By Melissa Garza
This was another film my brother found on YouTube. I had never heard anything about it, but mistakenly read the full synopsis on IMDB. Do not do this prior to watching the film as it spoils the entire movie without warning.
The movie opens with three thugs, the leader Turk (Steve Malis), his girlfriend B.B. (Darlene Hartwell), and the follower Wimp (Michael Capellupo) robbing a record store. While in the store, two yuppies Rod (Kevin M. Glover) and Arlene (Deidre West) come inside and nervously mention a party that they are going to. Immediately, the thugs invite themselves to the get together.
Turk gets upset when the rich kids cheat at darts where the loser needs to strip. Wimp loses and strips before Turk finds out that the darts used were different weights.
Upset, they decide to up the ante and play Russian roulette. Things get crazier and crazier as the night progresses.
I read the reviews from the people who have seen this film. All of them compared the movie to The House at the Edge of the Park (1980). The similarities are undeniable yet still the movie has value. The characters are well developed, the plot is interesting and the acting was well above par.
I honestly thought the film was better than The House at the Edge of the Park. The film was actually more intelligent and reminiscent of Funny Games (1997). Though low budget, the film used what they had wisely. They created atmosphere and tension. The dialogue was well thought out and was more intellectual than one would expect.
I found it was one of the best movies of this kind. Though some scenes are disturbing, they are storyline oriented and necessary to create a hatred for the characters.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
