(2003)
6-6-03 |
Directed by: Rob Schmidt Starring: Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington, Jeremy Sisto |
So, you've probably heard of this movie, being a big theater release and everything. You probably, however, didn't bother to go see it (though you've probably seen three or four others exactly like it). The man-flesh crazed killers running around with pointy things has been done before, but that's part of what makes Wrong Turn as good as it is. Unlike many modern horror movies, especially slasher flicks, Wrong Turn spares us the post-Scream pretense. There is little self-reference. The characters don't run around quoting famous horror movies or "ironically" stating what's about to happen to them. Don't get me wrong...I liked Scream and its way of looking at itself, but Wrong Turn jumps back a decade to when horror movies could be just that, without having to outwit the last big release. Having said that, I do readily admit that this movie is just another clone of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as was House of 1000 Corpses. In my book, though, that matters surprisingly little. Movies like Scream or The Blair Witch Project stand out because they are new and original, but they are rare; Hollywood must fill the gaps with something. First comes Friday the 13th, then Bloody Murder. There was Ringu, then Feardotcom. And no one can keep count of the zombie movies. The better these clones are done, the less the fact that they're blatant rip-offs matters. And this film was done pretty damn well. The acting, for one, is great. Dushku is really the only person I recognized, but everyone seemed to put up a good performance. The music works well with the directing to provide an often suspenseful mood for the film. As for sets....it's the woods. They are very woodsy. One of the most impressive things about Wrong Turn, though, is the writing. Of course it's the typical horror movie jello, but with some brains. Throughout the whole film, no one does anything exceptionally stupid. In fact, they work together and are rather resourceful. That girl (you know, the one that always screams when she shouldn't), she actually shuts the hell up for once. And for the first time in a long time, I actually gave a damn when a certain someone bit the dust...or the axe, as the case may be. Sure, Wrong Turn, like most horror flicks, is predictable as crap, and maybe it suffers from Hollow Man syndrome - allowing characters to be shot, beaten up, and otherwise bitched yet still fast and strong enough to kick ass - but it's good, bloody fun. Don't come looking for an Oscar-winning movie, but expect some fugly hillbilly entertainment. |
