IMDb reviews From IMDb
★ 7 / 10
**_Infamous film starring Lohan is artistic, explicit and
Wuchak
**_Infamous film starring Lohan is artistic, explicit and inventive_** I watched this movie without knowing any of the controversy behind it, such as Lohan…
**_Infamous film starring Lohan is artistic, explicit and inventive_**
I watched this movie without knowing any of the controversy behind it, such as Lohan being harassed by the paparazzi during shooting and the corresponding tabloid scrutiny, as well as her legal issues that caused her to be late on occasion or not show up at all. An additional problem is that she had her appendix removed when filming started in Dec 2006, but developed an infection that shut down shooting after a week, which recommenced in Feb-Mar. Add to this the fact that the flick won eight Razzies, including Worst Picture of 2007, which broke the record set by “Battlefield Earth” and “Showgirls.”
Yet none of that matters when viewing it as a piece of cinematic art & entertainment, especially after all these years. The film worked for me. Sure, it starts out confusing, but it soon finds its footing, and I found myself interested in the story, which brought to mind Jeff Goldblum’s underrated “Hideaway.” Regarding the story, it deals with a high school senior who goes missing and the serious investigation to find her, not to mention capture the psycho responsible. When the girl is eventually found, severely injured, she insists that she’s not the missing person in question. What’s going on?
I suppose it didn’t help that Lindsay looked older than her actual age during shooting. She was 20 years-old playing a high school senior but easily looked 28-30. This can be observed when she’s reading a short story in front of the class wherein she struck me as the teacher. Of course, it’s not uncommon for aged actors to star in movies about high school students (Roddy McDowall, for instance, played a senior when he was 36 years-old in “Lord Love a Duck”).
The potential serial killer element and gratuitous gore bring to mind movies like “Silence of the Lambs,” “Kiss the Girls,” “The Cell” and “Hostel.” I’ve only seen three Lohan movies—including “The Parent Trap” and “Herbie Fully Loaded”—and simply wasn’t expecting this R-rated approach. Add to this sensual pole dancing sequences and it becomes clear that Lindsay was wanting to break away from her more innocent stereotype.
The locations (listed below) are outstanding and there’s a sense of artistry to the polished proceedings, even beauty, despite some bits that are sensual, coarse or sordid. Everything is eventually explained with a rare ‘wow’ revelation. A plus is that this is arguably the top contender for catching Lohan’s beauty in her prime, disregarding the dubious sleaze element.
As for the supposed plot holes that critics whine about, they’re not there. Everything can be explained if you pay attention to the details and use a little imagination. The writer and director respected the intelligence of the viewer. The only real shortcoming I can think of is a scene in the last act involving someone’s hand, which could’ve been executed better.
This is the flick that ended Lindsay’s rising star, and she wouldn’t appear in another (minor) movie for two years, although she’d do a music video and a little television work. In 2014 she moved to London to escape the insanity and, eventually, Dubai.
It runs 1h 46m and was shot in Morro Bay & nearby San Luis Obispo, which are a 3h 45m drive northwest of Los Angeles.
GRADE: B
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★ 4 / 10
Could have been better...
plaiddustbunny
Really, it could have. My personal opinion of Lohan aside, this movie - like others (Dead Silence for one) relied heavily on effects that at times, become…
Really, it could have.
My personal opinion of Lohan aside, this movie - like others (Dead Silence for one) relied heavily on effects that at times, become quite distracting. Some of the shots in the film are beautiful, but the use of blue is really overdone, some of the special effects are lacking, and some of the weapons are just ridiculous (The big blue glass knife? Are you kidding me?). Whether you see symbolism in the use of colour depends on the viewers mindset - But even so, the use of blue is just overwhelming at times. This is probably the point - but it starts to distract from the plot.
The acting is alright. For the most part, Lohan does a good job. The parents aren't very convincing, and at times the dialog becomes stale, and somewhat corny.
However, the movie is easy enough to follow that people who don't like complex horror films can sit back, and enjoy the ride. If you do prefer a bit more mystery, you'll have this figured out about halfway through, and the end will seem to drag. The big plot twist at the end was original enough, however for me it seemed like a cop out. It works fine, it's just not quite as exciting as it could have been. Kind of left me thinking "Oh... that's all?"
There's a small bit of nudity, a sex scene, and lots of dirty dancing. So if your decision rests on one of those things, now you know.
Surprisingly, there are several gory scenes as well. I wouldn't recommend bringing small children to see this, though I doubt that will stop some people from bringing their kids along. It isn't scary, but the gore in some parts might be a bit much for younger audiences, or people who really can't deal with it. It's nothing like SAW or Hostel in the area of gore, but there were a couple scenes that made me flinch.
In the end, the film really didn't bring anything new to the table. The storyline is simple, and easy to follow, some of the shots are nice, and the acting on a whole is mediocre at worst. So if you have nothing better to do, it's an alright film to waste an hour or so with. But don't go expecting an award winner - you'll be left disappointed.
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★ 3 / 10
Wow-- this is bad.
CHiCkLeTdC
So I just went to go see an advance screening of this movie and I don't know why the studio would do such a thing-- the audience was constantly laughing and…
So I just went to go see an advance screening of this movie and I don't know why the studio would do such a thing-- the audience was constantly laughing and this is no comedy. Usually screenings I've seen have been of fantastic movies (Wedding Crashers, Hairspray) and I'm telling everyone I know to go see it. Also, I've never seen such a general consensus of "WOW, what were they thinking?" at the end of a movie. I cannot WAIT to read the reviews on this! It's going to be slaughtered by the press.
Despite Ms. Lohan's troubles, I do think she is talented and, if only for her sake, I was hoping this would be a good film. I like her, and I love movies and tend to see the good in them, but this does not do enough redeeming. It does have a promising premise, but it is done all wrong. The parts that need build-up have none and time is wasted on other pointless scenes. Very graphic film as well-- definitely not an R that any child should be seeing.
Seriously, this isn't even a case of "so bad it's good". It's just bad.
Save yourself the $10 movie fare on this one-- and go see "1408" for a real psychological thriller. This'll be on DVD before you know it anyway.
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RESEED!!!!! PLEEEAAASSSSE!!!!!