Search - Skin Crawl on DVD

Don't Watch While Eating!

Foggy Tewsday | 04/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is director Justin Wingenfeld's first feature at the helm. It's an impressively made low-budget slice of horror. It values intelligence above out-and-out slasher film sensibilities, so if you're looking for a gore-fest, you won't find it here. Oh, there's murder and nastiness, certainly, but for a b-movie horror story, there's an unusually high emphasis on characterization.



There are fine performances from all the cast. The hugely talented Julian Wells plays the duplicitous Sadie who latches on to Howard (Kevin G. Shinnick), a bored husband who has allowed his marriage to drift into banality. Sadie spices up Howard's life with kinky sex and promises of more to come if he gets rid of his wife (played by Debbie Rochon). Howard stands to net a tidy sum with his wife out of the way, and the prospect of an exotic love life with the seemingly insatiable Sadie is all the encouragement he needs. Best of all, Sadie knows people who would be willing to carry out the murder for a price.



Many of the Seduction Cinema ensemble appear in this film. There are cameos from Misty Mundae and Ruby LaRocca. John Fedele has his best role to date as Franco who, hitherto, has eked out a living as a hired thug. His macho bravado is countered superbly by his henchman, Demato (Rodney Gray), who is plainly traumatized by their descent into murder.



Visually, the film is very pleasing. There are some good effects used in the opening scenes which are set three hundred years in the past and involve some witchcraft. The picture is sepia toned here and there are some excellent animation effects used when the witches cast their spell. Brett Piper is credited with this work as well as some inventively effective editing.



The DVD has a very entertaining commentary with Justin Wingenfeld, producer Michael Raso and actor/DP John Fedele, but the sound levels fluctuate alarmingly in places. There are also interviews with the director and with Debbie Rochon.



If you're a fan of the Shock-O-Rama and Seduction Cinema stable, then you should enjoy this DVD. The film's runtime is only about 75 minutes, but the bonus material helps make up for this deficiency.

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