26 September 2012

Cinehouse of Horrors #3

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News

For those of our community who enjoy biopics and have an undying love for all things Hitchcock, you’ve probably heard all about the upcoming film centred on the infamous suspense director’s life at the time of filming Psycho. Directed by Sacha Gervasi and starring the fantastic Anthony Hopkins as the man himself, Hitchcock is going to be a must for anyone interested in one of the greatest directors of all time. At last, we have a poster for the film and know it will have limited release November 23rd and fully released early 2013.

On the subject of Hitchcock, the new A&E prequel TV series to Psycho; Bates Motel, is pulling together quickly with the announcement that Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) will be starring as Norman Bates. Highmore definitely has the element of surprise over an audience used to his less erratic portrayals and playing everyone’s favourite mummy’s boy could be an incredible turning point in his career. No matter what, this is something to keep an eye out for.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Mama now flaunts a full trailer and we’re pretty excited about that. Directed by Andres Muschietti, and based on one of his short films of the same name, it is the story of two children under the care of their aunt and uncle after living in the forest alone for five years, only how alone they really were comes into question. The maestro of haunting and beautiful tales is in the executive producer’s chair helping give the film a budge in the right direction with his seal of approval so we can only imagine that it’s going to be something special.

A couple of weeks ago we showed you the gruesome poster for Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton’s The Collection, the sequel to their 2009 trap horror The Collector. Well, now there’s a trailer and the film looks awesome. As long as it keeps a distance from the Saw franchise, The Collection could very well be a terrific and inventive piece of horror. See the trailer here.

It’s a pleasure to announce that Rob Zombie’s latest cinematic effort The Lords of Salem has been picked up by Anchor Bay amidst some wonderful early reviews. Word that this is the rocker’s most inventive and stylish flick yet have got us pretty excited considering the original and riveting style he has crafted through his Halloween Re-imagining, and the subsequent sequel, along with his serial killer epic The Devil’s Rejects.
The immensely successful zombie epic The Walking Dead has had a busy couple of weeks, with numerous stills, a new poster, and trailer for the third season appearing online. Also this week AMC has announced that a fourth season is green lit so there’s plenty more of the show to keep ravenous fans content. Adapted from the graphic novels of the same name and instigated by Frank Darabont, the show has run since 2010 and changed the way most consider horror serials. The show primarily follows police officer Rick Grimes as he ventures across a decimated country to reunite with his family and then how his small band of survivors continues to exist in a dangerous new world. Think Neighbours against a backdrop of zombie apocalypse, but better. See the trailer below.





 Special Announcement
Fans of the Granddaddy of zombie films, George A. Romero, may be interested to hear about the re-release of Document of the Dead; Roy Frumkes’ intimate documentary on Romero’s creative process and the filming of Dawn of the Dead, now almost unarguably the greatest dead-epic ever filmed. Romero’s very particular brand of politically charged cynicism has helped cement his original trilogy (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead) in the horror canon and Frumkes’ award-winning peek at the legend behind those films is no doubt going to be even better in its reissued DVD/Blu-Ray format. The Definitive Document of the Dead is limited and available only through the Synapse website from November 13.


Trailers

Mama

Directed by: Andres Muschietti.
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier
Synopsis: Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest for 5 years.... but how alone were they?


The Walking Dead Series 3

Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus
Synopsis: With the world growing increasingly more dangerous and Lori's pregnancy advancing, Rick discovers a potentially safe haven. But first he must secure the premises, pushing his group to its limit.







Upcoming Releases

The Victim - 24th of September
Genre veteran and cult favourite, Michael Biehn makes his directorial feature debut with the grindhouse inspired, The Victim. Biehn shows a clear competence behind the camera and this is a highly watchable, gritty little debut from the Planet Terror star. It also features fanboy favourite, Danielle Harris in a smaller role.Read our review / Win film on blu-ray

The Pact - 1st of October
Based on director's Nicholas McCarthy's short film of the same name, The Pact proved successful enough to be made into a full length feature. Starring Caity Loitz and Casper van Dien, The Pact sees a grieving woman haunted by a mysterious ghostly presence. This subtle, creepy horror boasts a chilling, well-crafted atmosphere, rather than a reliance on gore filled antics.

