Bad Reputation

This is so bad. The dialogue, and acting suck. Scenes are poorly framed. The script is neither smart nor funny

First-time writer/director Jim Hemphill has captured the spirit of Roger Corman's New World Pictures in this very entertaining revenge picture. Anyone who remembers Stephanie Rothman's fine work for the studio should run to check this out. Shot on a shoestring budget, the film looks and feels like a classy 'B' picture. The cast of unfamiliar faces does a great job with this tale of a virgin who suddenly finds herself branded town slut. The dialog is clever and strictly first rate and any film that depicts sports and jocktards in such a negative light is to be devoutly cherished. Arguably the most reviled genre of all, Hemphill has a ball spoofing slasher films. But this isn't simply Wes Craven warmed over - this film has loads of style and a great sense of humor to back it up. For fans of the genre as well as those of us who might normally leapfrog over this on a rental shelf.

"Bad Repuation" is an over-ambitious but interesting hybrid of no-budget horror and after-school special. Most reviews cry "Carrie!", but I thought this was unique and provocative in its own right. Its main problem is the kill sequences. They're neat ideas, but everything is off-camera, likely due to budget constraints. The acting is decent and the dialogue bounces between witty and eyeroll-worthy. Overall, not a bad movie, and it gets kudos for not going the glossy teen-girl-bent-on-revenge horror route (I'm lookin' at you, "Tamara") and instead exploring sex double-standards and how truly horrible teenagers can be to each other.

Horrible movie, just plain AWFUL. This movie sucks almost worse than Titanic. Almost. Not only is the acting bad, but you quickly grow to hate the actors as well, all of them. The cinematography is also absurdly bad. The worst of all is probably the sound. Obviously the idiots that made this crap have idea what in the sam hill they're doing. The movie sounds awful! Every single person that appears in this film is obviously an idiot in real life too. If you were to find the stupidest people you could find, then hit them in the head with a hammer 20 times, then you would get close to how stupid the people are in this movie. This movie sucked a lot in many ways. Really, really, really bad and awful.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I really wanted to be in California this weekend to meet the director and cast and see this on the big screen. But, I have to be satisfied with my video autographed by the director Jim Hemphill in his first effort at a horror film.

The story was basic high school revenge after a rape by Aaron (Jared Anderson) after he drugs Michelle (Angelique Hennessy). She gets blamed and duct taped to a tree by Debbie (Dakota Ferreiro and her friend, while Wendy (Danielle Noble) just watches. The whole school is ragging her the next day as a slut, and the school counselor (T.W. Porrill) is more interested in getting in her pants than helping her.

Well, that takes care of all the great people who also autographed my copy of this movie.

Revenge is sweet, as she systematically does them one by one. I won't tell you whether or not she gets away. You'll have to watch it yourself for that.

What I will say is that the acting was good for a Grade B film, the dialog was superb and the direction was great. What impressed me the most was the quality of the tape. The lighting and sour were superb, and that is rare in this type of movie.

My only complaint: It is really a PG, not an R rated horror. They missed the boat there.