During the intro credits we learn from newspaper headlines that a bunch of teens were killed by a mad mortician. In the present, a woman named Joan with a nasty scar on her face visits her family. In flashbacks we find out how she ended up scarred. As a teen girl she and a friend of hers ended up spying around a funeral house. They got caught and were invited in by the mortician to whom young Joan is attracted. The mortician is indeed twisted and has the girls play a nasty little torture game. He will keep mutilating one girl until she begs him to stop and kill the other girl instead.
Back in the present, the town is celebrating all sorts of festivities. Suddenly some of the teens, friends of Joan's niece Olympia, start disappearing. Joan keeps having nightmares, memories, flashbacks of the mad mortician. She has a hunch that things are not as the appear, it feels all too familiar, even though the funeral home is now turned into a horror museum. Olympia in the meantime is falling for a shy guy; her father is the town's sheriff. Joan gets herself in trouble with the law as she turns up at the scenes of the crimes just as law enforcement arrives. Because she keep investigating, she eventually finds herself yet again involved in the torture game.
This movie is quite outstanding compared to most formulaic and sanitized horror flicks. There are really two stories here, that could have made for 2 movies. The story taking place in the past, which is also the more interesting one, is focused more on the horror and gore, and it's pretty horrific stuff. It also stands out because of Brittney Wilson's excellent performance. She plays young Jane, is a very cute girl, and gives one of the best victim performances I've seen. Her screams and cries of agony are very believable. Kirby Bliss Blanton performance as Olypmia, in turn, makes the story taking place in the present interesting. The director is particularly good in portraying teenage dialogue and relationships.
This movie does not look good though, the coloring, mostly yellow/brown, is gimmicky, distracting, and pointless- it makes things look unreal instead of making the torture seem real. Sounds is excellent. The story and the twists were good. This isn't just about torture for torture's sake. There are some interesting death scenes- my favorite a death using some vacuuming device used by morticians that is plunged into a living persons abdomen, to well, suck out their guts. Other effects are very well done and realistic, not CGI, fortunately. I'm not so thrilled about the casting of Angela Bettis. She in a way is suited for the part of the troubled and traumatized victim. But when she's on screen, things become less interesting and watchable.
This movie stands out because of a good and rich story, some great performances by attractive girls, realistic gore effects, and a welcome cruder and bloodier approach to horror. Highly recommended.
Back in the present, the town is celebrating all sorts of festivities. Suddenly some of the teens, friends of Joan's niece Olympia, start disappearing. Joan keeps having nightmares, memories, flashbacks of the mad mortician. She has a hunch that things are not as the appear, it feels all too familiar, even though the funeral home is now turned into a horror museum. Olympia in the meantime is falling for a shy guy; her father is the town's sheriff. Joan gets herself in trouble with the law as she turns up at the scenes of the crimes just as law enforcement arrives. Because she keep investigating, she eventually finds herself yet again involved in the torture game.
This movie is quite outstanding compared to most formulaic and sanitized horror flicks. There are really two stories here, that could have made for 2 movies. The story taking place in the past, which is also the more interesting one, is focused more on the horror and gore, and it's pretty horrific stuff. It also stands out because of Brittney Wilson's excellent performance. She plays young Jane, is a very cute girl, and gives one of the best victim performances I've seen. Her screams and cries of agony are very believable. Kirby Bliss Blanton performance as Olypmia, in turn, makes the story taking place in the present interesting. The director is particularly good in portraying teenage dialogue and relationships.
This movie does not look good though, the coloring, mostly yellow/brown, is gimmicky, distracting, and pointless- it makes things look unreal instead of making the torture seem real. Sounds is excellent. The story and the twists were good. This isn't just about torture for torture's sake. There are some interesting death scenes- my favorite a death using some vacuuming device used by morticians that is plunged into a living persons abdomen, to well, suck out their guts. Other effects are very well done and realistic, not CGI, fortunately. I'm not so thrilled about the casting of Angela Bettis. She in a way is suited for the part of the troubled and traumatized victim. But when she's on screen, things become less interesting and watchable.
This movie stands out because of a good and rich story, some great performances by attractive girls, realistic gore effects, and a welcome cruder and bloodier approach to horror. Highly recommended.