Chad

These "2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day #" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 Films in 31 Days subset.

General discussion on the 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge goes here, your list for the Challenge goes here.

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day. You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day. Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.

Spoiler tags will not be needed, as it will be expected that anyone here has seen the film.

Do not read this thread if you have not seen the film, unless you don't mind the ending being spoiled for you.

MrTerrific

I had forgotten how great this movie was! I'm glad this was suggested and enjoyed rewatching it!

Kevin M. Dean

Too bad large portions of this movie is clearly plagiarized almost scene for scene from Dean Koontz's Intensity with a twist ending added in to make it seem different.

takingchase

Eh, this movie just irritates me. It's not bad but I just feel cheated by the ending. I mean it kind of defies the laws of space and time.

L. Ron zyzzle

I am further irritated by the female leads. They really rub me the wrong way, and it might be just xenophobic anti-young-french-hipster-chicks attitude. Makes the movie, its illogic, and fantastic gore scenes almost unwatchable. I think once was enough.

clckworang

I just couldn't bring myself to watch this movie and endure that ending again. I saw it quite a while back and remember really loving it ... until the end. I think this is the only movie I've ever seen that had an ending that pissed me off so much that I just want to almost disown (for lack of a better word) it or something. I even remember watching it and thinking myself, "Don't pull some stupid twist ending. Don't try to get too clever."

Why does it seem like all slasher films now feel obligated to come up with some last-second twist, often contradicting or invalidating everything we had already seen? And since audiences now are so much savvier, they resort to the "it's all in the mind" thing to I guess cover up any plot holes that result. It's like when Lucy Lawless guested on The Simpsons and she said told all the fanboys whenever there was an inconsistency in the show, "A wizard did it." It's a lame Band-aid that gets trotted out and is expected to solve everything.

One of the few times I can remember the "it's all in the mind" thing working -- and actually making sense because of the overall appearance of the film and the way it was acted -- was in

smashthesymbols

I watched it yesterday for the first time and enjoyed it. The ending was a bit of a cop out though.

I do have one silly question, which language track on the DVD is the correct one? I kept messing with them because none seemed correct. I finally just left it on the English track and turned on subtitles anyway.

LickTheABCs

^ French Director's Cut w/ English subtitles.

llandros

My problem is that knowing the ending and watching the film, so many scenes just don't hold up. Well, not a bad movie, but didn't need the twist ending at all.

bmax

I just watched this for the first time tonight. Definitely didn't need the twist ending. Was very good up until that. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, but knowing that she was actually the killer would really ruin watching it again. I mean all of the tense moments of her hiding and escaping would seem kind of pointless now, knowing that it didn't really happen that way. Would have been much better if they played it straight up I think.

Darkgod

def. think it was good, but I do agree, once you see the ending other scenes dont add up on later viewings

TRC

This was the one film on the 31 Days list I was going to make a point to watch on its respective day and of course I don't until two days after.

I remembered someone in the Going to Pieces documentary called it a "cheat" when comparing it to another film, so I kind of knew what to expect.

To those who called the twist unnecessary, I don't disagree but it did help smooth over some parts of the movie for me. The killer was just a little too cunning. Why take the bullets from the gun, instead of simply taking the gun itself? It's okay though because it didn't actually happen that way.

Trevor

I don't think of the ending as that big of a cheat. Without the twist, it would have been just another slasher flick, and pretty forgettable, although some of the gore and kill scenes were quite good.

The twist doesn't create anything too illogical for me, although you do have to accept the "it's all in her mind" thing.

Not as much fun on this second viewing, but I think I loved it the first time I watched it. Of course, I go back and forth pretty easily, so perhaps I trashed it in the 07 or whenever I saw it Challenge.

Larry C.

Same here. The movie doesn't have to be perfect for me to really love it. What really got me about this movie is the real tension certain scenes create and the way the gore is done.

riotinmyskull

it also rips off TORSO quite heavily.

OldBoy

i can't believe almost this whole thread is no love for this movie. this is probably one of the better horror movies of the past 10 years. love it every single time i see it.

LickTheABCs

and Maniac.

riotinmyskull

the ending leaves a bad taste in my mouth...other than that i do think it's quite awesome.

OldBoy

i thought the ending was fantastic and don't see why it gets the hate.

Trevor

Most of the replies are quite favorable actually, with some disliking the ending only.

Groucho

Mostly because it's a twist for the saving of having a twist.

clckworang

Exactly!

tylergfoster

This movie is weirdly compelling to me. I really like almost everything about it, but as everyone says, the twist really screws the pooch. Still, something about the direction and "look" of the movie keeps making me think I should give it another chance.

takingchase

Because it's a copout. You can do whatever you want and have it make 0 sense as long as you say it was all in her mind.

Had the movie actually been played out well where it made sense that you could see she was the killer it wouldn't be so bad. But the fact is they didn't. It's a stupid twist and a complete copout. If they wanted to end it that way they should have made the rest of the film fit those guidelines. They didn't, they took the lazy way out.

I completely disagree that without the ending this would be a forgettable slasher flick. I think it was so well done that had it been played out straight up it would have separated itself from the pack. The tension was fantastic as were the gore and kills which is more than enough to separate it from just another generic part of the slasher pack.

I honestly never thought one part of a movie could ruin the whole picture for me but it does and it's a damn shame. I loved this movie and when that twist was revealed it just killed it for me.

Daytripper

You should. It's a terrific film. And one of the most effective horror films I've ever seen.