I saw a preview for this on a Troma dvd, and after finding out that director Chad Ferrin shot this for just under $20 000 I was pretty keen to see it. Unspeakable is about a guy named Jim. Jim has an unfaithful wife who he hates, but a daughter who's the light of his life (and if you see this movie, you'll find out just how special Jim's daughter is to him. One night in the middle of a heated argument with his drunken wife, they have a car accident which kills the daughter, and turns his wife into a disturbing looking individual.
As Jim looks after his braindead wheelchair bound wife, and mourns the loss of his daughter, his sanity begins to unravel. He begins to cruise the streets of the local red light district, and one night he kills a prostitute in a psychotic rage. It's then that his daughter appears to him, and Jim decides that the only way to bring his daughter back is by killing more hookers, and other lowlives.
Despite the obvious shortcomings of working with a next to nothing budget, this is a damn fine independant exploitation movie. Take half a cup of Maniac, half a cup of Deadbeat At Dawn, and just a dash of Taxi Driver, and you have Unspeakable. Director Chad Ferrin eagerly tips his hat in homage to the long gone glory days of exploitation.
Ferrin sets out to shock, and succeeds. Scenes such as those involving the scat freak, and the priest who uses a crucifix as a phallic symbol succeed in making the viewer feel uncomfortable where many movies have tried and failed. This might be the darkest movie I've seen since Combat Shock, but unlike that film, this has much needed comic relief and better pacing.
Gore hounds will also be pleased to note that there are a number of great effects in this unrated feature.
In this era of studio exec's sitting in a boardroom trying to come up with the next big moneymaker, it's always refreshing to see someone who's a real bona fide movie fan going out and making an entertaining film without any consideration for commercial appeal, or even good taste. Sure, some of the acting is a little uneven, but this is an entertaining film nonetheless. It's very stylish for a film which for the most part was shot on the run. Low budget filmmakers can learn a lot from Unspeakable. Hopefully it signals a new era for the humble exploitation flick. |