KatieBird *Certifiable Crazy Person

An intriguing premise and strong performances set Katiebird apart from the usual low budget horror fair. In fact, it is an unfair assessment to even call this a horror movie. Maybe psychological thriller or drama would be more appropriate. There is some gore, but it's harsh, non stylized, unflinching violence. I have to admit that I was squirming a bit in a few of the torture sequences. The tooth pulling scene between the title character and non affection returning would be boyfriend, who also happens to be Asian, ranks right up there with Marathon Man. Only this time we are treated to every graphic detail. The sound design here made me cringe (in a good way). The performances, especially from Katiebird herself and Lee Perkins playing her father, are very strong. No over the top campy fun here. These are very thoughtful, tightly wound performances. The one thing that keeps this movie from achieving some level of greatness is the unwise editing decision to present 99% of the film in multiple panels. There are a few moments were the technique is used to good effect. Whenever it shows multiple threads of action, even within the same scene, it works well. But when it devotes two to four frames to the exact same action and sometimes shot repeatedly. It just becomes annoying. This was a very unconventional movie and i dig that. But I wish it had been presented in a slightly more conventional manner.

Either way, this is definitely a must see.

bob out.

More like an artsy/fartsy psychological drama. I get that the multiple panels are suppose to represent the girl's fractured psyche. But, darn if it wasn't annoying as heck.

It might have been an enjoyable movie if they had just settled down a bit in the editing room. I liked the actors, especially the guy that played the dad. The story wasn't exactly uninteresting. The torture scenes are unforgettable.

Overall, it was just a chore to watch cuz of all the crazy editing and cumbersome pace.

Still, I'll be looking out for this director's next movie. If he can lay off the technical posturing, he might craft something great.

If this movie plays in a theatre near you, you're up for a remarkable piece of cineastic art. If you can stand it. This film just crawls under your skin easily, cut by cut, and it won't let go - even days after you watched it. A lot of its incredible intensity stems from its absolute perfect cutting/editing and from a soundtrack that matches the pictures on the screen to the point. The movie use the split screen technique in a wonderfully orchestrated way, adding to the unique and in fact gruesome experience. This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach ... but if you feel up to it, you'll have a great movie experience.

Bad acting, bad script, bad story telling. I'm sure the people who gave it high marks are the cast and crew.

I've seen this one about three times in late 2007, when once was more than plenty. I give it 5 stars because of its Horror elements and good acting. I don't recommend it to anyone at all. Yes, it is that gruesome.