Malevolence (Divimax)
Picture: B-
Sound: C Extras: B Film: C
This throwback to 80’s slasher flicks has oddly enough
been getting some attention recently, and has even managed to recently see a
limited theatrical release. But is this
movie really worth seeing? Maybe we'd
all be better off if we put this one to rest and huddled around to watch some
of the true classics of the genre instead of praising a lame retread. Though not a fan in particular of many of
Wes Craven's films, I'd much sooner sit through a few rounds of Last House
On The Left - or even either of The Hills Have Eyes movies rather
than be forced to sit through this one again.
It first plays out as a tedious botched bank heist film, but pretty soon
decides that it wants to grow into something else and rip off... sorry...
"pay homage" to just about every horror movie to eke out of the 70’s
and 80’s.
Normally something like this might get me excited, provided that it’s done
well. But as it stands, this movie has nothing at all on its predecessors. To make matters worse, the filmmaker seems
to have his ego stroked quite a bit throughout the whole experience of making a
movie, despite creating something bland that isn't anything better than any
other horror movie going in and out of theaters at this time. Just because it's independent, doesn't mean
it's actually better than anything that isn't.
If you want to see a newer movie that manages to do everything right, I
suggest you hit the multiplex and catch a showing of The Devil’s Rejects. While Rob zombie might have completely
ruined his previous try at a horror/exploitation picture - he more than makes
up for it with his new one that somehow hits all the right notes, and may even
go on to become a cult classic in the truest sense.
Back onto this DVD, you’ll find that there are a decent amount of bonus
features, but none of which I was very interested in. There’s the obvious making-of featurette, full-length audio
commentary, along with trailers and other stuff to fluff out this release.
The picture quality here is passable, but nothing great at all. Everything is
dark and bland, and might as well have been the set of a Texas Chainsaw
Massacre sequel. A little
creativity might've gone a long way to make this something at least partially
original. As is though, you'll be
staring at darkened; foreboding rooms and old farmhouses for quite some time
before your eyes commit suicide. As for
the sound, it's also passable, but not quite up to snuff in my opinion. It is in 5.1 Dolby Surround, but still seems
kind of Lo-Fi to me. All of this might
be attributable to the style and attitude of the filmmaking, but more than
likely is due to a botched job in the rerecording stage.
If you and some chums are looking for a good movie to sit down to and relax
with, I suggest you look beyond Wal-Mart, where his film is seeing a large bulk
of its distribution, and go out to that long forgotten VHS rental place. They're sure to have more classic titles up
for rent than most of the modern chains are willing to stock, and firing up
your old tape deck a few more times with a few cheap rentals might not be such
a bad idea - certainly better than laying down bucks to purchase this waste of
retail space.
- David Milchick
