Animal Room

This is another movie that I saw from the 8 Midnight Movies collection that is supposed to be about hatchets and cleavers. These one doesn't feature either. I also don't know if I'd consider this a horror movie either. I'm going to give this limited review as it is more of a drama with some thriller aspects as well. It does feature an interesting young cast with the likes of Matthew Lillard, Lori Heuring, Neil Patrick Harris and Amanda Peet. I could also include in a brief appearance by Catherine Hicks.

Now for this, the title comes from an experiment this high school is doing. There is a group of students that hang out with Doug Van Housen (Lilliard). I think his crew includes Pink (Ryan Payne Bell), Porky (Eddie Malavarca) and Eddie LeMaster (Brian Vincent). They are bullies and don't want to learn. Principal Jones (Stephen Pearlman) and the teachers agree to put them in a room in the basement to allow the rest of the students to learn. Professor Hinge (Dechen Thurman) is vehemently against this.

The reason there is a special student is lumped in, Arnold Mosk (Harris). There is something off about him and he uses hallucinogenic drugs which is why he is in there. Arnold is brilliant though. He just struggles with applying himself. He is bullied by Doug and his crew. There is a student that is breaking norms though. Gary Trancer (Gabriel Olds) protects him as they were friends growing up. They drifted a bit, but he's still there for him. He even scolds his girlfriend, Debbie (Peet), for mocking Arnold.

With that established, I did want to say that I think this has interesting things to say. This was made in the mid-90s. There are still issues like this happening. Maybe not to the extent of segregating them into their own classroom while we get here, but there are students that don't want to learn and instead of trying to reach them, they are forgotten. It is a fine line though. I will acknowledge that. The same vein, Arnold is being lumped in due to his drug use. He also has issues with connecting so there could be autism or something along these lines. I do like this exploring the idea of the system failing as it is something we should talk about.

The problem with this movie though is that I don't know if the message in the end works. There are elements here where I can see what they're trying to do, but it falls short. Doug is a rich kid. I like that he has more than some but still acts the way he does. He is even defiant at home. We see that he does some horrible things, him and Eddie, when they break into a person's house to steal a gun. This group forces Arnold to do something gross. This works in establishing how 'villainous' they are. Where it ends up though isn't satisfying. The ending is bleak and not in the best way. It feels empty and incomplete. I don't need the antagonists to be completely punished and it be wrapped up by a bow, but with what they were building to, it feels pointless.

I would say that other than that, the acting is fine. I think it borders on being too over the top at times. The filmmaking is around the same for me. We get some interesting enough cinematography. There aren't a lot in the way of effects, but it isn't that type of movie. What I will say there is that they do well in hiding things. The soundtrack is also fine. We do get a song from the Misfits which I found interesting as they make a cameo as well. Not a good movie by any stretch, but there was promise here that fails to fulfill.

My Rating: 4 out of 10.

As many others who have written reviews of this film, I had never heard of it, but stumbled upon it on a video shelf. Though I've found some of the greatest films I've ever seen that way, more often than not if you haven't heard of it, avoid it. This doesn't fall into the greatest category, but I didn't dislike it enough to trash it. The comparisons to "A Clockwork Orange" on the box are dead-on, though this film doesn't come close to being the masterpiece of the Malcolm McDowall film.

The acting in "Animal Room" is very solid and the characters are interesting, but the story is confusing and uneven at times. It feels like there's probably a bunch of other scenes that are sitting on the cutting-room floor. The cinematography is very stylish and mesmorizing for such a low-budget film -- particularly in the hallucination sequences. At points the dialogue is so witty that you have to laugh, though other times it seems like they're trying to cram far too much into it. Which is why it's sad that as the film progresses it really starts to lose steam, leaving the ending somewhat confusing, disturbing, and contrived.

Neil Patrick Harris proves that he can play something other than "Doogie Howser" (though I learned that when I got hooked on the short-lived "Stark Raving Mad). His performance in this film is enduring and disturbing all at once -- at times you can wholeheartedly agree with his character, but you still have pity on him. Matthew Lillard also gives a strong performance, but they've gone out of their way to make him an evil scumbag -- so even during the scenes where you should pity his character you just can't. But I always say if someone is convincing enough in a role that you hate them, that person really can act.

One other thing that I noticed -- both from the back of the box and other reviewers on IMDb, I was expecting one of the most graphically violent films in history. Far from it. While the violence is excessive and sometimes uncalled for, Rambo and any film with Van Damme is far more graphic than this film ever thought about being.

Bottom line: While not everyone's taste, this film deserves a chance by anyone that likes films of this genre. Too bad that none of those people have ever heard of it.

Punk-worshipping writer/director does pretentious remake of "Clockwork Orange". After trundling along for several hours, film ends. Sadists gain loads of new whack material. Tarantino's shelf remains undusted.

I had heard nothing on "Animal Room," but when I saw it in the video store, I noticed it had a big cast of young future stars and it sounded like it had an interesting premise. I figured I'd give it a try and was quite impressed with it, finding it to be quite a hidden surprise.

The story centers around Neil Patrick Harris (who we all know as Doogie Howser, M.D.) as a teen who has a bit of a drug problem and finds himself stuck in a school dropout prevention program where he finds himself often fleeing from a group of mean students there, led by Matthew Lillard (SLC Punk). They often torture and beat up Neil, with the only aid is his best friend (Gabriel Olds, Calendar Girl) who is the only bright spot in his depressed life. Neil hopes to find whatever way he can to avoid the bullies just in time so that things don't get uglier than before.

I wouldn't recommend this to many mainstream audiences or those looking for a cheery movie, since "Animal Room" is probably one of the more depressing and disturbing films I've seen. But its also a fascinating and creepy film that gives you plenty to think about and talk about when the movie is finished.

The actors are fantastic in their roles. Harris is quietly intense in the lead part as the confused teen. Lillard is the most powerful I've ever seen him. Lillards acting is phenomenal and I look forward to seeing Lillard in even more films for how talented he is. Olds performs the likable part really well that shows plenty of skill and charisma. Amanda Peet (The Whole Nine Yards) and Catherine Hicks (Childs Play, TV's Seventh Heaven) have small, but memorable roles as Olds concerned girlfriend and Neil's crazy mother.

The directing by Craig Singer is excellent and the camera work is both beautiful and dreary at the same time, which makes it perfect for the films gloomy atmosphere. It has your eyes glued to the screen right from the beautiful opening shot in an old carnival. The hallucination sequences in the film in particular are quite eerie and have the right creeped-out look to them. If I had to mention a gripe on the film, the script by Singer keeps you thinking, but it feels a little bit sloppy and tries to pack too much into one film. It tends to feel a bit uneven around spots and not all the subplots in the film aren't fully developed.

Overall, I would recommend this for art house fans looking for something different or those who are fans of the stars. I found it to be an unforgettable and VERY intense little film that will most likely shock you. Those who don't like brutal movies though should stay away since its a really graphic and violent movie.

This is a truly original film and while some parts were dark, I think it has true vision and something to say . The acting and directing were fantastic. Animal Room is not for the mind numbing popcorn chompers. This film has a vision and a voice that made me think and stayed with me. I wish more films had the kind of power and emotional qualities this gem has.