Tag Archives: Jamie Bernadette

I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu: A Pointless Sequel That Should Have Stayed Buried

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I Spit On Your Grave, or Day of the Woman, remains one of the most controversial horror movies ever made. Critics hated it, censors banned it. Make no mistake about it, director Meir Zarchi’s rape-revenge exploitation flick is ridiculously violent. Though Zarchi would claim it’s a feminist cry to power, the movie’s nearly 30-minute gang rape feels completely unnecessary and misogynistic. But that didn’t stop a remake from surfacing in 2010, followed by two straight-to-video sequels. Now 40 years later, Zarchi has made a direct sequel to his 1978 original.

Synopsis

Forty years after her harrowing experience, Jennifer Hills is now a best-selling author. The justice system acquitted her of all charges in her brutal revenge spree. Now she offers hope to other survivors. But her past refuses to stay buried. After a brunch with her supermodel daughter, Christy, family members of the men she murdered kidnap mother and daughter. Prepare for the cycle of vengeance to continue.

Deja Vu Goes On and On and On

Spoiler alert – I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is a really, really bad movie. There are so many things wrong. Chief among its problems is the movie’s bloated length. Aliens is 2 hours and 17 minutes. The Exorcist is just over two hours. Get Out clocks in at 1 hour and 44 minutes. Comparatively, I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is 2 hours and 28 minutes! Yes, you read that right. Keep in mind, this is a very belated, low-budget sequel to a lurid 70’s exploitation movie. No argument could be made to justify its length.

If you cut an hour out of the movie you might have something remotely resembling a suspenseful thriller except …

As a result, what you get are a bunch of scenes that drag long past their expiration date. The movie’s opening brunch with mother and daughter, for instance, crawls for almost 15 minutes. Other scenes just serve no purpose. And to make matters worse, those pointless scenes are needlessly drawn out. Whether the movie’s length reflects a lack of craftsmanship or some misguided notion about what was in the story is open to debate. If you cut an hour out of the movie you might have something remotely resembling a suspenseful thriller except …

I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu Is Poorly Made in All Regards

Director Meir Zarchi has only made three movies in the last 40 years, including Deja Vu. Even if you liked the original I Spit On Your Grave, you’d be hardpressed to convince many people that it’s a well-made movie. That movie’s infamy largely stems from its unrelenting scenes of vile cruelty. And Zarchi reminds of his original’s ugliness with flashbacks during the opening credits. If that’s what you expect from the sequel, prepare to be disappointed. What you’ll get in place is a scene where a demented woman wearing an army helmet drives an ATV through a cemetery.

Simply put, I Spit on Your Grave Deja Vu is a dull and ugly-looking movie. Zarchi isn’t able to evoke the slightest amount of suspense or tension. Scenes that should elicit discomfort either just feel tasteless or watered down by dragging on endlessly. There’s no signs of any type of craftsmanship in how anything is filmed. Love it or hate it, the 2010 remake fashioned its vengeance after the stylish ‘Torture Porn’ subgenre. That movie knew how to get mileage out of its garish revenge scenes. Everything about Deja Vu is underwhelming.

Wild Caricatures and Wilder Performances

I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu takes us back to the original small town. It’s a place that’s solely populated by family members of Jennifer Hills’ murdered assaulters. Oh, and there’s also a priest who just sits at an organ in a locked church. Don’t ask. As for Zarchi’s villains, they’re bizarre caricatures of southern hillbillies that would put Rob Zombie to shame. If you take the poorly written characters along with the over-the-top performances, what you get are cartoonish antagonists. Unfortunately, Deja Vu takes itself too seriously to laugh at, but its villains are too goofy to menace.

…Deja Vu takes itself too seriously to laugh at, but its villains are too good to menace.

Though Camille Keaton is back as Jennifer Hills, she looks either bored or tired. Perhaps the only cast member to escape relatively unscathed is Jamie Bernadette, as Christy Hills. A ‘Scream Queen’ in the making, Bernadette previously appeared in the fun 4/20 Massacre and the mixed The Sixth Friend. In Deja Vu, Bernadette offers at least a more grounded performance.

