Crushed

Okay, so for a start I don't like what's apparently the American version of the title, "She's Crushed", as it makes the movie sound lighthearted, which it certainly is not! I think what it went by when they used to show it here in England on the Horror Channel, simply "Crushed", sums it up much better as it's a double meaning, with her being crushed by her perceived rejection, and in return he and all that he holds dear being crushed by her... Natallie Dickinson really did play one of the scariest psychotic women I'd seen in a movie in years. Her character "Tara" is a tortured but quite unsympathetic soul who has a mother who is comatose in a psych ward, and her doctor who you learn is actually her father thanks to one mighty quick scene that's easy to miss, and who also has a relationship with his daughter that's on the sick and perverse side, and her sole mission in life seems to be to find true love with whatever extremely unfortunate guy she happens to choose, even if she has to make them hers alone by obliterating everyone they know and even not unlike a famous real life grisly serial killer, mutilating their craniums to render them drooling zombies that she can make dance like macabre puppets to do it! And the story ends like it begins, with Tara hauling away the sorry remnants of her latest failed 'conquest' in a suitcase, getting away scott-free, which I found scary and interesting because it's like a cycle, only throughout the movie we got to see how the 'process' goes, and the descent into her murderous madness. And despite claims to the contrary there is a sort of weird flashback type deal that offers something of an explanation as to why Tara became such a bloodthirsty freak. And it ends on her spotting the next unfortunate 'love' of her life whom she'll be manipulating into her nightmare and loving to death... What I most enjoy about this picture is seeing a damn fearless actress portraying a big larger than life level of deranged insanity and actually succeeding in sustaining some genuine unhinged menace for the duration of the whole story, and I completely bought it and was very impressed by her because that kind of role is something that's a lot easier for men to act than it is women are just not naturally as threatening, but in my opinion Dickinson accomplished one of these monster-women roles with astonishing gusto, and to me she is the only real highlight and saving grace of this movie and she alone makes it engaging and above-average. Of course you've gotta take her physical appearance into account to.. She was kind of pretty, but she looked a complete neurotic witch, all bony angles and mean sharp facial features. It helped! And this was not just a cute little kooky kind of crazy we're talking here - it was great big nasty roll-it-up-to-your-car crazy!!! And the actor who played the object of her devotion, "Ray", was alright and I did feel terribly sorry for the guy and the hell that he's put through, but he also seemed a bit miscast and out of place, and he had a heavy German-sounding accent that was distracting. I did like the lively dude who played his horny and obnoxious workmate though, he was funny and brought a little much needed levity. I consider this a good horror movie because it really is hellishly disturbing and points, namely the demented centerpiece of the story, when Ray's poor pregnant girlfriend is butchered in an uncomfortably prolonged sequence that the first time I saw it, it left my emotions raw because you really feel the horror and tragedy of the character's death and you keep hoping that something, anything will happen that'll allow her and Ray to live! It's a frightfully ruthless cautionary tale that will go to just about any lengths to shock and absolutely pulls no punches when it comes to who will live or die, and it doesn't play by the conventional rules of slashers either, with no happy medium ending being allowed, and in this instance I took that as a plus. I'd cautiously recommend Crushed, while I'll admit that it does greatly lack in many areas, does have a cheap feel, and anyone looking for something more than a plain, no-frills bloodbath will probably be left wanting, but to me its a perfectly watchable and entertaining straight-up horror thriller which carries no pretensions beyond being a gripping if mindless time-burner, and in the horror department it doesn't fail and is grim and nasty enough to give anyone a run for their money. Take care and beware of deadly Venus-mantrap psycho harpy women!

Context: In August 2006, a new user called "taraiscrushed" started uploading videos on Youtube. They were essentially vlogs by a women in her mid-20s called Tara. At first, the videos were of the usual sort you would find there; diaries about Tara's day-to-day life. As the weeks and months passed, Tara displayed increasing signs that things were not right, along with revealing a difficult past. It turns out this was an elaborately planned promotional campaign (which some may understandably qualify as a hoax) for the movie that I am now going to review, Crushed. This will be followed by a mini-review of the uploaded promotional campaign.

THE FILM

Crushed features a premise that is almost identical to the 80s classic Fatal Attraction. Ray (Henrik Norlén) cheats on his girlfriend with the new girl in town, Tara (Natalie Dickinson). He wants it to remain a one night stand but she has other plans. Unlike Fatal Attraction the movie doesn't revolve mainly around Ray's point of view. Sure, we see things from his perspective once in a while and learn more about him but the lion's share of screen time goes to Tara. Her behavior becomes increasingly disturbed as the film goes on and thanks to this character, the movie is far from a Fatal Attraction rip-off. Tara does not want to let go and when she feels threatened by the people around this man she is obsessed with, she goes to any length to get them out of her way. And this is where this movie goes into modern horror territory. The gruesomeness displayed reminded me partly of Hannibal (although director Patrick Johnson's work will not be confused for Ridley Scott). The acting might not be great, the cinematography is basic and the thing was filmed on a budget but still, that violence was probably the thing the movie had most going for it. It's definitely not for the squeamish and has Hostel overtones.