Twixt - 1st of October
Francis Ford Coppola makes a truly welcome return to the horror genre with his upcoming feature, Twixt. Val Kilmer stars as a struggling novelist who gets caught up in the middle of a murder mystery in a small American town, whilst on a book tour. Response to Twixt may have been patchy, but surely a new Francis Ford Coppola horror film is something for genre fans to take notice of.

Faces In The Crowd - 1st of October
Everyone loves Milla Jovovich and her latest horror, Faces In The Crowd looks set to be an interesting one. Already a box office success in South Korea, the Resident Evil star's feature is coming straight to DVD in the UK. Faces In The Crowd follows a woman who develops prosopagnosia (the inability to recognise faces) after being attacked and repeatedly stalked by a twisted serial killer.

Prometheus - 8th of October
It may have split opinion amongst fans, but one cannot deny Ridley Scott's "kinda Alien prequel" was a distinct, beautifully crafted piece of science fiction horror.

Halloween 1-5 Collection - 15th October
The first five Halloween features are being rereleased in a handy little collection just in time for the big day. Included are Carpenter's stellar original and the equally brilliant sequel which introduce the legendary Michael Myers and his long-struggling foe, Dr. Loomis. The collection is also a chance to get hold of the rare, Halloween III: Season of the Witch which takes us out of Myers territory for a refreshing and equally enjoyable horror tale. Halloween IV & V may dip in quality when compared to their predecessors but are still a cut above most horror sequels.

Andrew McArthur & Scott Clark

Casa De Lava DVD Review

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★★1/2☆☆

Casa de Lava (called Down to Earth on it’s US relase) is a film made by noted Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa. It was his 2nd film and a very loose remake of Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur’s I walked with a Zombie. It stars Isaah de Bankolé best known to western audiences with his many collaborations with Jim Jarmusch with films such as The Limits of Control and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

The plot is basically an immigrant worker Leaõ in Portugal falls into a coma. A young depressed nurse Mariana has to get Leaõ back to his home in the volcanic Cape Verde islands. Nobody is willing to claim Leaõ and so this stuck on the island. She starts interacting (partly in hope of finding a relative) with the strange locals and is drawn into mysterious community of the volcanic island. She starts a relationship that never goes anywhere with a local, she seems to be more and more connected to Leaõ. Leaõ also eventually wakes up but is just a stranger in his own land. Many of the inhabitant’s wishes to make the journey to Portugal out of financial need because of Portugal’s colonisation of the island.

My biggest problem with the film is I just wish it were a total zombie film and not try be a zombie film without zombies. The Zombie film was always political and yes the people are of the island are kinda zombies and dead in a way. It however would have been more enjoyable if they were actual zombies. There are numerous shots of the volcanoes that are beautiful but they linger and linger and just bored the hell out of me eventually.

It has an interesting film about the colonisation of islands in Africa by the Portuguese in it for about 20 minutes. It however left be cold and I didn’t care at all about the characters, it left me unengaged with the characters. It was all done very realistically and I would have preferred a supernatural twist (instead of the metaphorical zombie), which Costa originally planned to do, as evident on the bonus interview on the Second Run DVD.


Ian Schultz

Rating:15
DVD Re-release Date: 24th September 2012(UK)
Directed by: Pedro Costa
Cast: Inês de Medeiros, Isaach De Bankolé, Edith Scob, Pedro Hestnes
Buy Casa De Lava: DVD[1994]

Creepy Clips & Motion Poster For The Pact

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It may have been loved by the mainstream critics however The Pact has been a hit with the Horror critics, fans and this Monday 1st October the film will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray. To get you into that spooktastic feeling for the release we have a couple clips which hopefully give you a few shivers. First clip entitled 'Psychic Terror' shows psychic Stevie (Haley Hudson) under the influence of supernatural forces as she investigates the mysterious goings-on in Annie's (Caity Lotz) late mother's house. The second clip is called ' Hotel Terror' showcases one of The Pact's more grisly moments. It's not exactly NSFW but it's certainly creepy! It follows Annie  as she very sensibly decides to leave her haunted house and stay the night in a motel. But will the haunted house leave her quite so easily…?