A Vile, Poorly Crafted Mess

Hands down, I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is the worst movie I’ve reviewed or this site. In fact, it may be one of the worst movies I have watched. This is a nonsensically bad movie. Unnecessary, boring, at least an hour too long, devoid of any filmmaking style – I could go on and on. Honestly, I have no clue how this movie made it out of an editing room. This is a pointless sequel that never had any reason to exist and does nothing to convince you otherwise.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: F

The 6th Friend Slashes Its Way Onto Streaming Platforms

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Indie horror flick, The 6th Friend, was filmed way back in 2016. But it’s only just now seeing the light of day on streaming platforms. Perhaps horror fans will recognize star and co-writer Jamie Bernadette from the fun stoner-slasher, 4/20 Massacre. Independent film company The Asylum is distributing what promises to be a bloody mix of slasher and supernatural subgenres.

https://youtu.be/K-1dAufG8sY

Synopsis

Six college friends gather for the graduation party to end all parties. But their drug-fueled party ends in tragedy and death. Several years later, the six friends reunite for a weekend cabin getaway. Shortly after arriving, however, they start hearing and seeing ominous reminders of their their shared past. Someone, or something, has crashed the party. Now they’re trapped in the woods with a vengeful entity waiting and stalking.

The 6th Friend Suffers From Pacing Issues

At a trim 85 minutes, The 6th Friend feels much longer than its runtime. That’s not a good sign. Though the movie mixes supernatural and slasher elements, its first half is too uncharacteristically plodding to feel like a true slasher. Aside from the opening and intentionally ambiguous tragedy, The 6th Friend doesn’t introduce a clear threat until at least 30 minutes into the movie. Even slow-burn psychological thrillers need something lingering in the background to create tension. The 6th Friend simply waits a little too long to introduce its horror elements.


In the absence of scares, kills, and atmosphere, The 6th Friend spends its first 30 minutes in what feels like a holding pattern.

To some extent, The 6th Friend’s sluggish pacing is also an editing problem. At least two scenes drag long past their ‘best by’ date with seemingly no purpose. A ‘good night’ joke among the friends just goes on and on. Another scene with the friends trying to figure out what to do next is filled with awkward pauses. Neither scene adds enough to the movie to justify their length. In the absence of scares, kills, and atmosphere, The 6th Friend spends its first 30 minutes in what feels like a holding pattern.

Too Little ‘Super’ for Supernatural, Lack of Slashing for a Slasher

Slow beginnings aren’t a problem if the movie’s back half delivers the goods. And horror fans expect a few things from their slasher movies. Most importantly, the movie needs inventive kills and a little blood and guts. Unfortunately, The 6th Friend delivers on neither front. Director Letia Clouston,whose previous directing credits include a couple of made-for-television Christmas movies, does stage a few good jumps. Yet despite a cast of six characters, only a couple of death scenes remotely stand out. In the final 10 to 15 minutes, Clouston lets loose a little with some good gore. But the film’s killer won’t be distinct enough to stand out in the crowd of memorable movie madmen.

Good Cast, Interesting Ideas

To some extent, The 6th Friend is saved by its cast and some interesting story ideas. Jamie Bernadette is talented and clearly has a love for the genre. Bernadette and Clouston’s screenplay also thankfully eschews several tired tropes in favour of more fleshed out female characters. Both Bernadette (Joey) and Chantelle Abers (Melissa) deliver strong, believable performance that ground the movie. In supporting roles, the rest of the cast is uniformly good and likable.

… it’s these themes that elevate the movie above many other indie horror flicks you’ll find on most streaming services.

There’s also some nice touches to the story not typically found in indie slasher movies. What starts as a timely nod to #MeToo concerns takes a surprising detour in the final 15 minutes. Bernadette and Clouston add a nice twist that genuinely takes the movie in a different direction. Additionally, The 6th Friend roots its twist in another relevant contemporary concern – our cultural obsession with fame and notoriety. Certainly, these aren’t new ideas for horror. Wes Craven touched on similar themes in Scream 4. The movie’s final twist also prevents it from really delving too deeply into its bigger ideas. Nevertheless, it’s these themes that elevate the movie above many other indie horror flicks you’ll find on most streaming services.

