiosity when heading out to the Toronto After Dark Festival to see the screening of the 2010 update was wondering how they were going to match the cruelty and viciousness of the original rape scene. That now infamous DVD chapter lasted over 20 minutes and consisted of enough full female nudity to garnish an NC-17 rating by today's standards. Surely, director Steven R. Monroe would be unable to match the reboot's predecessor and still get a wide enough release to make some money at the box office. More on that in just a moment.
The update follows the same story arc as the original. Jennifer travels to a remote cabin in the deep woods to work on her novel. She stops at a gas station where she meets hick individuals that will show up at the cabin later and repeatedly rape and beat her initiated by the ringleader Johnny (Jeff Branson). Sheriff Storch (Andrew Howard) also wants a piece of the action and turns the tables on Jennifer when she looks for support from the lawman. Even the town idiot, the mentally challenged Matthew (Chad Lindberg) is represented. Each will take a turn raping the helpless writer in an evening of sheer nightmares that will surely unsettle stable audiences.
Trying to match the intensity of the rape in the original would seem impossible, but director Monroe does a great job of having the assailants appear menacing (the original failed in comparison) and not shortcutting his way through the assault to get to the vengeful violence that is the film's staple.
After the extensive scenes of abuse and humiliation, Jennifer stumbles through the forest then falls into the river right before Stroch has the opportunity to shoot her with his shotgun. As the five men look down into the river, Jennifer's body does not rise above the water and the men panic in an attempt to find their victim and confirm her death.
Fast forward a short but undeterminable amount of time, and Jennifer reappears. At first, she emerges back at the cabin where the conflicted Matthew was hiding in his guilt. She seems calm, yet distant and coerces Matthew to sit with her on the couch before she grabs a noose and chokes the helpless half-wit.
This will be the launch of Jennifer's vengeance. Over the final reels of the film, she will entrap each of her rapists one-by-one and extract her own type of justice.
To have any of the scenes of torture revealed in a review would be an injustice. This film needs to be experienced in all its gruesome and graphic glory to be appreciated for the genre it represents. But what we will reveal is that her tools of torturous trade will include nooses, water, lye, fish hooks and fishing wire, a bear trap, garden shears, dead rats, dead fish, birds (dead and alive), a shotgun, pliers and plenty of rope. Before she is done teeth, eyes, faces, asses, chests and yes, one penis that is fed back to the victim will have their cringe inducing moments.
Out of all the reboots that have eaten up my box office dollars over the past few years, I Spit on Your Grave was the most satisfying and the best representation of what a reboot should encompass. It was brutal and relentless, but also stayed true to the characters and the original film so as to not reinvent the wheel.
One thing for certain – I Spit on Your Grave is not for everyone. My girlfriend left about half way through the film as the on screen pain and suffering were too much for her to bear. And a gentleman in the balcony section of the downtown Bloor cinema fainted and had to receive quick medical attention. You can't buy that kind of publicity.
If you are looking for a good, violent and straight forward revenge flick that has a gorgeous naked woman mowing down her attackers, then this is right up your alley. But be warned. Taking the most memorable ideas from films like Irreversible and Hostel and putting them together in the same film makes I Spit on Your Grave the true 'Worst Date Movie' of 2010.
Wonder what Ebert thinks.
www.killerreviews.com
Thirty plus years later, I began reading that an update to the 1978 cult classic was looking to go into production. I suppose it was one of the last remaining films from the era that has yet to have a new glossy look now that The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes have been checked off Hollywood's new To-Do List.
Sarah Butler steps into the Jennifer Mills role as the victim who exacts her revenge on the men who brutally torment and assail her. Her fury releasing vengeance will make Keaton's Mills look like a girl scout while leaving audiences either cheering or peeking through their fingers to stomach what's next in store when the baddies become the victims.
My first curiosity when heading out to the Toronto After Dark Festival to see the screening of the 2010 update was wondering how they were going to match the cruelty and viciousness of the original rape scene. That now infamous DVD chapter lasted over 20 minutes and consisted of enough full female nudity to garnish an NC-17 rating by today's standards. Surely, director Steven R. Monroe would be unable to match the reboot's predecessor and still get a wide enough release to make some money at the box office. More on that in just a moment.
The update follows the same story arc as the original. Jennifer travels to a remote cabin in the deep woods to work on her novel. She stops at a gas station where she meets hick individuals that will show up at the cabin later and repeatedly rape and beat her initiated by the ringleader Johnny (Jeff Branson). Sheriff Storch (Andrew Howard) also wants a piece of the action and turns the tables on Jennifer when she looks for support from the lawman. Even the town idiot, the mentally challenged Matthew (Chad Lindberg) is represented. Each will take a turn raping the helpless writer in an evening of sheer nightmares that will surely unsettle stable audiences.
Trying to match the intensity of the rape in the original would seem impossible, but director Monroe does a great job of having the assailants appear menacing (the original failed in comparison) and not shortcutting his way through the assault to get to the vengeful violence that is the film's staple.
After the extensive scenes of abuse and humiliation, Jennifer stumbles through the forest then falls into the river right before Stroch has the opportunity to shoot her with his shotgun. As the five men look down into the river, Jennifer's body does not rise above the water and the men panic in an attempt to find their victim and confirm her death.
Fast forward a short but undeterminable amount of time, and Jennifer reappears. At first, she emerges back at the cabin where the conflicted Matthew was hiding in his guilt. She seems calm, yet distant and coerces Matthew to sit with her on the couch before she grabs a noose and chokes the helpless half-wit.
This will be the launch of Jennifer's vengeance. Over the final reels of the film, she will entrap each of her rapists one-by-one and extract her own type of justice.
To have any of the scenes of torture revealed in a review would be an injustice. This film needs to be experienced in all its gruesome and graphic glory to be appreciated for the genre it represents. But what we will reveal is that her tools of torturous trade will include nooses, water, lye, fish hooks and fishing wire, a bear trap, garden shears, dead rats, dead fish, birds (dead and alive), a shotgun, pliers and plenty of rope. Before she is done teeth, eyes, faces, asses, chests and yes, one penis that is fed back to the victim will have their cringe inducing moments.
Out of all the reboots that have eaten up my box office dollars over the past few years, I Spit on Your Grave was the most satisfying and the best representation of what a reboot should encompass. It was brutal and relentless, but also stayed true to the characters and the original film so as to not reinvent the wheel.
One thing for certain – I Spit on Your Grave is not for everyone. My girlfriend left about half way through the film as the on screen pain and suffering were too much for her to bear. And a gentleman in the balcony section of the downtown Bloor cinema fainted and had to receive quick medical attention. You can't buy that kind of publicity.
If you are looking for a good, violent and straight forward revenge flick that has a gorgeous naked woman mowing down her attackers, then this is right up your alley. But be warned. Taking the most memorable ideas from films like Irreversible and Hostel and putting them together in the same film makes I Spit on Your Grave the true 'Worst Date Movie' of 2010.
Wonder what Ebert thinks.
www.killerreviews.com