UP SHIT CREEK
THE RIVER: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Starring Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson and Leslie Hope
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Michael Katleman, Dean White, et al. Written by Oren Peli, Michael R. Perry, Michael Green, et al. ABC Studios
Television is arguably the best medium REVENGE OF THE NERD
SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE Starring Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick and Karen Black
Directed by Jack Perez Written by Ryan Levin Anchor Bay
Just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, nor should one judge
a movie by its title…well, not always. The latest example is Some Guy Who Kills People, which may sound like a half-baked afterthought of a name, but director Jack Perez has pulled together a great cast and a sharp script to produce one damn charming film. Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) is haunted by memories of being bullied
and tortured by old classmates and, after spending time in a mental institution, tries to get back to normality while working a demeaning job at a diner. He lives with his insufferable mother (Karen Black) and is reunited with his hyperac- tive daughter, but worse, the jocks that terrorized him are still making his life miserable. Revenge, therefore, becomes a very appealing option. Some Guy is a real surprise
in how much it succeeds in both its comedic and horror elements. It’s consistently funny and the kills are garish enough to keep horror hounds satisfied – a decapitation and an axe to the face are just a couple of ways the aforemen- tioned sporto d-bags get picked off. Perez also pos- sesses a unique style, charac- terized by colourful scenes that pop out at you like a graphic novel, which ties in nicely with an art theme that runs through the story. It’s also important to note John Landis lends his hand here as executive producer, giving it an additional seal of approval... if you need it. But key to the movie’s success is the cast. Black oozes disdain and
disappointment as her character lurks in the background, quick to pounce on her son’s downfall. Lucy Davis’ turn as Ken’s love interest is rife with bumbling British charm, and Corrigan plays the downtrod- den lead perfectly. But if there’s one reason to see this film, it’s scene- stealer Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as Sheriff Fuller, whose one-liners will have you howling. With its distinctly underdog feel and unassuming title, Some Guy
could easily go unnoticed, but this isn’t just Some Movie. It’s another one of those under-the-radar potential cult classics that’s much more than it appears, if you’re willing to look past its deceptively ordinary exterior.
CHARLOTTE STEAR RM 04 C I N E M A C A B R E
for telling epic stories with large, (r)evolv- ing casts of characters, even more so now in the wake of the recent genre TV renais- sance, which has boundary-pushing shows regularly turning up on the prime- time schedule. But unlike a film, where a director can occasionally muddle through with a bunch of underdeveloped elements and still end up with something worth watching, with TV it’s harder to maintain the ruse. Case in point: The River. The premise for this short-lived eight-
episode mid-season replacement was reasonably fresh. A TV documentarian, Dr. Emmett Cole (Bruce Greenwood), goes missing during a filmed expedition to the Amazon. Following his disappear- ance, the network agrees to bankroll a search-and-rescue effort led by his family, if they agree to film it for a future TV special (thus imbuing the series with its hand-held/found-footage conceit). Each episode concerns a new lead that Cole’s estranged wife Tess (Leslie Hope) and son Lincoln (Joe An- derson) and their crew investigate. It soon becomes very clear that dear old dad stumbled onto something supernatural and quite possibly sinister. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, genre junkies will find them- selves playing spot-the-influences more than being truly unnerved. From the creepy dolls hanging from a tree in the jungle (echoes of The Blair Witch Project), to cursed ships, mystery ailments and the crew’s semi-frequent spirit/demon possessions, almost everything here has been done before, just tweaked slightly to suit the Amazon. But it’s the characters that are the show’s true downfall. An engaging en-
semble of players is an absolute must for episodic television, but these characters are not them. Their bickering, paranoia and consistently poor decisions render them unlikable and annoying. And without folks to care about, the stories lose any chance of making the necessary emotional im- pact. It’s easy to see why The River got the axe, but for those brave souls who
still want to wade in, things do get reasonably tied up in the end, should you make it there. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that changing the setting to the jungle is the freshest thing brought to this expedition – and it isn’t nearly enough.
MONICA S. KUEBLER DEAD ON THE MONEY
ATM Starring Brian Geraghty, Alice Eve and Josh Peck
Directed by David Brooks Written by Chris Sparling IFC
Celebrate the holiday season early with a Christmastime terror that’s
trapped in all the tropes of the genre but still manages to balance some funds at the end of it. Plopped directly into the world of ambiguous financial professionals, this
thriller tells the tale of towheaded spaz David (Brian Geraghty: Open House), who offers a ride home to his fellow Aryan-like crush Emily (Alice Eve: The
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