MovieChat Forums > Perkins' 14 (2010) Discussion > My Review

My Review

posted 16 years ago by AidaClarkfield
5 replies | jump to latest

I for one didn't notice the darkness or lighting in general to be a problem as others have stated. I had a much bigger problem with everything else.

First of all the acting (or more specifically the casting) was pretty awful; most notably the main character. Not necessarily that he was the worst actor I've ever seen, but he simply didn't provoke any sympathy in me. He was pretty creepy to start with, and seemed more like he should be playing a serial killer than a hero. The acting was pretty awful all around, but I honestly feel this was more of a problem of direction to the actors than the actual actors themselves.

My second problem was with the transition from story to script to screen. Let's be honest, the story was a pretty fun idea, but poorly executed. First off the "14" should have been unleashed a good 20 minutes earlier. On top of that there were numerous clumsy believability issues. Sure this is low budget horror, but does that mean it has to be stupid? I'm sure that most of these issues came up in the transfer from story to screenplay, and a good director would have fixed them on set or at least corrected some things in post. I could definitely see the potential of this story largely succeeding in a much savvier writer/director's hands (Say John Erick Dowdle who directed this years "Rec:" remake "Quarantine").
My last issue came with the ending. Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but I'm tired of the nihilistic direction horror movies have taken. It's hard to enjoy a downer movie with such a major downer ending. A good horror movie, to me at least, is supposed to be a fun thrill ride/escape from reality, and then a release so you don't want to go home and slit your wrists, and this was just too much.
All that being said, I've only seen 2 of the "8 Films To Die For" this year, and if this is the 2009 version of "Lake Dead" or "Nightmare Man", then the Horrorfest has drastically improved over last year. We'll see.

[–] AidaClarkfield 16 years ago

bump

[–] GinoClaudius 16 years ago

If you think Quarantine was a good movie...well that pretty much says it all about your intellect and ability to review a movie. I laughed so hard at the dialogue and acting in that PIECE OF CRAP until i realized I shelled out $20 for me and my girlfriend's ticket! You dislike the movie simply because you don't really understand it. This is not a Disney cartoon or asian massage with a "happy ending"...what the hell are you talking about when you say that a "good" horror movie should always be escapist "fun"??? Have you seen Night of The Living Dead, Day Of The Dead or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre????? Part of the catharsis and "release" one experiences after viewing such intense horror lies in the old adage, "there but for the grace of God go I." If you're looking for a feel-good, happy go-lucky, mindless movie, Hollywood puts out plenty of such pablum every week. This film however, is quite deep for low-budget horror, and like the movies I mentioned, operates on several different levels. If you can follow the moral issues it examines (guilt, loss, infidelity, loyalty, loneliness, etc.) you might appreciate the intense psycholigical horror the film creates. It's not your fault you're naive, the product of a pathetic educational sytem, have a short attention span as a result of television and video games, or that you probably don't have much life experience because of your age...it is your fault though that you make judgements about movies you don't understand. I always remember my English Lit professor in college telling students, "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing." I'm sure you're not a stupid kid (you are obviously literate), you just need to watch more classic horror, read more, and see a DUTCH (not the pathetically ignorant American remake) horror film called The Vanishing. This may help you to appreciate what the creators of Perkins 14 were attempting to accomplish.

Carpe Cine

[–] jabberttp 16 years ago

All that being said, I've only seen 2 of the "8 Films To Die For" this year, and if this is the 2009 version of "Lake Dead" or "Nightmare Man", then the Horrorfest has drastically improved over last year. We'll see.

Hi Aida, you seem VERY interested in the After Dark Horrorfest, as I've seen your duplicate threads on the boards of every one of the ones I've seen thusfar.

I dare say, you REALLY should see more than just 2 of them (spend more time watching movies and less time creating duplicate threads, lol).

I don't recall seeing "Lake Dead" nor "Nightmare Man" but I actually have enjoyed I'd say more than half of the ADH 2009 movies I've seen thusfar (I posted the ratings of those I've seen - and will add to it soon).

[–] ladyluv1 15 years ago

I thought the ending was going to be "...and they lived happily ever after."

I was kinda sad.

~ ~Lady of Love~~

[–] AidaClarkfield 15 years ago

Well, I'm not sure how old you think I am, or how much life experience you think I have, but perhaps we should sit down sometime and I'll tell you my story. Then you can comment on that. :)

I'm not sure either I understand your attack on me. Is it because I enjoyed Quarantine? Because you enjoyed this movie...(ahem).

You too are obviously a literate person...I can tell, because you used the word "pablum", and mentioned an English professor, both obvious references to your education. Congratulations!

Now that I've given back...I do think you make a fine point with the "there but for the grace of God go I" statement. (Perhaps I would have agreed with you had you not said I was "naive" and inexperienced.) However, maybe it IS my age, and life experience, but I'm finding it harder to enjoy movies where the character goes through hell, and then has no release at the end. I think that's lazy script writing.

"He loses his son, to a horrible crime, his daughter gets killed....oh and and then he dies". The end. Maybe I should stop watching horror movies. But I can think of plenty of excellent horror where there was a release at the end. "Let the Right One In" is a good example.

Don't worry though. Your post has already helped me garner some much needed life experience. I feel more pretentious already. I'm going to go watch some "Dutch" films now, or maybe masturbate to the Bicycle Thief.