Quench

A supposed expose of Goth culture that exists--thrives--just below the radar in American culture, this indie fails miserably in its goal. The wooden performances on the part of all involved would not even suffice for a cheapie porn flick. Apparently shot in the rural Midwest, it purports to reveal the inner workings of a clan of young people brought together by a pair of adults who call themselves "mother and father," and lead their "children" to drink one another's blood in order to gain obedience within a secretive family. The word "bizarre" does not begin to do justice to this film; perhaps "awful," "god-awful," "terrible, "wretchedly acted," or just plain "wretched" would better describe this piece of horsepucky.

I've seen better acting in porn. In fact I've seen better plots in porn.

I can't find a single redeeming value in this movie. It was hands down the worst thing I've ever watched. How this atrocity of a film ever managed to get a rating above 2 I'm at a complete loss to explain. In fact it has completely removed any faith I might have had in a peer reviewed movie database.

I've you're thinking about watching it and you stumble upon this review. Do not walk. Run away from this movie. Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of paint. You will get many more hours of enjoyment from watching that dry than this movie could ever hope to provide.

It would appear by the film's negative feedback thus far that the Michael Bay fans of the world have taken offense to what I consider to be a well crafted independent film.

After reading several favorable critical reviews about Quench over the past year, I was still a bit skeptic when it released on DVD nationally last month. So much so that I decided to rent it at Blockbuster.com, instead of taking a chance of losing my money buying "another" bad indie film. But, soon after Blockbuster notified me that there would be a wait(as all copies were checked out), I went ahead and bought it anyway, sight unseen, to see what all the hype was about. And now, having watched it several times, I must say that this is one of the best independent film experiences I've had in some time.

Quench is a slow burn...not a slow movie in the sense. The pacing is deliberate...always moving forward. The cinematography is beautiful...dark and rich in color. The story is well written and unique...stands out amongst those of other films. Under Parker's direction, nearly all of the cast turns in solid and believable performances. This is all quite an accomplishment for any film shot on such a meager budget. Again, this is a well crafted independent film.

I would like to be able to recommend Quench to almost anyone who loves movies. Unfortunately, I can't. In these days of countless sequels and remakes(some bordering on sacrilege), as well as television's contribution of mindless programming to the masses...people today have lost sight of(or have never experienced) what good cinema is. And that's really sad. Because Quench is just that...good cinema.

Quench begins with an everyday sort of guy who has a best friend die suddenly, so he goes back to his hometown to visit a buddy from his high school days. His former classmate has changed into someone with jet black hair patterned after Billy Joe, the lead singer of Green Day. In fact, everybody other than the grieving lead looks like a pasty, goth castaway from Night of the Living Dead(apologies to George Romero).

He crashes with the vampire like dude and his girlfriend when things turn really weird with more anemic looking compatriots arriving and everyone is up for some sexual shenanigans. Are we having fun yet? The next chapter we see the really white people in robes, worshiping Satan; holy cow. The end can't come soon enough as Quench is a waste of time.

It's sad to say something like this about a well written independent such as this film, but an idea as intriguing as this deserved to be surrounded by talented film makers who could not only avoid giving the image a cheap, film school quality, but could also draw in decent actors to portray these deep characters. Bottom line: you couldn't pay me to watch this piece of poop again. Just in case you weren't convinced the first time, here's a second chance to cement this into your brain. It's sad to say something like this about a well written independent such as this film, but an idea as intriguing as this deserved to be surrounded by talented film makers who could not only avoid giving the image a cheap, film school quality, but could also draw in decent actors to portray these deep characters. Bottom line: you couldn't pay me to watch this piece of poop again.