Re: High Tension reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 5
 

I haven't seen it for two years and while the tension during the movie had me going, it was the ending for me that made it a great movie. I liked the twist and as some have already said, without it, it would be a good slasher flick but just another slasher flick.

But that's the problem with twist ending, you either buy into it or you don't, If you do it becomes great, but if you don't it becomes a great flick gone bad. Like Blade Runner it is pointless to debate the ending because one side goes off what they actually saw as the only representation, while the other side re-interprets it based on the ending or certain clues along the way.

However, unlike Blade Runner it hits you point blank at the end with no room left for interpretation. So both sides can't enjoy the film equally. It is hit or miss. In a sense, that's what makes Blade Runner exceptional. While it has two well known and voiced interpretations, each can happily live on their own merits.

Unfortunately, movies with this type of twist are a one time view for me. Without the twist it could be easily viewed multiple times (my favorite is to watch Halloween about every other year at this time).

Re: High Tension reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 5
 

I like a good twist at the end of a film, but this one was more of a distortion. Overall, I liked the film, very tense, but,like many others here, the ending ruined it for me.

Re: High Tension reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 5
 

If you have never read Intensity (or seen the made for TV movie) you don't quite understand just how much this movie ripped off Dean Koontz ...

... it would be like me writing a book called, uh, Space Battles about these 2 robots who escape a space battle and land on a desert planet. They befriend an orphan who finds out he is a wizard. Then they take the boy and his mentor and two pirates to rescue a princess and join an insurgency. At the end of the movie, the fly into space and ... (need to to change something, uh) ... and ... the government's "Death Star" shoots down the orphan and his friends. No, no, really, that is my completely original story!

Re: High Tension reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 5
 

I loved this movie the first time I saw it and was curious how well it would hold up to a second viewing with a generous amount of time in between viewings. I was surprised how well it held up and some of that may have been due to looking for clues. The one thing that stood out was that Alexia never looks at Marie in a "help me" manner, that was something I totally missed on the first viewing. The second viewing also raised a lot of questions as to Marie's past and possible other victims. Could the truck have belonged to Alexia's father? Has anyone figured out what the back of Marie's shirt said? I wondered if it was a clue but may have required a very large screen i.e. theater viewing.

Re: High Tension reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 5
 

Interesting to see the majority of the 14-year-old comments here are spot on with my current feeling for this film.

I rewatched this movie tonight after not having seen it in a while and knowing the stupid twist really messes up subsequent viewings.

If you know the twist, the entire time you are watching, you are saying to yourself, scene after scene, that this didn't happen, this couldn't happen, this wouldn't happen, and finally this shouldn't happen. It sucks because the movie is a well-made film that is filled with (ahem) ...tension.

I still think it can be enjoyable watch. Just turn it off around 15 minutes before it ends and try to block the twist out of your mind. I have several movies that I do that with. :lol:

My rewatch rating: *** out of *****