Otis - O Ninfomaníaco

Saw this Friday at the local film festival and LOVED it. First half plays ALMOST like your standard horror fare; second half is like Home Alone with power tools: raunchy, painful, funny as hell. Without the strong performances of Illeana Douglas, Daniel Stern, Kevin Pollack and Bostin Christopher, the film wouldn't work half as well. Douglas is consistently amazing, a character actress who makes her every role believable. As she transitions from suburban mom to vigilante, she never makes one turn or expression out of place: her morph is both understandable and natural.

The film leaves a few ends untied: we never quite learn what exactly happened between Otis and his brother, but we're given enough back story to guess the rest. We also never see the original "Kim." Which would've helped people better understand the obsession.

Somehow, though, as everything is coming apart - it all comes together. Audiences in both festival showings loved this movie! I hope it gets distribution before Warner releases it to DVD this summer.

The twisted forty year old idiot Otis Broth (Bostin Christopher) delivers pizzas and is a pedophile serial killer. When he abducts a teenager, he calls her Kim and fantasizes that she is his sweetheart and date of the high school prom. After killing his last victim, Otis kidnaps the smart suburban teenager Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson) and brings her to the basement of his house, hiding the girl from his brother Elmo Broth (Kevin Pollak). Their desperate parents Kate (Illeana Douglas) and Will Lawson (Daniel Stern) have friction with the arrogant and silly FBI Agent Hotchkiss (Jere Burns) that is in charge of the investigation. When Riley escapes from Otis's house and calls her family, Kate convinces Will and their son Reed (Jared Kusnitz) to seek revenge and punish Otis. However, the vigilantes confuse Elmo with Otis in their rampage getting into trouble.

"Otis" is almost a masterpiece of sick dark humor, with magnificent performances of the unknown Bostin Christopher and Illeana Douglas, very well supported by the great cast. The plot makes jokes with dramatic situations and is a sort of parody of the countless movies of torture that have been recently released. Unfortunately the weak open conclusion is not satisfactory and is disappointing. For my surprise, in the Extras of the DVD, there is an excellent alternate ending called "The Birthday Party" and in accordance with the explanation of the director, this would be the original conclusion of this movie. I really did not understand why this brilliant ending was not used. My vote is six.

Note: With the original "The Birthday Party Alternate Ending", my vote would be eight.

Title (Brazil): "Otis, o Ninfomaníaco" ("Otis, the Nymphomaniac")

The 2008 edition of the SXSW Film Festival's 'Round Midnight section kicked off with the World Premiere of "Otis," the directorial debut of veteran television executive Tony Krantz. It would be redundant to state that this film is not for the squeamish -- just look at the screening time. That said, Otis is destined to join the ranks of Freddie and Jason among the most gruesome, twisted souls in horror movie history. The titular character is a rotund, middle-aged pervert who never quite matured past his senior year in high school. The pleasure he gets out of abusing the neighborhood's teenage girls has all the makings of classic torture porn. Yet writers Thomas Schnauz and Erik Jendresen have crafted a dark comedy, as impossible as it seems, and Krantz manages to keep "Otis" from straying into farcical territory. "Otis" is ultimately a character-driven piece, as the film's tone is achieved only with a careful balancing of performance styles. At one end are Bostin Christopher (Otis) and his "love interest" Ashley Johnson (Riley Lawson), playing their roles straight and chilling. At the other is Jared Kusnitz, as Riley's brother Reed, whose gallows humor provides many of the film's funniest lines and was clearly an audience favorite (Kusnitz' "Dance of the Dead" also has its World Premiere here this weekend). And smack dab in between the horror and the comedy are the parents, Illeana Douglas and Daniel Stern, who are the fulcrum. Veteran character actor Jere Burns leads a team of hapless FBI agents who throw the occasional farce into the mix. Add in the always on-the-mark Kevin Pollak as Otis' brother for more nervous laughter. "Otis" has an indie feel, with natural lighting and perfectly economical cinematography, relying more on powerful in-camera visuals than post-production effects. The soundtrack is killer (no pun intended) with Otis' high school years replayed over and over to tunes like Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper."

Otis, released in 2008, is a darkly comedic horror movie that delivers a unique and twisted take on the traditional slasher genre. Directed by Tony Krantz, this movie offers a fresh and unexpected approach to the typical horror movie formula.

At the heart of Otis is a standout performance by Bostin Christopher, who portrays the titular character with a perfect blend of creepiness and dark humor. Christopher's portrayal of Otis, a socially awkward and disturbed man, is both chilling and strangely compelling, making him a memorable and unconventional antagonist.

The movie cleverly subverts audience expectations by infusing elements of black comedy into its horror narrative. The dark humor adds an unexpected layer of depth to the story, creating moments that are as unsettling as they are funny. This unique blend of genres sets Otis apart from other horror movies and keeps viewers engaged throughout.

In addition to its strong performances, Otis features well-executed suspense and tension-building sequences that keep the audience on edge. The movie's pacing is tight, with a series of escalating events culminating in a thrilling and satisfying conclusion.

Overall, Otis is a hidden gem in the horror genre, offering a fresh and twisted take on the slasher movie formula. With its standout performances, dark humor, and effective blend of horror and comedy, this movie is sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers looking for something different in the world of horror movies.

It was great seeing Daniel Stern & Illeana Douglas back at work. They are both great actors who deserve to be working more. The story starts playing out and you are unsure as to what type of film it's going to be. Torture porn? FBI profiler idolatry? Cat & mouse psychological thriller? ... Comedy? There are a number of nice turns done by the actors here. The head up his ass FBI profiler. Riley, the daughter. Reed, the more than a little disturbing younger brother. Kevin Pollak's Elmo Broth, brother to the antagonist. And finally the nut-job kidnapper/killer Otis Broth who amongst all the different dramatic currents still is able to imbue his character with a bit of poignancy. You'll notice a few holes in the story but, again, this isn't a police procedural that you are watching. Counter to that there are some surprises as to the paths that the characters eventually end up taking. Nothing especially distinctive cinematographically, stylistically or in editing. But it is a good film, and that is enough.