The Pact also stars Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner and Kathleen Rose Perkins . The Pact will be arriving in UK&Ireland on DVD, Blu-ray courtesy of eOne Entertainment on October 1st.
'who's that behind you?' add the scares to the film we have a new motion poster, check out below, all I'll say is I don't want to be at the bus stop when this one plays!

25 September 2012

The Brilliant Searching For Sugar Man Coming To DVD/BluRay This November

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Malik Bendjelloul’s revelatory and compelling Searching for Sugar Man (USA/UK/Sweden) is a documentary about the Mexican-American singer-songwriter Rodriguez, who was momentarily hailed in 1970 as the finest recording artist of his generation, and then disappeared into oblivion – only to rise again from the ashes in a completely different context, a continent away. Searching for Sugar Man is a film about hope, inspiration and the resonating power of music.
In the late ‘60s, a musician was discovered in a Detroit bar by two celebrated producers who were struck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics. They recorded an album that they believed was going to secure his reputation as one of the greatest recording artists of his generation. In fact, the album bombed and the singer disappeared into obscurity amid rumors of a gruesome on-stage suicide. But a bootleg recording found its way into apartheid South Africa and, over the next two decades, it became a phenomenon. Two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to their hero. Their investigation led them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez.

It’s a film about hope, inspiration and the resonating power of music, and that music can be heard on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, available now through Sony Legacy Recordings and Light In The Attic Records. Comprising tracks from Cold Fact and its 1971 follow-up Coming From Reality (reissued to critical acclaim in 2008 and 2009, respectively), the soundtrack begins with the otherworldly Sugar Man and acts as a primer to this long-overlooked musician’s fusion of gritty funk, political poetry and blissful psych-folk.

Rodriguez’s recently rediscovered back catalogue is packed with social commentary, brilliant tunes and, in the case of his 1970 album Cold Fact - a genuine psychedelic classic. To see these songs performed by the man himself, catch a rare performance this winter as part of the Rodriguez full UK Tour Winter 2012.

Rodriguez UK tour dates:
Fri 16 Nov - The Roundhouse, London
Sat 17 Nov - The Royal Festival Hall
Sun 18 Nov - The Roundhouse
Thu 22 Nov - The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool             
Sat 24 Nov - The Sage Gateshead
Sun 25 Nov - The Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Tue 27 Nov - The Button Factory, Dublin
Wed 28 Nov - The Empire Music Hall, Belfast
Fri 30 Nov - The Dome, Brighton
Sat 1 Dec - The Colston Hall, Bristol
Sun 2 Dec - The Academy, Manchester

For a full list of tour dates and tickets go to http://sugarman.org/tourdates.html 


Extras:
Making of
Commentary with Rodriguez and Malik Bendjelloul

DVD Tech specs: Cert: 12 / Feature Running Time: 83 min approx / Region 2 / Feature Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1/ Colour PAL / Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 / English Language/ HOH Subtitles/ Cat No: OPTD2480 / RRP: £ 17.99

BLURAY Tech specs: Cert: 12 / Feature Running Time: 86 min approx / Region B/ HD standard 1080p / Feature Aspect Ratio:  1.77:1/ Colour / 5.1 DTS Master Audio / English Language/ HOH Subtitles/ Cat No: OPTBD2480 / RRP: £ 22.99

Pre-Order / Buy Searching For The Sugar Man on:DVD / Blu-ray     Read our cinema review here

Horror Channel Stalks The Airwaves With Slasher Season

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Horror Channel will be slicing its way through our TV schedules every Friday night throughout October as it celebrates slasher films, both classic and contemporary, From Oct 5 there will be four double-bills, headed up by four UK TV premieres. Seen as the most controversial of horror film sub-genres, the slasher film has delighted fans for over 30 years with its iconic psychopaths, trend-setting special effects, horny teenagers and outrageous plotlines. From ‘Psycho to the hilarious Scream franchise, these endearing films forever changed the face and fortunes of horror cinema.

