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SICK GIRL - A welcome breath of fresh, bloody air in modern

Logan Crow | Long Beach, CA | 08/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine sitting through the most gloriously depraved mutilation/rape scene you've ever seen - I won't give away the gory details here, but I honestly think it may have outdone anything to be found in "Der Todesking." Not the most disturbing rape scene, per say - it's going to take a filmmaker with a LOT of balls to take that title from "Irreversible" - but just the most deliciously conceived and executed trasho-horror exploitation ever. Now imagine that scene set to "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO - such genius would be cause to throw up your hands in thunderous applause! Which I did.

This scene is one of many gems to be found in "Sick Girl," writer-director Eben McGarr's smart, sick, and shockingly good independent horror film, which will be released on DVD August 25. Sick Girl (Special Edition DVD) (...and no, it's not "Mr. Blue Sky," but it may as well be - Aaron Moreland and Dennis Haggerty's "Familiy Tree" is as perfect a throwback to such 70's vocodered summer-fun-in-the-sun classics as one could hope to find). Smarter than your average slasher film, it's the story of Izzy, a somewhat unhinged teenage girl who spends her time slitting throats, splitting heads, and doing unspeakable things to nuns. She also has three victims tied up in her barn, who she occasionally visits to dole out increasingly sadistic acts of mutilation.

That said, where the film transcends is that it also displays, and really centers on, another side of Izzy - a teenage girl who has been forced to raise her little brother Kevin on her own when their big brother is sent to Iraq. We see that Izzy cares deeply for her little brother, and feels affection and appreciation for kind neighbor Barney (played by McGarr's brother John) who consistently steps in to help raise Kevin. I always love movies that present psychos with their own sense of code: it is a credit to McGarr that Izzy does not kill a kindly stranger who comes to her aide halfway through the film, nor that she senselessly kills a rat that comes into her possession. In the hands of a lesser director these would have simply called for more scenes of carnage - despite the bloodbath this girl unleashes, she comes to have a "character," and it's in keeping with her character that she does, or does not do, the things she does throughout the film. That's very impressive for a film which contains a graphic dismemberment.

Credit is also due to actress Leslie Andrews - she gives Sleepaway Camp's Pamela Springsteen a run for her money as cinema's most convincingly cheeky slasher girl. There are so many scenes which have an impact that hinge on her performance, and she nails it every time. In one scene in particular, when she makes full advantage of a young bully's developing sociopathy, it is her control and her understanding of character that keeps the scene from being at all campy - it's an effective and chilling scene, and one of true horror that, at least for me, was totally believable despite its extreme grimness. That she doesn't then set the boy loose to continue down his path is, again, a credit to the filmmakers - she knows that kid is sick, and she uses it to her advantage, but that kid's not going anywhere. He's a bully - bully's are "bad." Again, without the right performance, such nuances in "code" are lost on villains - it's why we're able to quietly feel for Henry in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," and why by the end of "Sick Girl," we kind of don't want to see anything bad happen to Izzy.

There's a humorous subplot in the film involving Kevin's teacher, Mr. Putski, and his missing rat (I can't remember the rat's name right now, but it gave me a chuckle). I am glad for this subplot, if for no other reason that it brought back to horror cinema one of its lost sons, "Fright Night's" Stephen Geoffreys, as the teacher. It was essentially a cameo role, but it was good to see ol' Evil Ed again. And again, it lent for another great character moment - Izzy, despite her brutality, rescues and returns Mr. Putski's rat. How can you hate someone that returns someone's beloved rat?

I really love this movie, and am glad that McGarr is giving a fresh new voice to horror - I look forward with great anticipation to see what he does next.

Logan Crow
[...]"

Sick Girl - Breath of fetid air

MindGrinder | 09/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sick girl was a pleasant surprise. Its a no hold barred movie that moves at a great pace and definitly has some eye opening\closing moments. Sick Girl runs along the I am a distrurbing type of movie rather than a scary one. So no out of the our seat jumps here. There are also some good laughs along the way but this is by no means a horror comedy. For its budget (not much) it worked well with they could do. Gory scenes are not cheezy effects but rather look honest and believable.

Be prepared to listen intently. The sound is horrible. You can barely make out what they are saying and the sound effects and music are overly loud.

Sick Girl comes recommended for jaded horror fans who need a scene or two to bring a smile to their face as well as the viewer who enjoys the serial killer movies (Gein, Lucas, Gacy etc....)"

Really Sick Girl!!!

April Franzini | Philadelphia, PA USA | 11/22/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I thought that I was totally desensitized by watching violent, horror movies my whole life but this one made me cover my eyes a few times. Warning!! This movie is not for everyone. I was not expecting much when I rented this on Netflix, but I was pleasantly or unpleasantly surprized. This movie was not made on a big budget, hence the reason I wanted to watch it in the first place. The acting is really good and sometimes believing (some actors in this flick are just horrible). Overall, I really enjoyed this movie enough to purchase my own copy. This review is directed only toward the hardcore horror fans!!!"

One of My Favorite Christmas Movies

Thomas H. Fields | Washington, DC | 12/13/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most Christmas movies are too trite, corny, and over-sentimental for my taste. Not this one. This is about a girl who spends her Christmas exchanging gifts with her kid brother and a biker friend. It's not quite clear what happened to her parents. Her older brother is a Marine deployed to Iraq. So it's just the three of them, celebrating the holiday.

Afterward, she goes to the barn behind the house. This place is way out in the country, so no one else is around. Inside, she has three people tied up; each one has offended her in some way. Each suffers a cruel fate at the hands of this girl, who is truly sick. I won't give away all the nasty little tidbits along the way. Suffice it to say that this movie will never be one of those old holiday favorites that the TV networks run every December."