Reeker

"Reeker" didn't live up to my expectations at all. The film has really surprising turn in the end which, in contrast to "High Tension", is beneficial for this flick as it sheds a new light on a story which until this time has completely no sense. In fact, "Reeker" doesn't deliver anything new and even misuses certain patterns. In addition, the film is not frightening and evokes not much tension, which is significant shortcoming for this kind of flick. Not so frequent gory scenes are anything but original or imaginative. What's more, the flick drags incredibly and is illogical at times. Similarly to other movies of this genre, characters behaves very irrationally. For instance, the scene with a guy jumping out of the window was ridiculous. On the other hand, among virtues of this film I can rate good cinematography and beautiful desert settings. All in all, I regrettably cannot recommend this horror film.

I caught this one at SXSW 2005 - and was ready to hate it, mainly b/c of the ridiculous fanboy hype outside the theatre.

Yes, it's possible for a movie that nobody's heard of to have too much hype - it seems almost every low-budget horror movie these days has so much rabid fanaticism from the aintitcoolnews crowd, that all these movies tend to be decent but over-hyped (see Ginger Snaps, SAW), or just plain awful (see Jeepers Creepers, Dog Soldiers, Cabin Fever, or better yet, don't). The only one of these movies that lives up to the hype is the still-under-seen classic May.

While Reeker doesn't come close to the emotional punch of May, it's an entirely adequate schlock-horror movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet doesn't wink-and-nudge enough to ruin the material.

The less said about the plot, the better - it's essentially the same "college kids vs. monster" movie we've been seeing since Friday the 13th, but with the gimmick that the killer lets off a noxious odor before it strikes. (hence the somewhat juvenile title) And one of the kids is blind, so he can smell the killer better than the other kids. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Don't worry, though - there's a twist in the end that makes it all come together, believe it or not - try to stay away from spoilers if you can.

Probably doesn't sound too great so far, but there's some big, big laughs, a few decent scares, a cameo by Michael Ironside, and quite possibly the first and last use of Cutting Crew's 80s hit "I just died in your arms tonight" in a film. All in all, it's a fun movie to catch on cable or as a cheap rental.

Oh, the end credits contain a pre-emptive rant against critics who will title their reviews of this film "It Reeks/stinks!", and the scratch and sniff promo cards say on the back "If you're a p***y - stay at home". It's that type of movie.

I was really hoping for a lot more from this modern horror flick, but unfortunately it's slipped into the subdued, 'safe' plot that so many films these days seem to follow and there isn't an awful lot of actual horror on display. The film feels like it's building up to something all the way through, but despite some nice visuals throughout; it fails to deliver on its promise. By far the best thing about the film is the atmosphere, and through competent handling from director Dave Payne, Reeker is given the right feel throughout. The central location; a motel in the middle of nowhere, is a good location for horror and a good sense of hopelessness is generated through it and the character's despair. The cast of characters are the common 'dopey teens', who are on their way to a rave (very original). Things go wrong for them when their car breaks down near to the aforementioned motel, and this is followed by a series of strange events. The location is strangely deserted, they can't get a radio signal and, worst of all, there appears to be something chasing them.

The film starts off with a nice little sequence that sees a family become the victim of...something. From there, the film is suspenseful because you really want to know exactly what is going on in this place where the lead characters have found themselves. I was thinking that there'd be some great revelation just around the corner - but the film makes us wait, wait a bit more and wait again until eventually delivering just about the worst ending a film can have. And just to make things a little bit worse; it's an ending that a great many horror films have used recently, and every single one of them left me disappointed as well. There are some good effects in the film, however, and despite some dodgy CGI in places; things such as the man with no legs may leave some of the less experienced horror viewers with nightmares. The central baddie (I'm guessing the title villain) is good, but it doesn't look very good; and I'd have preferred a man in a cape over the rubbish computer effects that the director has opted for. Overall, this film certainly isn't all bad; but there are far too many flaws for me to call it a success and I don't think the title is a million miles away from being an apt description of the film.

I feel a bit sorry to say that this isn't a great film and sadly suffers from a lack of originality, because I really did enjoy my viewing of "Reeker" and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other hardcore horror fans on the lookout for new thrills! "Reeker" is a fun film, with decent production values and lots of exhilarating gore, and it's only near the end that the script begins to show some major holes and plot twists that featured in many other movies already. Up until when the story becomes painfully predictable, Dave Payne manages to build up some genuine suspense, likable character-drawings and even some vivid black humor. Five twenty-something people who only know each other vaguely are on their way to a famous rave in the desert when their journey suddenly takes a nightmarish turn. After a truly banal drug-incident, the gang returns to the nearest motel, only to find that everyone has mysteriously vanished there. The only living soul for miles around is a middle-aged traveler who has severe problems himself, as he somehow lost his wife on the isolated desert roads. Things get really uncanny when a terrifying figure, bizarrely dressed and smelling horribly, shows up killing the cast members in – it has to be said – very imaginative ways! You certainly won't be complaining about a shortage of excitement, as the film doesn't cut back on grotesque make-up effects or over-the-top gory moments. After the first glimpse at the unusual killer and the ominous atmosphere, it becomes clear that "Reeker" is slightly more ambitious than your average high-school slasher. Such an ambition is definitely praiseworthy and promising for Payne's future career, but sadly his "idea" has been used already in many other (classic as well as more recent) movies before. Of course, I can't mention which ones because that would have the same effect as revealing the actual twist. Michael Ironside is the terrific experienced actor of the film, but he receives excellent feedback from the enthusiast young cast. Derek Richardson (who was in "Hostel") is very good and Gillmore Girl Arielle Kebbel is more than adequate as well. "Reeker" guarantees a fine watch all together, but it's a little shortcoming to end up a genre classic.

As far as modern horrors go, this low budget effort – a kind of Outward Bound meets Final Destination – isn't that bad, and I'm surprised by how low its IMDb rating is. In fact the first half of the film – before anyone gets killed – is quite intriguing, although things go down the well-trodden stalk-and-slash path for the final couple of reels as the usual band of five dislikeable teens invite their own death by doing incredibly stupid things (I have never met a girl in my life who would sit on that gurgling loo).

Old pro Michael Ironside makes an appearance as a bewildered hubby looking for his wife in the wilderness – and the ending of the flick adds an unexpected touch of poignancy to his character's search. Ironside must be one of the few bad-guy actors whose features have actually mellowed as he's grown older. The other actors are the usual bland mix of young faces, most of whom will fade into obscurity or be consigned to TV soap hell within a couple of years. The nominal 'hero' is actually something of a jerk, and you're never really worried about anyone's fate, but the film doesn't hold itself out as anything other than a time-filling horror – a scan of the end credits will tell you that.

The manner in which the twist ending is handled goes some way towards redeeming the preceding twenty minutes, and the part where the blind guy falls off the top of one of those monstrous camper tank things had me laughing out loud - although I had sank a couple of beers. Anyway, If you're in an undemanding mood and enjoy this brand of teen horror then give this one a try