Spike

I saw Spike this weekend at Shriekfest at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. Having been peripherally involved in low budget movie productions, I know how difficult it can be to bring the collective creative efforts of writers, directors, actors and editors to fruition. While I applaud the apparent intent and ideas of the film-maker Mr. Beaucage, I found the finished movie to be awkward, tiresome and ultimately so frustratingly bad that I can not in good conscience recommend it to anyone. I really wanted to like this film. On the positive side, the creature design and effects were very well done and the actual camera work was good. Unfortunately, this was not enough to make the movie work. Every so often there was a glimmer of non-awfulness, but mostly the wooden performances, asinine plot and the excruciating dialogue combined to make the movie very hard to sit through. It was neither fun nor involving. Some reviewers have compared Spike to a David Lynch or Guillermo del Toro movie. That is unfortunate, since it implies that Mr. Beaucage has created interesting characters and a plot worth contemplating. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Ultimately, Spike was so annoying, it wasn't even possible for me to enjoy it as a bad movie.

Was just talking about this film, so i thought i'd check out how it was doing on IMDb... i was one of the 'unlucky' folk to choose it at The Edinburgh film fest, i'm horrified to hear anyone suggest it had anything going for it. It as one of the most turgid films i've ever sat through... no-one on the way out of the cinema was saying anything good about it, one gentleman asked me and my friends what we thought as he was in shock at how bad, and to be frank, up it's own ars* the film was!

Please those who have given it so much praise, be honest with yourselves and the readers of IMDb reviews, this film stank big time!

i gave it 1 out of 10 for the sheer genius of the director/writer convincing anyone to make this movie... Just awful...

Spike is one of those films that does not look like much at first glance but once you watch you become entranced by its wonder and majesty. Robert Beaucage weaves a dark tale that is scary, moving and ultimately tragic; it's like a fairy tale combined with a slasher. The characters are portrayed wonderfully, especially Edward Gusts as Spike, a man with the body of a monster but a heart as big as the earth itself. Sarah Livingston as the Girl is a mixture of beauty and strength as she fights to save her boyfriend from a creature torn by love and lust. even the music is dreamlike in its horror; The Marvelous little toy is used to creepy effect here and its truly unsettling when it plays. Spike is a sight to behold

SPIKE is a love story with a tragic, spiny mutant in it. It's sort of a cross between BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS with a bit more blood.

There are enjoyable female characters, including a tough, resourceful woman with medical training. There's also a man who spends most of his screen time on his back, bleeding.

As for the "monster" himself, he's an emotional wreck, unable to get past the love of his life.

Is SPIKE sappy? Yes. Does it drag on quite a bit in places? Yes. Is it a complete catastrophe? No, not entirely. Both the beginning and the ending are enjoyable enough. It's the movie's midsection that bogs down in longwinded silliness. If this had been shortened or even excised, this film would have been far more entertaining.

The thorny suit of the main character is pretty cool, though...

I LOVED IT! I really did. Started as a typical horror film with a small group of friends stranded then we meet Spike! I mean yes, it is a just another slasher film but one that surprised me. The characters were typical fodder and that's alright in my book.

So glad I bought the DVD! Wondering if it ever came out on blu ray.