Chaos

Whoa, what can I say here. Well this has got to be the most over-hyped piece of garbage i've seen since Battlefield Earth. First off this film is a complete remake of Last House without the gritty revenge angle. I saw the full cut, so don't think all the negative reviews are for the edited version. Why Roger Ebert bothered with complaining about this film is beyond me, I mean any money this dud made was because of his comments. I really think if he never said anything, this film would have few to no reviews on here, and would have just faded away. The physical and mental torture in this film is disturbing by it's very nature Mr. Ebert, I mean what were you expecting from this storyline, but yet the scenes really lacked any edge, little actual gore is seen, and it certainly isn't a sexy film in any way, so really why see it? I knew exactly how things were going to turn out from the beginning, and not for one moment was I tense, or really interested in the proceedings. Maybe i'm just a jaded gore hound, but this film really has nothing to offer, and just makes you want to go back and watch Last House On The Left again to see how it's done right. A revenge plot would have helped greatly, just to add some unpredictability. All in all whether your looking for extreme gore, suspense, nudity, a good story, or acting, you will be disappointed. The only reason I gave it a two out of ten, is a few of the actors' seemed to have talent, they just had nothing to work with.

I viewed Chaos at the 2005 Flashback Weekend horror convention in Chicago. The Q&A session with the writer/director David DeFalco, producer Steven Jay Bernheim, and actor Sage Stallone was, strangely enough, before the film. After seeing the movie, I have a hunch as to why. DeFalco and Bernheim were very adamant at pushing this film as the "scariest and most brutal film ever," one of seemingly hundreds per year that reaches for that title. They then proceeded to bash the film they openly admitted influenced Chaos, Wes Craven's horror classic The Last House on the Left, calling it "unrealistic" and "hard to watch," to the point where there was an obvious change in the dynamic of the audience. Because DeFalco, who considers himself a "true horror fan," pushed so hard for people to like this film, I feel obliged to push the other way.

Chaos is by no means an original film. I've seen this movie made countless times with only slight variations on the plot. It does, however, have a few brutal, almost redeeming scenes that do make it worth seeing if you are a true "grindcore" or exploitation movie fan. Both of these, the first in particular, are what the movie will most likely be remembered by. They are both particularly well done, especially with the realistic looking blood and gore effects and the reactions of the female leads. This is, however, my last positive comment on the film.

Each character has been given a set of stereotypes that they must stick to, and none of them transcends their limitations. The girls in Chaos are as mindless as the girls in any other slasher or horror film, which is disappointing after hearing for half an hour about the "realism" of the movie. The police are the most generic characters in the movie, and the Sheriff's racism is extremely played out. Even the parents, an inter-racial couple that you'd think would be the least definable, stick to their stereotypes.

Chaos (the main "bad guy") and company are introduced in a completely unnecessary opening scene that does nothing but establish their characters as low-grade criminals. For a character that is supposed to come across as an example of the ultimate evil (he calls himself the devil at least once), Chaos is shown as a petty thief.

There are a couple inconsistencies in the plot, specifically timing issues. At one point, what seems to be a several minute walk for one group turns into a ten minute car ride for another.

Additionally, the ending feels entirely tacked on. I know that I wasn't the only person in the audience who laughed at the audacity of the director, after placing so much emphasis on realism, to include such a slapstick, somewhat comedic, ending.

In the end, I left the theater bewildered, but for all the wrong reasons. I usually am not so picky about "realism" in horror movies, but after hearing the director make such a point about it, I felt compelled to judge Chaos on it. I really want to believe that DeFalco has what it takes to make a good, original movie, because I saw potential in a few short moments. Unfortunately, after hearing the director speak so openly about this film as not only being his masterpiece, but set to trump The Last House on the Left, a film that has become a staple in any horror fan's collection... well, I'm not too hopeful that we're going to see anything too original from him.

Later this year will see the release of Eli Roth's Hostel, another film billed as the most brutal movie ever captured on film. Maybe a truly original "grindcore" film really is around the corner, but I'm not holding my breath.

I read an article on this man they named Chaos and the story behind him. That's what peaked my interest in seeing this movie. I knew there would be violence,(that's a no-brainer). I just wasn't prepared for anything like this. I actually couldn't move at one point during the film because I was in shock. I felt ashamed and horrified that I was watching this all alone. I've always believed that horror films or any film for that matter doesn't have to be bloody or gruesome to be effective. This director seems to get off on the fact that he made the most brutal film ever. Can you explain this to me? Is he actually proud of this movie? He had the nerve to say it will save lives by watching it. I would love for him to elaborate. All I know, when making a movie, especially one that revolves around such a serious matter, you should use some common sense and decency. I feel sorry for the two young women who decided to take on these rolls. I'd like to know why they chose to exploit themselves. Not a really great way to start your career. If I ever see them in anything again, I'll never get those images out of my head. The movie is for people who love shock value. It's more than disgusting. It's just very very very sad. I pity the director of this film. He doesn't care about the message he's sending. I could see that when I watched all the extra's of the movie to find out what kind of person made this film. It's disturbing!!!!

I saw this movie for a free at a screening, I wouldn't see it again if you paid me. This film has the worst acting, the worst dialogue, and the most senseless plot I've ever seen. The premise of the film makes a piece of garbage like House of Wax look like a masterpiece. The movie aims to shock and teach with it's brutal "true to life" story of two girls looking to score "E" at a rave in the woods. The obvious abduction, rape, torture ensues, including a nipple being caught off and fed to it's original owner (at which time at least half the viewers got up and left the theater). Personally though I was not as offended by the grotesque senseless violence as I was by the fact that I felt my intelligence was being insulted by the film maker who claimed the film had some sort of message and redeeming value. It was the quality of a subpar B horror film and an after school special mixed. Without an ounce of reality included it was sick, twisted and pointless all together, without ever making an ounce of sense either. Movies like Cannibal Holocaust and Ichi the Killer contain more blood and guts than this film but don't strain to make it over the hour mark while offending everyone in the audience. Not that they are quality films either, but at least they don't claim to teach me anything! OK, I'm rambling, but I'm upset that free passes were given out for such a horrible film and that a major chain of theaters like Emagine would show this garbage, AVOID THIS FILM AT ALL COSTS!

But that is still not saying much about this film. I'm not even sure where to begin. I guess I'll start with the "message" at the very beginning. As others have already said, it was a very lame attempt by the filmmakers to justify the content of their little film. Very lame. If you're gonna make a somewhat violent film about rape and murder, then just make the film and leave it at that. There was absolutely no reason to try and pretend that it was made as some sort of message to parents and kids about being safe from murdering rapists. They could have just said, "don't walk through the woods with a stranger while trying to score drugs" and not even bothered with trying to make a film out of it. While it is not the worst movie I have ever seen, or even the most disturbing for that matter, it is not worth watching either. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Some people can't resist the temptation to see what all the "controversy" is about (myself included), but I can assure you it's not as disturbing as some would have you believe and it's just not really worth the time. Pass.