Fri Oct 5 @ 22:55

The season kicks off with the premiere of  GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM (2006) a documentary which features a host of genre legends including Wes Craven, Rob Zombie & John Carpenter, who take us on a journey to the darkest recesses of cinematic shock. This is followed at 00:40 by BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974). Bob Clark’s Sorority House
horror classic, which stars Olivia Hussy, influenced such spine-chilling greats as Halloween and Scream
Fri Oct 12 @ 22.55
Next up is the premiere of the bone-crunching WRECKAGE (2010) directed by John Mallory Asher in which four friends head to a scrap yard to look for spare parts – but soon realise the only spare parts they’ll be getting their hands on are their own!. This is followed at 00:40 by high-school slasher favourite PROM NIGHT (1980), starring the original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielson. There is also an actress in the film called Liz Stalker-Mason.
Fri Oct 19 @ 22.55


Martin Kemp, the famed actor/musician has turned his hand to horror, bringing us his impressive directorial debut STALKER (2010).  Its not often that a woman stalks another woman in this genre and here Jane March, who found fame in ‘The Lover’, plays the part of a psychotic female to chilling perfection. This is double-billed at 00:25 with HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981) starring Melissa Sue Anderson as a high school senior whose birthday party guests are being killed off one by one…

Fri Oct 26 @ 22:55
The last double-bill of the season features the TV premiere of THE TORTURED (2010), directed by Robert Lieberman, in which a desperate mother and father (played by Jesse Metcalfe & Elise Landry)decide to take the law into their own hands after the kidnapper and killer of their son receives a light sentence. .  Concluding the series at 00:30 is cult classic MANIAC COP (1988) written by Larry Cohen and starring Bruce Campbell as the suspected cop who goes in search of the real killer.
TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

24 September 2012

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Masters Of Cinema) Blu-Ray Review

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★★★★1/2

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse was Fritz Lang’s last film in his native Germany. Soon after his completion of the film he fled Germany because of his Jewish ancestry and the fact the Nazi head of propaganda banned his film and also because he went Lang to make films for them. It is a sequel to his previous film in the Dr. Mabuse series but having not seen the earlier film will not diminish the effect of the sequel.

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse opens with disgraced Detective Hofmeister who escapes from his criminal attackers. He phones his former superior inspector Karl Lohmann and frantically tells him he has discovered a huge criminal conspiracy. Before he can discloses the identity of the responsible criminal, shots and fired and he goes mad and institutionalized at Prof. Baum’s mental institute.

Baum introduces the case of Dr. Mabuse who went bad and crazy 10 year previously. Mabuse writes detailed plans for crimes and is the head of the crime syndicate. A colleague of Baum’s is shot and killed by Mabuse’s execution squad. There is clue scratched on a window. Lohmann suspects Mabuse but it’s revealed Mabuse died that morning. The rest of the film is Lohmann’s investigate in the crime syndicate.

The film is a complex endlessly fascination crime sage with a strange supernatural twist to it. Fritz Lang later regretted the supernatural element but it’s ads this wonderful off kilter aspect to the crime film. The film is one of the last grasps of German expressionism but is shot in a much realistic style than most German expressionism. It’s not quite up to the beauty of Lang’s Metropolis or M. It’s a near masterpiece with some slight pacing issues but saying that the previous Mabuse film was over 4 hours long (I haven’t seen it yet).

The Nazis banned the film because according to Joseph Goebbels “showed that a extremely dedicated group of people are perfectly capable of overthrowing any state with violence”. It is a very cynical look at the government/officials who are rather useless in the film and can’t do anything about the syndicate.

The film is wonderfully photographed and has enough twist and turns to keep you guessing. It’s not as good as some of Lang’s previous masterpiece but what are? Not many films. It’s a wonderfully offbeat mix of cop drama, mystery and horror and it’s a wonderful piece of proto-noir. It has been lovingly restored by Eureka for Masters of Cinema on blu-ray.

