Effects

Effects (1980)

* (out of 4)

The film takes place in Pittsburg as a crew of low-budget filmmakers are making a horror film. Before long some members start to think that it's not a fake movie but instead a snuff movie.

EFFECTS is a rather interesting film. It was shot by people in Pittsburg who were in one shape or another connected to George A. Romero. This film appears to have been in production around the same time as DAWN OF THE DEAD but it would never get an official release. It played a few showings back when it was completed and then basically disappeared. Seeing that Tom Savini and Joseph Pilato (DAY OF THE DEAD) were in the cast, it kept fans guessing at the movie and then it would eventually get an official release thanks to Synapse.

For the most part I really didn't like this movie. I will say that the story itself was quite interesting and especially how the film bounced back and forth as to if what you were watching was real or fake. The "movie within a movie" was an interesting take on the subject and there's no question that the story is years ahead of its time and especially when you consider where reality TV is today. I think the filmmakers deserves a lot of credit for the interesting story and that they didn't just try to go for gory violence.

With that said, perhaps some gory violence would have helped matters because in the end the film just didn't work for me and I honestly thought the 84-minute running time dragged quite badly. For starters, the film just had a very hard time getting me interested in anything going on. The first forty-five minutes or so are basically us just watching this film crew shoot a movie. After a while we finally get to a snuff movie being shown and this sequence was actually very well done. It was creatively shot and there's no question that it's the highlight of the picture.

The finale also works well enough and leads to an ending that you really wouldn't expect. The cast and crew are full of Pittsburg natives and it's certainly fun see Savini and Pilato here. The film has a couple gore effects but one shouldn't see Savini's name and think you're getting something like DAWN OF THE DEAD or MANIAC. I really think this is one film that could benefit from a remake and especially in this day and age.

The director just filmed scenes. They obviously forgot to write a script. It's just a bunch a long, boring scenes of people hanging out, doing drugs, and arguing in very few locations. What even was the point? I could only make it 30 minutes because my time is valuable. Too bad, cause the premise (at least what the description promised) was interesting. The movie couldn't have been less interested in it, however.

Effects is based on quite a clever idea - maybe even too clever for a slasher flick. The title, of course, refers to special effects - and that's essentially what the film is about. Effects is a slasher flick based on a bunch of people making a slasher film. The director seems obsessed with blood and gore and a cast member starts hallucinating - although that particular cast member had just been smoking weed. The director later shows his crew a film that may or not be a snuff film, and then the cast start getting picked off, though there's doubt over whether it's real or 'effects'. It really does seem that this idea was too clever for this film because it doesn't pull it off. A potentially interesting idea is turned into a snooze fest thanks to far too much talking by dull characters and a plot line that really doesn't ever get to the point. This film was apparently lost before someone resurrected it for DVD. The last 'lost' slasher film that I saw was A Night to Dismember, and like that film; this one shows that lost slashers really needn't be brought back. The most notable thing about 'effects' the fact that Tom Savini appears and does the effects, although he has had better days in both departments. We don't really get what we came for until the final third of the film and by then I was pretty bored of it. Overall, Effects is a pretty dismal slasher and I definitely don't recommend it.

I knew nothing about the film "Effects" going into it. I'm glad I avoided reading any reviews or summaries because in the end I walked away from it feeling like I had not watched just another 70s exploitation or slasher flick- and those are most of my collection by the way.

I have a feeling that there will be a large number of Tom Savini gore fans who will go into it expecting a slice 'em up blood fest in the tradition of Maniac or Dawn of the Dead. Instead, what you get is a film that resembles more of a drama about a group of people making a low budget horror film. It isn't really until the 3rd or 4th quarter of the film where the true horror begins; and it throws the story into a spin. This is why i'm glad I didn't research this film and spoil it. I was really impressed with the way these actor performed. This film could have easily given any "high brow" dramas a run for there money. For you Day of the Dead fans, Joe Pilato doesn't play an "out of his mind" military man in this one. Instead he plays one of the main characters, and his performance is on the mark. He is a likable guy in "Effects". That is one of the strengths of this film; there is a decent amount of character development. What may confuse people is that a few of the characters in this movie are also actors in the horror movie they are shooting. So you get sort of a duel role from the same people. So for all you pot smokers or slow people out there, this may mess with you- LOL.

All and all this is a much better film then a lot of horror fans may give it. And if it rubbed you the wrong way the first time, give it another try. If you want to watch a zombie-slasher movie with lots of blood and guts, then pick up any of the classic zombie flicks- hey Cannibal Holocaust just got re-released on DVD!

A low-budget horror film is being shot in a secluded mountain area by a hard-working crew and a cast of bewildered actors.However it soon becomes apparent that another crew is shooting the making of the horror film and their intentions are evil.They intend to make the ultimate horror film with real victims,real blood and real death-a genuine snuff movie."Effects" is pretty hard movie to recommend.There are plenty of dull moments where nothing interesting happens.The acting is fairly decent and there are some memorable moments including the director showing 8mm snuff film to his crew,the hunt for Dominic in the woods and startling final twist.It's a shame that the pace of the film is so sluggish.Worth a look for fans of snuff phenomenon.