Needle

NEEDLE is a nice slab of revenge-horror with a supernatural edge. It concerns a group of college friends who begin dying in godawful -and quite original- ways, after one of them inherits a mysterious wooden box. The survivors must figure out how to stop the carnage if they want to live.

Just imagine if SAW's Jigsaw was a practitioner of black magic, and you'll have some idea of where this movie goes.

EXTRA POINTS FOR: #1- The cool-looking box of doom! #2- The way the box works!

Ghoulish stuff indeed.

Watch for John Jarratt as the Coroner...

Estranged brothers Ben and Marcus come together ( like the "Hardy Boys") to solve the systematic killing of Ben's school chums.

This movie is basically a "murder Mystery". The only thing that set's it apart from most is the method the murderer is using to off his victims. Let me say right here that I don't believe describing the murder weapon in some detail spoils anything for you (Boloxxxi NEVER spoils; not intentionally anyway). But if you believe it does, then STOP RIGHT THERE!!! Advance to the next reviewer and collect $200.00.

Made or acquired in the 1800's, the instrument of death is a "revenge" machine that operates on voodoo principles in that it uses a wax figure and photo of it's victims. It has a side drawer that holds a crank that is inserted in a special slot that "winds it up" or get's it going once these steps are taken: (1) A wax image or symbol is made of the victim; (2) blood is drawn from the avenger and poured into an ornate circular receptacle at the top; (3) a retractable viewer of some kind is pulled up from what looks like a "coin" or "card" slot and a small photo of the unlucky bastard --sorry, "victim" is placed in it and pushed back down into the machine; (4) a long needle is selected from a collection in a drawer of the machine to be heated and used with the wax figure (Positively fiendish, what?)

I liked this movie as a simple, solid murder mystery. So though I thought the revenge machine was an interesting take on the voodoo idea, the way it's victims died was not that interesting to me; that is to say, no more so than if a gun or knife were used. What was interesting to me was who was doing it and why. That is what kept me going. Before I saw the movie I thought it was going to be another of those typical young people horror films. You know; clueless, beer-guzzling, libido-driven, party loving teens getting knocked off one by one. I was surprised how straight forward this movie was played out as a murder mystery (sans a lot of "teen antics") with brothers Ben and Marcus playing detectives.

Finally, though not exceptional, this movie is a solid murder mystery from the perspective of young people around whom the story revolves; it is methodical and sober as Ben and Marcus try to get over their differences and solve the killings at the same time. So if you are looking for horror or want to be "horrified" this is not your movie. But if you want to be "mystified", it is (though you could stay home and achieve the same effect by going through some of the bills you owe). Love, Boloxxxi.

Part of what makes us indulge in horror movies is to see death presented to us in a different manner, through a story that compels us. NEEDLE had a wonderful premise with a wonderful little mystery that screenwriters Anthony Egan and John V. Soto (who also directed) could not bring to light.

And that really bothers the heck out of me.

If the pair had really invested in a riveting narrative, this could have comprised the mystery element of the United States based version of THE RING with Clive Barkers HELLRAISER for one potent and unforgettable horror. Instead, after coming up with a wild idea, Egan and Soto clearly didn't know what to do with it. Instead, it became hack-and-slice cinema that offered little stimulation to the senses. By movie's end, the tale had become so old and lame, the climax was abysmal and unsatisfactory. In fact, it cheats the audience and sets up a sequel, though I doubt they'll ever have the chance – unless an intelligent producer with deep pockets comes along and shows them how to do it the right way.

At first, when the lame commercial-hard rock commenced as Ben (Michael Dorman) ran across a college campus, I thought this was going to be typical teen fair. Then the premise was revealed and intrigue set in – only to collapse into typical teen fair. Worst still, Travis Fimmel, who played Ben's older brother, came off as being creepy in one scene, and a determined guy out to solve the mystery in another. Now, this did not leave the audience with an enigmatic character (such as Stellan Skarsgård in INSOMNIA or Ji-tae Yu in NATURAL CITY) but a confusing one. However, seeing how the story imploded into mediocrity, I have little doubt the director had told me to act in this manner. Think of George Lucas directing kids (unless they're stuffed into ewok costumes) and you'll get the idea.

Revenge horrors have become a "give me a break" kind of subgenre, that is a simple and clichéd plot device for writers and directors to use as an excuse to slaughter. NEEDLE reminds us filmmakers need to deliver so much more. And this movie is only worth watching to see how a couple of writers came up with a great idea and didn't know how to make it work.

When a student, Ben, inherit a strange box from his dead father he seeks help from friends and from one teacher to find out more about the box. Suddenly his friends start to die mysteriously.

Nice killings voodoo style, but some times the sequence of the story was strange and the acting in my opinion is not that good. On the beginning my suspicions about the killer went in a very different way, and that´s a good thing , you want to get surprised when you watch a movie..

My opinion it´s an ok movie.

Some college kid inherits a mysterious box. He checks with specialists and discovers that it's quite valuable and some people are interested in it. It also was used in the past for magic acts.

When the kid's creepy brother appears, with whom he hasn't spoken for years, the box mysteriously disappears. And now, one by one his friends start dying in brutal, gory, and bizarre ways. One of them for example, has his limbs torn and broken without any apparent cause. But we do know what is happening. The killer is using the box, photographs of the victims, blood and wax to create a tiny voodoo doll to dismember and poke with needles.

The brother is also coincidentally a crime scene photographer who for some reason can't wipe a cocky smile off his face no matter what gory scene he's called to.

The kid's friends include a bunch of very attractive girls, one which is interested in him but he's rather shy. Eventually the kid and his brother by chance run into the killer and they find out why the killer is doing it.

Needle has an interesting premise, a good cast, is very gory, and it's frankly quite endearing to see Australians dealing with each other, which is a much more human and kind way than obnoxious bickering American movie characters. In particular the relationship between the kid and his love interest is well done. This movie is quite the opposite of American horror that often is nasty and mean spirited but lacks gore or violence. This movie is good-natured and filled with good people but it sure is gory. Nudity is sorely lacking and so is perhaps a villain, after all you really don't see or know much about him till the very end. The idea of a voodoo doll-creating machine is also pretty interesting. The death scenes are excellent. Overall a recommended horror movie that has an interesting way of blending violence and gore with a fairly gentle tone.