Ian Schultz


Rating:12
UK DVD Release Date: 24th September 2012
Directed By:Fritz Lang
Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke , Gustav Diessl  
Buy Testament Of Dr. Mabuse: Blu-ray [1933]

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel Review

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★★★★★

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) is like Marmite - you’ll either love it or hate it. Those who fall into the latter category will, in all likelihood, not understand what all the fuss is about and find the woman at the centre of this documentary sharp, obnoxious and hard to swallow - much like the aforementioned savory spread. Those on the other hand who revere Mrs Vreeland as one of the supreme ‘Queens of Fashion’ - up there along side Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Harper’s Bazaar’s late Liz Tilberis - will let every morsel of this tangy documentary cocktail linger tantilisingly on their palate.

Watching this 86 minute film, directed and written by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Brent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Frédéric Tcheng, feels like a fast flick through one of the glossy magazines Vreeland became famous for editing. Spliced with archive interview footage of the woman herself discoursing on her colourful life and career - from her early Parisian childhood at the opening of the 20th century to her life in New York and career first at Bazaar and then its arch rival Vogue, before her rebirth as the doyenne of fashion historians at The Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute - this film is a fascinating insight into one of the true legends of fashion.

However it is also a mesmerising photo-album of many of the defining moments and images which shaped culture in the 20th century and beyond. As the stars who contribute memories to the film - from Ali McGraw, Angelica Huston and Penelope Tree to David Bailey and Richard Avedon - testify, Vreeland may have been a nightmare to work for but she had an uncanny ability to capture the essence of the moment and put her finger on the pulse of style. In the recent documentary The September Issue (2009) that other fashion legend Grace Coddington grudgingly admits that her boss at Vogue, Anna Wintour, was right when she started the trend of putting celebrities on the cover of the magazine. However after watching Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) you will see that it was Vreeland who went one better by discovering (and creating) the celebrities, such as Lauren Bacall, in the first place.

Like many famous people, particularly those who become defined by their jobs, their families often take second place and suffer as a result. Though she clearly adored her husband Thomas Reed Vreeland, her sons Tim and Frecky, who contribute to the film, appear to have had a distant relationship with their mother - most likely due to the fact that she virtually lived for her job. Nonetheless those, including her sons, who are interviewed, all remember Vreeland with the affection and respect one would have for an eccentric yet beloved old aunt.

Some years ago I studied fashion journalism in London, and though my writing career took a different path, films like Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) and its vibrant and colourful subject, remind me why I, like many, will always have a hankering after the world of glossy fashion magazines and the exotic lifestyles of those who create them.

Cleaver Patterson

Rating:PG
UK Release Date: 21st September 2012
Directed By:Lisa Immordino Vreeland
Cast:Diana Vreeland (archive footage only)

22 September 2012

Win Michael Biehn's The Victim On Blu-Ray

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Having emerged from the most pivotal Sci-Fi films ever to grace our screen, Michael Biehn takes to the Director’s chair to gain ownership of the grindhouse genre having already channelled his onscreen vivacity in Robert Rodriguez's “Planet Terror” and having learnt the modus operandi from a directing mastermind in James Cameron.

To celebrate the release of Anchor Bay's ‘The Victim’ on DVD and Blu-ray on 24th September, we have some amazing posters and Blu-rays to give away!

During a social outing deep in the quiet woodland with close friend Mary, Annie’s life is put in jeopardy when she is witness to a violent act at the hands of two Sheriff’s Deputies. Fleeing from the attackers she stumbles across Kyle, a shady recluse living in a cabin the middle of the woods. The rugged loner stays far from civilisation, which is until a knock on the door throws his solitary life into chaos. Having been affected by Mary’s desperate bid for her life, Kyle bravely decides to take Sheriff’s law into his own hands. Two worlds collide in this psychological thriller that will make you question your trust in mankind. Who is The Victim?