The overall screenplay and direction does have problems. The most blatant was the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Patrick Johnson made an odd choice right from the start by not having Tara and Ray share a single moment of mutual interest, lust, passion or even flirting on screen. She picks him up while he's completely drunk bordering on passed out, we fade to black, then the next thing Ray wakes up next to her and leaves in a hurry. The whole movie revolves around one thing: Tara's obsession with that man but how she actually gets hooked is barely implied. This rings somewhat hollow as a viewer and prevents the movie from having the intensity it could easily have had.

This film was obviously made cheaply and strange casting choices also affect the product. Swedish actor Henrik Norlén seems talented but very much not at ease playing an American war veteran. His accent is noticeable in some places more than others and this also seems to affect his acting delivery. Natalie Dickinson is doing a solid job in a dream role (so many actors have put themselves on the map playing bad guys and psychos!) although a bit inconsistent at times. But overall, she does well playing Tara who alternates between irony- filled psycho and a hurt soul with a difficult past. Many of the supporting actors were adequate but special nod goes to Keith Malley, who has great comic instinct and is a real natural on camera!

Where the budget shows is in the action sequences, if I may call them that. There is some pretty rigid cinematography and editing here, which could have used more creativity. That's a shame because in other places, Johnson shows nice artistry with beautiful, evocative shots.

THE YOUTUBE PROMOS

This is extremely ambitious when you realize this movie is just getting out while these videos were updated through three full years. They revolve entirely around Tara, as if it was a real person's Vlog. And while you sense some structure in many videos, it looks like Natalie Dickinson ad-libbed much of it. And that's actually what is so wonderful about it. The less structure, the more soul she seems to give to Tara. As well, an entirely unexploited side of her in the film is explored here. She is much less caricatural, seems vulnerable and displays her artistic side. I was very disappointed that her paintings did not appear at all in the movie. Having praised the down to earth nature of the promo, several clips actually hint that this is staged, and some show the darker side of Tara. Unlike the movie, none of the 50-or- so clips features any sign that this would be such an intense and gory movie. I think only one clip has Tara throw F-bombs if i recall correctly. But the most surprising thing to me was that the clips made Tara into a gorgeous women, the kind that would certainly fascinate people, while the Tara of the movie seems bland in comparison. It is strange that these clips that are even cheaper than the movie flatter Natalie Dickinson even more than the movie (she has a magnetic gaze thanks to amazing eyes).

THE VERDICT

You could always watch the promo on youtube but it doesn't share all that much with the movie, except as an appetizer. As for the film, I think it has flaws but the intensity of certain scenes will make it worthwhile for horror/thriller fans. An intense little ride that would have been improved by tighter direction and a better co-lead. It is a pity that Patrick Johnson didn't use the vlogs more efficiently in the narrative of the film. A missed opportunity in that regard. Still, he does nice things here and Natalie Dickinson shows some promise as well.

I was never expecting 'Crushed' to be of the same standard as 'Fatal Attraction', especially after looking at the cast. However, I also did not expect the film to be this below-average.

The plot of this film is good, despite its lack of originality. Furthermore, the pacing is acceptable and the script is passable. Yet, despite this, the low-quality recording, matched with acting that is, at points, humorously poor, creates a film that does nothing but symbolise its low budget. As a result, this movie does not engage its audience or establish a sense of care regarding the fate of the characters on- screen, therefore the experience is not a memorable one.

Although this film is, generally, not very good, it is easy-to-watch due to little thought being necessary to keep up with the storyline. In addition to this, Natalie Dickinson does not do too badly (especially in comparison to the actors she accompanies on-screen) and conveys her character in quite an interesting manner.

Overall, despite limited positives, the poor acting and unspectacular production values render 'Crushed' as a victim of its low-budget and a very forgettable film. With so many great horrors around, I advise you spend your viewing time elsewhere.

This movie might make want to never rent a Redbox movie that I had previously not heard of ever again. Being a low budget independent film, you can't have your expectations too high, but you would not expect a movie that could at least make it to Red Box to be this terrible.

As you can tell by other reviews, yes there are a lot of bloody scenes that can be at times shocking. So if that is all you want and could care less about film quality, acting, or any sort of a plot whatsoever, be my guest. Honestly, a bunch of middle school kids letting their twisted imagination runs could have written that screenplay in about two hours.

For those who enjoy brutal violence generously delivered by a woman you wouldn't mind taking to bed yourself (assuming she wouldn't kill you too) then this is a movie for you... A very well made blood and guts piece in which the director did a thoughtful job of helping us, the audience members, try to understand the murderous impulses of the killer. In many ways, this movie is more about the cause and affect of violence than the simple blood on the walls shock fest that is so prevalent in today's horror market... and although I did appreciate the director, Patrick Johnson, taking the time to elevate this piece or at least attempt to do so, I still can't help but feel he shied away from an element that seemed completely natural to the story; nudity. there should have been more nudity. Movie violence and nudity go together like peanut butter and jelly especially if the killer is a good looking female sociopath.

If they do a sequel to this little gem, I hope they do it in 3D!!