The 6th Friend Falls Short Of Its Premise, But Still Worth Watching

Overall, The 6th Friend has a lot in common with real class reunions. Not nearly as fun as advertised, but still worth watching. In spite of its slow first half and lack of bloody mayhem, there are enough good ideas and talent involved to put it above most indie slasher flicks. Jamie Bernadette continues to impress as someone to watch for in horror.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C+

4/20 Massacre: The Most Lit Slasher Film of 2018

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The slasher film subgenre has banked pretty heavily on the holiday calendar for much of its success. With 4/20 Massacre, writer and director Dylan Reynolds has taken the rather creative route of embracing a relatively new holiday for a slasher film – ‘4/20’, or April 20, the day of all things marijuana. Not surprisingly, 4/20 Massacre has been marketed as a horror comedy. It probably couldn’t work any other way.

Unfortunately, 4/20 Massacre wasn’t available to Canadian audiences this past April 20. However, that problem was rectified as of yesterday and now 4/20 Massacre has finally hit select streaming platforms. The ‘stoner’ horror-comedy already has a few positive reviews circulating so I was hopeful it could break the doldrums of some the recent horror duds.

Synopsis

The plot to 4/20 Massacre doesn’t deviate much from the standard slasher film blueprint. Five friends head off into the woods for a camping trip to celebrate a birthday. Among the group is rough-around-the-edges Rachel, the prissy Michelle, pothead Donna, Aubrey, and the level-headed birthday girl ,Jess. As they leave their car behind to hike to the camping site, a park ranger warns them about ‘guerrilla’ marijuana farmers. It also happens to be 4/20 so when the friends decide to ‘light up’ their high times are interrupted by a madman who will do anything to protect his crop.

Good Mix of Gross-Out Horror and Comedy

Reynolds directs his violence with a fairly deft balance of over-the-top, gross-out gore, and outrageous humour.

With respect to style and tone, 4/20 Massacre is most reminiscent of late-80’s slasher, Intruder. Reynolds directs his violence with a fairly deft balance of over-the-top, gross-out gore, and outrageous humour. This is the kind of movie that will have you screaming and laughing aloud at the same time. A pothead has her bong shoved through the back of her head; the scene ends with the killer taking a last hit before throwing her body aside. In an earlier scene, another character has his stomach cut open and desperately clings to his intestines as they slip through his fingers.

All of the the gore effects for these scenes – created by Brennan Jones – are very impressive for such a low-budget film. It looks like 4/20 Massacre uses all practical effects and it’s a better film for it. Even if the intestines looked like a string of sausages, the blood, guts, and viscera were all well designed.

The Acting Performances Light up ‘4/20’

Another area in which Reynold’s 4/20 Massacre stands out from its low-budget peers is the acting and characters. Unlike most slasher films, the five main characters are surprisingly likeable, presenting with fairly relatable traits. In addition, 4/20 Massacre spends just enough time with each of the characters to develop some empathy for them.

Aubrey’s romantic feelings for best-friend Jess is handled well and their scenes together actually carry some emotional weight. Both Jamie Bernadette (Jess) and Vanessa Rose Parker (Aubrey) turn in performances that are much better than what you would normally expect from this type of film. Even Stacey Danger’s pothead Donna rises above being a caricature. The result of this character development is some investment in the slower moments when someone isn’t being killed.

Well-Paced and Edited Thrills

Much of the effectiveness of these scares can be attributed to the film’s smooth editing and decent framing of the action.

For a low-budget horror film, 4/20 Massacre is surprisingly well-edited and tightly paced. Reynolds actually manages to get a couple of good jump-scares into the movie. Much of the effectiveness of these scares can be attributed to the film’s smooth editing and decent framing of the action. There are a couple of moments in the film that drag a little, but 4/20 Massacre never overstays its welcome.

To be sure, 4/20 Massacre is far from a perfect film. Although the credits rather boldly credit the film’s killer as ‘The Shape’, 4/20 Massacre’s villain is rather forgettable. Visually and personality-wise, he doesn’t offer much, making very little of an impression over the course of the movie. The film’s score is fine – it doesn’t distract or overpower the action – but it leans a little to heavily on the 80’s vibe, which has been done to death at this point.

4/20 Massacre is a Joint Worth Rolling Up

Over the last several weeks, I’ve reviewed quite a few low-budget horror films for this blog. In most cases, I have been pretty disappointed with most of these movies. Fortunately, 4/20 Massacre is exactly what a low-budget horror film can and should be for fans. It’s a fun, gleefully gross, and self-aware horror film that doesn’t try to be anything more than a good slasher film. For fans of this type of horror film, 4/20 Massacre is a joint worth rolling.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B