Animal Room

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.

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 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.

I really enjoyed Animal Room. It has my favorite actor in it, Matthew Lillard. His performance in this movie is great. I saw this movie back in the middle of April when it first came out to video. This movie made me think a lot about people and those who get picked on and knowing who your true friends are. It's really sad when you look deep into the movie.

The main basis of the film starts with Arnold Mosk(Harris) who has been placed in a program for drug users. Every student has their bully. Arnold's is Doug Van Housen(Lillard) who is constantly torturing him. Arnold's old friend Gary Trancer(Olds) is trying to reach out to him and rekindle that old friendship they once had because he knows what a tough time Arnold is going through. The rest of the movie is just a look at their lives and how they cope with one another and their own problems.

I really can't stress enough how great of a movie this is. I know many people will not like it. You really have to be a certain kind of person to like it. Someone with a twisted mind, someone who really enjoys art and what life is really about in a film, someone who really enjoys the actors in the film. I fall under all three, as may many more people. It's just so great, the camera angles are good, the acting is great, everything just fits into place. The movie was well put together. If you enjoy any of the three things I listed, go see this movie. It's really great.

-A+

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.