jigglez

That's it right there. The initial draw to this movie for me was Tom Cavanagh. He certainly didn't disappoint, in fact, I love him even more after seeing him in this. Ben Foster's performance was also quite remarkable. This movie will hit home to anyone who was even remotely taunted in school (for me, it was mostly middle school, but it was there no less). And Trevor's videos are incredibly stirring. They make you squirm, make you feel disturbed, and they should, because they are so true. Not only was it stirring and moving, but the movie also had its very intense moments of suspense. I was on the edge of my seat breathless during one scene. This film should be seen by everyone. I see it got a reasonable amount of recognition, but I don't think it will get nearly as much as it deserves. Absolutely outstanding and well worth the wait for the DVD.

I'll admit right off the bat that there are some very graphic and disturbing scenes involving sexual intercourse and blood-drinking done simultaneously. But those scenes only enhance what is essentially a moving and powerful melodrama.

There are so many themes and ideas involved with this movie, like drug addiction, infidelity, shattered dreams, alienation, doomed love...the list goes on. This is one of a few "horror" movies where in the end, I really felt more sad and depressed for the characters rather than shocked or frightened. The writing and especially the performances are superb and they bring the insanely original and unique premise down to earth, making it perfectly understandable. And they leave enough information of the origin of Lix out during most of the movie so you're allowed to guess and wonder where exactly she came from.

The direction is also done very well. It's stylish, but not too stylish, not too over-the-top. Charly Cantor never once goes for style-over-substance. If I have one complaint about the movie, it's that the scene involving the three junkies coming back for Lix is done a bit carelessly and hustled. But I think that whole subplot might have been unnecessary anyway, so I'm not too hung up on it. The music, done by Erasure's Vince Clarke, is also fantastic. His deep dark synths and mournful piano melodies fit the mood of the movie perfectly, and the songs picked for the soundtrack fit rather nicely as well.

This movie is literally a rare find. On Dec. 30th, 2003, I suddenly found it brand new for rental at a videostore. So hopefully anyone who ever wanted to see this will finally get a chance, or anyone who was never aware of it will be treated to something very special indeed. But I am afraid this will likely stay one of the most underrated and unappreciated (as well as unknown) movies ever made, which is such a shame. My rating: 8/10