Unlikely Horror Gem #2: Home Sick
Posted 14th May 2009 at 06:07 PM by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs
Tags bill moseley, dvd, mr suitcase, obscure, slasher
Round 2: Probably going to be controversial this one, but another horror film that I consider gem material is Home Sick.
Synopsis:
Bill Moseley (Rob Zombie's Halloween, The Devil's Rejects) stars as a smiling maniac named "Mr. Suitcase." With a briefcase full of razorblades, he crashes a homecoming get-together for Claire (Lindley Evans) and forces the partygoers to identify people they hate. Soon, a black-hooded supernatural killer is loose killing each person identified by the teens and the terrified friends realize they may also be viciously murdered because Tim (Matt Lero) awkwardly joked that he hated everyone at the party, too! As the corpses pile up and the body parts fly, the kids enlist the help of a crazed chili loving militia man who can give them the weapons they need to stay alive!
Again, this film was a blind purchase based solely on some online reviews. The fact is that most people will hate this film, but there is a distinct originality to it; its goal was to never boast that it is another Halloween or Friday the Thirteenth, and nor does it mimic these classics to earn a quick buck (as so many US made slasher pics do).
I have the Special Edition from Synapse, which in addition to the very good transfer (as is usually the norm with Synapse), also boasts some impressive special features including an interview with Moseley.
The best way to describe Home Sick is to watch it, not just for its originality (because originality doesn’t always relate to high-quality), but because it is also a very good film.
It is in that minority of slasher films which seem to straddle the arthouse genre; it’s quirky, clever, and weird but also stupid at the same time. It exhibits an almost Olaf Ittenbach quality to it in some respects, coupling excessive gore and character comedy with a jilting plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, though; from the initial randomness of the appearance of "Mr Suitcase" (a stellar and minor performance by Bill Moseley, which has to be seen to be believed), through the various character specific plots and killings, to end up at the 'redneck' family showdown (complete with lots of guns of course).
Reading this, you may dismiss Home Sick, but it is far from a by-the-numbers snooze-fest slasher. I recommend you watch it and judge for yourself... after all: WHO DO YOU HATE?
bizarre_eye's rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Bill Moseley (Rob Zombie's Halloween, The Devil's Rejects) stars as a smiling maniac named "Mr. Suitcase." With a briefcase full of razorblades, he crashes a homecoming get-together for Claire (Lindley Evans) and forces the partygoers to identify people they hate. Soon, a black-hooded supernatural killer is loose killing each person identified by the teens and the terrified friends realize they may also be viciously murdered because Tim (Matt Lero) awkwardly joked that he hated everyone at the party, too! As the corpses pile up and the body parts fly, the kids enlist the help of a crazed chili loving militia man who can give them the weapons they need to stay alive!
Again, this film was a blind purchase based solely on some online reviews. The fact is that most people will hate this film, but there is a distinct originality to it; its goal was to never boast that it is another Halloween or Friday the Thirteenth, and nor does it mimic these classics to earn a quick buck (as so many US made slasher pics do).
I have the Special Edition from Synapse, which in addition to the very good transfer (as is usually the norm with Synapse), also boasts some impressive special features including an interview with Moseley.
The best way to describe Home Sick is to watch it, not just for its originality (because originality doesn’t always relate to high-quality), but because it is also a very good film.
It is in that minority of slasher films which seem to straddle the arthouse genre; it’s quirky, clever, and weird but also stupid at the same time. It exhibits an almost Olaf Ittenbach quality to it in some respects, coupling excessive gore and character comedy with a jilting plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, though; from the initial randomness of the appearance of "Mr Suitcase" (a stellar and minor performance by Bill Moseley, which has to be seen to be believed), through the various character specific plots and killings, to end up at the 'redneck' family showdown (complete with lots of guns of course).
Reading this, you may dismiss Home Sick, but it is far from a by-the-numbers snooze-fest slasher. I recommend you watch it and judge for yourself... after all: WHO DO YOU HATE?
bizarre_eye's rating: 4/5
Total Comments 4
Comments
-
Sorry, I thought it was one of the worst films I've ever seen. Totally inept on every level.
I thought I would give it a chance to see if recently made low budget horror was worth trying again. Unfortunately it's put me off wanting to watch anything else.
It was a shame because I generally like the majority of what Synapse puts out.Posted 18th May 2009 at 10:06 AM by eiren
-
Thanks for the comment
I thought this one would be a controversial choice, but it has a peculiar charm to it, and I couldn't help but like it.Posted 19th May 2009 at 11:34 AM by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs -
I'm intrigued to see what comes up next in your selections...Posted 20th May 2009 at 03:01 PM by Almar@Cult Labs -
Ooohhhh Eiren... That's a bit harsh towards recent low budget horror. Yeah it's not all great but how are upcoming filmmakers like myself going to succeed if no one wants to watch what we do?Posted 29th May 2009 at 12:43 PM by KPWNINJA
 Post a Comment |
Total Trackbacks 0
