The Place For The Latest Movie Reviews
Cast: Eric Peter-Kaiser, Sam Skoryna, Lynn Lowry, Tiffany Shepis, Billy Morrison
Karen Cook was your average high school student until the night evil invaded her life. She would soon be known as the lone survivor of a seven-day killing spree perpetrated by a seventeen year old boy the world would come to call Basement Jack. For the next eleven years, Karen Cook lived in fear that one day Basement Jack would be released. Then, a court hearing in 2006 found that Jack Riley had not received a fair trial and he was released from a state institution. A year later, murders baring a shocking resemblance to Basement Jacks old MO were occurring around the town of Downers Grove. Karen Cook soon realized that the maniac was hunting her and that the only option left to her was to find Jack and kill him. So the hunt began. And on a stormy night, in the town of Downers Grove, the killer and his prey would find one another and as they hunt one another the citizens would have to fight to survive the blade of Basement Jack
This looks like any other slasher flick from the outside but Basement Jack brings more to the table than most others. The movie was filmed on a low-budget and in a short period of time but you would never know it by watching the film, the production values are excellent and the cinematography is often dark and moody which really helps in getting that certain atmosphere the film needs. Like all slasher films this one is not without flaws but there is enough good things about the film to ignore the bad. One of the main things this has that separates it from most is it provides a back story that continues through-out the film on Jack's childhood and how he was abused by his mother, this is not only clever writing but it allows the character of jack to seem more human to the viewer. You almost feel sorry for him because it was his mother that made him who he is. The character is creepy looking and carries a big knife, towards the end of the film when he is wearing the half mask he really gets under your skin. The story is slow at times but there is plenty of action to keep you from ever being bored. Also what is a slasher film without blood right? Well there is plenty of gore to go around and some of the killings are very creative, the scene towards the end at the Police station is one example but there is carnage all the way through the film. As far as slasher films go this is about as original as you might find and the back story allows the film to be more intelligent than most. I think the film makers could of cut back a little on the flashbacks but they never interfere with what is going on present day so they only enhance the story. The entire cast did an excellent job but Michele Morrow who plays Karen is no doubt the highlight here as far as the acting goes. The story had great twists on the usual slasher stuff and there is plenty of suspense and blood to go around. I recommend this to any fan of horror, Basement Jack is a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become too tame for it's own good. This certainly looks like a labor of love for all involved and it translates into one of the better horror flicks to come along in some time.
Released by Brink DVD
**** Out Of *****