Pathology

Apparently, pathology students gravitate towards psychosis and meth induced orgies. At least these ones do. This is an entertaining, suspenseful movie with a fresh premise. It has a few good surprise turns and is thrilling without excessive gore or jump scare tactics. There are definitely some holes though. Most notably, imperfect murders and free for all access to the facilities so our gang can party til they puke. I also found it hard to swallow that our hero fell into the craziness so effortlessly. I would have liked to have seen a little more resistance on his part. It's a good flick though. Give it a watch.

All pathologists know is smoke crack, be bisexual, murder deviants and lie

If the phrase "extremely horny edgelord Final Destination" means anything to you I urge you to watch this movie

A group of pathologists kill people in unique ways and see if the others can determine how the victims were done in. Their fun and games are threatened when they invite a newbie into their little fold.

This is damn fine entertainment. Sure, the film often stretches one's suspension of disbelief pretty thin, but this is one of those films I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. I rented it on a whim and had a good time with it. It's a pretty nasty piece of work too. I personally find this kind of thing more disgusting than the typical hack and slash. Lauren Lee Smith has a sizable role, so that's a plus, and Larry Drake pops up briefly, though I didn't realize it was him until I saw his name in the credits. Weird since he's so recognizable. Oh, and Alyssa Milano is here as well.

"Pathology" may be too clinical for some, and may be too out there for others. Personally, I thought it was a good deal of fun. I must add, I found the main character to be the least likable person in the movie. He's one of those guys who you just long to see get cut up.

I went to see this movie without any prior expectations (I hadn't seen the trailer).

After a slow start the plot progressed steadily and managed to hold my attention despite Milo Ventimiglia's "smell the fart" acting. The copious amounts of gore seem excessive in the beginning, but generally add to the overall "shock factor" of the movie. Along with some in your face, sometimes slightly disturbing, sex scenes, this film is definitely NOT FOR THE LIGHTHEARTED.

Without giving too much away, this movie relies upon a classic mentor/apprentice rivalry. Despite being involved in sick extra curricular activities, main character Ted Grey manages to hold the viewer's empathy. The climatic ending of the film leaves you feeling satisfied yet a little sick in the stomach.

Now this looks great on paper. The core idea revolves around a group of pathology interns playing murderous games after dark. Commit the smartest murder you can, submit it to the group who then have to work out how you did it. There's a quality idea in there and plenty of opportunity for a gritty and intelligent thriller exploring the darker side of our naturally murderous psyches. It's pretty obvious that's not what the writers of "Crank" are going to give you though.

In practise it all feels a tad eighties, like a cross between "Flatliners" and "The Lost Boys", and when the edgy bad boy pathologists are roaming the halls it's like the brat pack never went away. However, where Keifer Sutherland's pack of vampires were an understandably seductive prospect, it's impossible to believe that all it would take was some gentle bullying and a hint of potential lesbian action to turn Milo Ventimiglia's posh grade A super student into a murderous crack addict.

Still, suspend your disbelief and that's forgive-able. There is some good fun here, particularly in the performances which are all pretty decent, and things (ahem) perk up whenever Alyssa Milano is on screen. The main problem is how hard the movie tries to be adult, and the constant swearing, rutting and drug use has a whiff of "Hollyoaks In The City" desperation about it. It's such a constant barrage that it becomes, well, a bit dull unfortunately. Shame, there's a good movie in there somewhere and with a defter touch and a bit more maturity this could have been pretty special.