The Vicious Sweet

The more I see of this so-called new independent cinema, the more I think "independent" simply means an amateur, shot-on-video production which otherwise never would have seen the light of day because the makers obviously lack the talent to succeed in the real movie business. Case in point, The Vicious Sweet, a very pedestrian offering which only proves that some people weren't meant to work on either side of a camera. Instead of any legitimate acting, we get a lot of self-important posturing while dialogue is delivered so forcibly that you can see the lines leap right off the script pages. The camera work is obviously rock video influenced, something which unfortunately passes for mise-en-scène these days, while the gore effects are used strictly for shock value in place of any real scares. Whereas shot-on-video productions such as The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast succeeded because of their innovative approach to the format, this film, or should I say video, makes it abundantly clear that affordable public access to video technology isn't necessarily a good thing.

Well thats a shame the ending is so damn stupid. I was hooked by that movie, so strange, so weird. Hidden motives. The music is excellent too. The psychological aspect was really nice. I would have loved to see an ending true to the entire movie. Why did they had to screw up all this with an uninspiring, truly boring and crappy ending ? I dont understand. The beginning is great, we get to know the character well before the kidnapping. And get to know her more and more as the movie goes on, then the ending happens and we feel betrayed, why caring for a character if she ends up doing something that stupid and cliché ? Im just so disappointed.

Out of the garbage pile of 90's movies comes this excellent production by Salt City Video. The Vicious Sweet (1998) by Ron Bonk proves that you don't need a major budget to create great films. A totally enjoyable story and well acted production. This film will please even the most discriminating horror fan. Chock full of surrealistic imagery and artistic shots this rare gem deserves a permanent place in your video collection. Ron Bonk is sure to receive the recognition he deserves with this offering. The music is great, editing is superb and overall quality is excellent. The story centers around an upcoming actress and her abductor who helps her. The climatic ending is well, climactic. It makes you wonder how films like this continue to be "underground" while The Blair Witch Project is dubbed a "classic?"

Wow! I was pretty damn impressed with this little horror flick! THE VICIOUS SWEET shows that you can still deliver a movie with an intelligent script, creative camerawork, an effective score (by Jeff Jones, who also played a part in the film) and wonderful acting even though you're working with a low budget. It has it's rough spots, but director Ron Bonk's tense writing and sharp direction raise the movie above its weaknesses.

The story focuses on Tyler Phenix (wonderfully played by Sasha Graham), a popular b-movie scream queen whose career is on the rise. She's even starting to get the attention of Hollywood, which may lead to some more "respectable" roles. Her boyfriend, Charlie (Jason Wicks), has even proposed to her. And yet, even though everything seems to be going right for her, she still seems aloof from it all. Her internal turmoil is soon cut short, however, as she soon finds herself imprisoned by one of her adorning fans. Now, she's forced to confront her past, and as time wears on, the walls of her reality slowly begin to crumble as she's thrust to the brink of madness!

Well, I must say that I was quite impressed with Sasha Graham's performance. She's proven that she can play a real bitch ("Angie" for the ADDICTED TO MURDER flicks), but Tyler Phenix turned out to be a very complex character (more complex than what you usually find at this budget level) and Graham was obviously up for the challenge. She handled all of the dramatic and horror elements very well as her character slipped closer and closer to the edge, building towards a violent climax!

Like I said, the movie has some problems. Some of the scenes appear really grainy due to low lighting and sometimes the audio is a bit hard to understand, but they don't ruin the overall experience. I gladly rank this up there with SAVAGE HARVEST, ADDICTED TO MURDER & SHATTER DEAD as quality examples of shot-on-video movies that make the most of their limited resources! Check this one out!

This movie is brilliant. From the acting to the directing to the story, I've never been quite so blown away but a low-budget movie. Everything is perfect, right down to the ending, which you don't expect but makes perfect sense. I would recommend this movie to anyway looking for something "not" Hollywood! Go get a copy to do and prepare to be stunned!