To win this prize please answer the following question:

Q. What recent British film festival did The Victim make it's UK premier at?

Send your Answer, Name, Address, Postcode and answer to 25+25-5= email it to winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com, Deadline: Sunday 14th October 2012 (2359hrs).Aged 18 or over to enter

Terms and conditions
  • This prize is non transferable.
  • No cash alternatives apply.
  • UK & Irish entries only
    The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse and Anchor Bay UK have the right to alter, delay or cancel this competition without any notice
  • The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse,Anchor Bay UK employees
  • This competition is promoted on behalf of Anchor Bay UK
  • If this prize becomes unavailable we have the right to offer an alternative prize instead.
  • The Prize is to win the The Victim Blu-Ray&Posters
  • To enter this competition you must send in your answer, name, address only, Deadline October 14th, 2012 (2359hrs)
  • Will only accept entries sent to the correct email (winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com), any other entry via any other email will be void.
  • automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned
  • The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes
  • Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control.
  • The competition is opened to Aged 18  and over 
  • Unless Stated Please  Do Not Include Telephone Numbers, we don’t need them and if you include your telephone number Cinehouse and The People’s Movies are not responsible for the security of the number.
  • The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email
  • This competition is bound by the rules of Scotland,England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland.
  • By sending your entry for this competition you are confirming you have read and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Blu-Ray Review: Michael Biehn's The Victim

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★★★☆☆


Michael Biehn continues to surprise viewers thirty-five years into his career:  after rising to fame in the likes of The Terminator and Aliens, Biehn still remains a relevant and much-loved face in the movie world - continuing to impress in cult hits Planet Terror and The Divide. Now the veteran star writes, directs and stars in his debut feature film, The Victim, alongside Jennifer Blanc and horror favourite, Danielle Harris.

The Victim, a horror-infused thriller, follows the unlikely pairing of a shady recluse, Kyle (Biehn), and a young woman (Blanc) who find themselves on a cat and mouse chase from two corrupt cops.

Biehn's debut is a challenging one - it seems to have been labelled as a grindhouse film (one just needs to look at the DVD cover featuring Biehn holding an axe behind a blood-soaked V sign), however, this is not the case. The Victim is far more of a straight-forward thriller with the odd moment of sex or violence thrown in to generate some excitement. Whilst Biehn does deliver a completely competent debut, it proves to be little else than competent, despite some glimpses of potential. 

The Victim will prove to be an entertaining way to spend eighty minutes for audiences with an open mind or Biehn fans - with the actor's debut boasting solid performances and tense, unsettling direction. Biehn excels as a man thrust into a deadly chase between corrupt cops and a victimised young woman, Annie. The growing relationship between Kyle and Annie proves to be of some interest, despite the lack of build up it receives - the recluse and the victim sleep together within ten minutes of meeting which seems to come out of the blue. Although, credit is due to Jennifer Blanc, who manages to make a morally questionable character completely likeable. Danielle Harris also makes a welcome appearance in the film's opening as Annie's carefree, floozy friend who is accidentally killed by one of the corrupt officers (leading to Annie escaping and the ensuing chase).

The Victim is filled with moments that could have been far more impressive if carried out with slightly more precision. One such moments sees Annie running through the woods - we are shown the character running but not what is chasing her - with a couple of simple shots of the cops tailing Annie, Biehn could have made the scene far more gripping. This could all come down to Biehn's lack of experience behind the camera or simply due to the shortage of time available on the shoot.

Another issue with The Victim is the film's uneven tone. It lacks the fun, gritty charm that a B-Movie/grindhouse film should have but at the same time does not feel realistic enough to be a serious thriller.  Had Biehn's script had a little more fun or moments of grindhouse violence or exploitation then it would have been a far more memorable, vibrant film.

The Victim is a respectable debut for Michael Biehn, who does a solid job as director and star. It proves to be a reasonably enjoyable way to spend eighty minutes, although would have fared far better had it taken itself less seriously and embraced the fun of the grindhouse genre.

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Michael Biehn, Danielle Harris , Jennifer Blanc
Director: Michael Biehn
Release: 24th September 2012
Certificate: 15 (UK)