Otis

I enjoyed this movie greatly. There were times I wanted to cringe and laugh at the same time. A humorous and disturbing look at kidnapping, torture, murder and the family. All overlapping at various part of the movie. Don't expect the movie to make great leaps and bounds in plot and you will enjoy it. If you like some laughs with your gruesome visuals, you just might find this movie fun. Many of the actors you will know and appreciate from other works. All turn in a solid and fun performance. All want to play their part in the movie. They all seem to be having fun along the way. I saw the UN-cut version and it is not for the squeamish. Nothing like "Saw", but pretty graphic. What really sets this movie apart is the antics surrounding the production of gore on screen. Think "The Three Stooges meet Jason" and you might have an idea of what is going on in this little bloody, funny gem of a movie.

Since the turn of the century, it has become very popular in horror movies to randomly inflict excruciating pains on people that are generally innocent and didn't deserve all the agony. Movie franchises like "Saw", "Hostel" and all of their knock-offs made us very familiar with the term Torture Porn and the nowadays younger fans of the genre don't get upset anymore at the sight of sadist devices that cut off toes or poke out eyeballs. Of course, when a 'new' gimmick in films turns out to be successful, it immediately gets exploited beyond normal proportions. It has even come thus far that themes like torture, child abduction and blood vengeance are processed together into a horror … comedy! Yes, "Otis" is primarily intended as a comedy, but personally I still prefer to see it more as a horror flick with some light-headed elements. It's a surprisingly good HORROR film, with a couple of imaginative gore sequences and interesting characters, whereas the comedy aspects are rather lame and derivative, like obnoxious authority figures and character mix-ups. Otis Broth is an obese and pathetic pizza delivery boy; pushing forty and still under the strict supervision of his older brother who regularly comes over to insult and beat him. But Otis loves to escape into his very own perverted and psychopathic fantasy world, where he is the hunky quarterback of the high-school football team and eagerly anticipates to attend the school prom with his sexy sweetheart Kim. But his "Kim" doesn't exist, so Otis abducts pretty blond girls that he spots during his pizza rounds and subjects them to humiliating ordeals until they play along. When the foxy Riley Lawson manages to escape his dungeon, her family prefers to extract their own justice rather than to let the uncooperative FBI handle the case. "Otis" has a good pace, highly enjoyable horror moments, great performances from a terrific not-so-obvious cast and … a downright phenomenal soundtrack! Anyone interested in classic rock and/or pop songs from Talking Heads, Quiet Riot and Blue Oyster Cult? As said, the comical situations aren't very noteworthy – even though Jere Burns depicts a delightfully slimy FBI agent – but the plot is solid and well- elaborated. The torture set pieces are often gross, but realized with splendid make-up effects. Recommended!

The 2008 edition of the SXSW Film Festival's 'Round Midnight section kicked off with the World Premiere of "Otis," the directorial debut of veteran television executive Tony Krantz. It would be redundant to state that this film is not for the squeamish -- just look at the screening time. That said, Otis is destined to join the ranks of Freddie and Jason among the most gruesome, twisted souls in horror movie history. The titular character is a rotund, middle-aged pervert who never quite matured past his senior year in high school. The pleasure he gets out of abusing the neighborhood's teenage girls has all the makings of classic torture porn. Yet writers Thomas Schnauz and Erik Jendresen have crafted a dark comedy, as impossible as it seems, and Krantz manages to keep "Otis" from straying into farcical territory. "Otis" is ultimately a character-driven piece, as the film's tone is achieved only with a careful balancing of performance styles. At one end are Bostin Christopher (Otis) and his "love interest" Ashley Johnson (Riley Lawson), playing their roles straight and chilling. At the other is Jared Kusnitz, as Riley's brother Reed, whose gallows humor provides many of the film's funniest lines and was clearly an audience favorite (Kusnitz' "Dance of the Dead" also has its World Premiere here this weekend). And smack dab in between the horror and the comedy are the parents, Illeana Douglas and Daniel Stern, who are the fulcrum. Veteran character actor Jere Burns leads a team of hapless FBI agents who throw the occasional farce into the mix. Add in the always on-the-mark Kevin Pollak as Otis' brother for more nervous laughter. "Otis" has an indie feel, with natural lighting and perfectly economical cinematography, relying more on powerful in-camera visuals than post-production effects. The soundtrack is killer (no pun intended) with Otis' high school years replayed over and over to tunes like Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper."

"Otis" is a huge surprise. Ileana Douglas, Daniel Stern, and Kevin Pollak, eat up the screen. The script is fresh, and the slob-loser kidnapping his date for role playing his senior prom is absolutely brilliant. Although most exploitation films of this type feature ample quantities of female nudity, there is zero t.&a. in "Otis". This might disappoint some in the crowd, but the fine script and acting keeps things interesting. If you think twisted perverts like Otis combined with biting black comedy can't be entertaining, seek this one out, and be amazed. Wildly imaginative, and highly recommended...................MERK

Having been reasonably impressed with other Raw Feed films, I was keen to check out 'Otis.' It has a promising, quite original storyline that should make for good entertainment in any horror fan's eyes. But I was rather disappointed.

The acting was good for the most part. Ashley Johnson and Bostin Christopher both nailed their leading roles, and Jere Burns as the left-of-field agent was an awesome injection. Illeana Douglas, on the other hand, er. She stood out amongst the pack as a let down, and even though this is a genre that doesn't get by on its acting merits, I had a problem with her performance.

In terms of soundtrack, I thought the licensed music used throughout was great (ie (Don't Fear) the Reaper), and so too were the few softer, touching pieces. Everything else felt out of place or too dramatic, and in a couple instances, music ruined entire scenes for me (much like Douglas' acting).

I can't rate this movie much above average, and that's coming from somebody who isn't a Horror cynic. Masses complain about modern-day horror flicks being unoriginal or just plain stupid and I never see the value in that. I know there are some bad ones out there, but they do get unfairly bashed on for the most part. So yeah, I'm not anti-slasher or anti-psycho material. 'Otis' just wasn't done right in places, whether that blame be laid down on the script or whatnot. It has its share of bright glimpses, don't get me wrong, but it also has its share of dull, cringe-worthy "you idiot" moments, where I just have to put my fist down.