Highly Effective And Unique Movie Crossing Through Multiple Horror Sub-Genres - 4.5 Stars
Added 3/1/2010
Amusement is an imaginatively put-together movie - it starts off seeming like an anthology movie, only one whose portions are more like end-slices of full-length films rather than individual stories. Then it starts drawing these pieces in together until you have the full story unfold. It taps on elements familiar from such movies as Friday The 13th to House Of Wax to Trick R Treat to Saw, creating a whole that's very well-produced, original, sexy, and with genuine shock moments that don't telegraph themselves a mile away, or even an inch away. Personally, I think a movie like this - where it's the intention that you don't figure out the actual connecting story until about half-way through - is best watched with as little foreknowledge as possible, and for anyone already considering getting this I'd advise you to stop reading and just go ahead and get it - if you're into horror, you won't likely be disappointed.
However, most people are going to want a bit more to go on, so I'll elaborate a bit, first with my usual warning.
***WARNING - POSSIBLE SEMI-SPOILERS AHEAD*****
The various seemingly unrelated segments are connected by a common past shared by at least one character in each segment - a past in which they each came into contact with a demented individual who's now tracking each of them down. The killer likes to play games with his targets, but it's not just another variation on the widely influential Saw theme where the victims are trapped and challenged to survive tests. In this case, it's elaborate scenarios that the targets don't even know Are set-ups orchestrated by the killer, often where the disguised killer himself is playing a role completely unbeknownest to any of the other people involved. Often there's nothing at all to indicate that events are being manipulated.
A couple of these sceanrios, admittedly, have flaws from a story stand-point. Some are very believable, but at other times coincidence plays too large a role, and in at least one case it's difficult to see how the character in question could have walked into the circumstances without major alarm bells being set off. So how much of a hinderance is it to the whole movie? Not very much, really. A little bit of retooling could have probably eliminated most of the problem; and if you want to think about it a bit it's not too hard to come up with a "Well, maybe if..." explanation as to how a seemingly nonfeasible situation could have actually worked, perhaps with events that simply took place offscreen. When you're this good, if your biggest fault is that it calls for a bit of conjecture on the part of the viewer to fit a couple of the pieces together, that's not too big a problem. Ninety per cent of Amusement is very well crafted and thought out, only about ten per cent affected by some plot holes.
As for what it's got right - original concept and (mostly) highly skillful execution, fine acting, good solid production values, freaky visual imagery, nice characteriztion, high-quality special effects, gorgeous female cast members, genuine suspense and a couple of real jolts. What is there left to say? Four-and-a-half stars.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I enjoyed this very much but I have a question.
Added 2/22/2010
Hmmm...I can easily see this little Horror flick being forgotten about over time as with so many other Horror gems that I've come to appreciate (some sooner than others), in time. The reason I can see 'Amusement' forgotten about, is because this giggly, Dr. Giggles-sounding villain is NOT so much iconic in the world of so many great Horror characters. This killer is an average looking/size person. Maybe that's why I like this. Also, the way this story has been stitched together has been done before. Plus, there is no mystery except for the question I have. Well, You'll know who the killer is and you know mostly who his victims are. This flick gives all of that information right up front. The only mystery is that you don't know how this killer will achieve his "amusing" goals! I do like the wicked little laugh coming from the killer. It's true, you can either hate this laugh (which is heard throughout the feature), and let it ruin the whole flick, or you can enjoy it because it fits its title so perfectly. I will have to agree with most of the critics on here about the clown scene! Loved it!!! There are quite a few scenes I loved.
I do have a question on some of those locations that the killer manages to use for his sick game. Were those locations inherited??? Was he from a rich family of entertainers??? He did say he came from a long history of performers and entertainers. I just don't see how he managed to rig up some of those things. This is mainly the second half of the film that I'm questioning. All horrific locations, by the way. Not big on gore but does have some blood here and there. Speaking of gore, I was let down by one certain scene but then quickly reminded myself of the title. All in all, I enjoyed this little Horror.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Beware of creepy little kids!! They may come back to haunt you!!
Added 9/22/2009
Ever wonder what happened to that mentally disturbed little kid in your class? Well he is probably plotting against you right now. At least that is the story line for Amusement. Three girls all connected by a childhood friendship, and a creepy little boy, are thrown together in this horror movie.
Something happened when they were kids, and now each girl is suffering a fate they determined for themselves a long time ago. If you are really interested in seeing the movie, be assured that I will not spoil anything. The opening credits let you know who these people are, and how they are connected.
So why only 2 stars? Well, honestly it is a bad film. It is a waste of time. It is long (which is sad for like 87 minutes) and tedious. The opening scene is too long and does not make any sense. Where did all these people come from? Why the obsession with convoys? Why entwine other people without explanation? The second segment gave this movie its 2 star rating. While still poorly done, it was by far the best part (which is not saying much). But clowns are always scary. Although, this segment too left me with questions: how did he know she'd be there, etc, etc? And the last segment was just unbelievable, over the top. Why is it in horror movie world, no one calls the police? Why is it even a disturbed psycho takes on immortality or invincibility? The world may never know...
Unless you want a bad horror movie to laugh at, or you really want to see this for yourself, I would not recommend this.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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NOT TOO BAD, SCARY CLOWN, KATHERYN WINNICK IS GORGEOUS!!:)
Added 9/13/2009
I LOVE CANADIAN ACTRESSES!! KATHERYN WINNICK IS A GREAT REASON ALONE TO CHECK THIS ONE OUT!! SCARY CLOWN, ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY REAL SCARY PART, WORTH CHECKING OUT AT LEAST ONCE.
1 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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No Laughing Matter...Sorta
Added 9/9/2009
By the trailers I'd seen of Amusement, I'd assumed I'd be getting the usual teen slash-a-thon; long on clichés and short on originality. It looked fun but I wasn't holding out any hope for a fresh take on the slasher sub-genre, not that there's anything wrong with that on occasion but it's nice to something "different" every now and then. Imagine my surprise when Amusement ends up skipping the clichéd characters and the "same old, same old" for something a bit more, well...amusing.
The Laugh is one hell of a cool psycho, he's a killer of a thousand faces and some incredibly twisted pleasures including stitching his victims into bed mattresses and creating elaborate gore prosthetics to scare his victims! Instead of just donning the usual slasher get-up, he throws down on a clown outfit, a family man, a deaf-mute and more! The production design was off-the-wall, the kills were interesting, women hot, dialogue decent and an entertaining psycho.
Amusement exceeded my expectations and I had a ball watching it! This was a super clever slasher film. Just between you and I, for some reason, the actor Kevin Gage strikes sheer terror in my heart. I know he's just an actor but the man terrifies me, he just exudes this violent alpha male thing that never fails to affect me. Couple that with Winnick's ability to conjure wood and a killer worth cheering for and this was what I call entertainment. There are no extras, which is a shame, but I'd recommend viewing this anyhow.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Highly Effective And Unique Movie Crossing Through Multiple Horror Sub-Genres - 4.5 Stars
Added 3/1/2010
Amusement is an imaginatively put-together movie - it starts off seeming like an anthology movie, only one whose portions are more like end-slices of full-length films rather than individual stories. Then it starts drawing these pieces in together until you have the full story unfold. It taps on elements familiar from such movies as Friday The 13th to House Of Wax to Trick R Treat to Saw, creating a whole that's very well-produced, original, sexy, and with genuine shock moments that don't telegraph themselves a mile away, or even an inch away. Personally, I think a movie like this - where it's the intention that you don't figure out the actual connecting story until about half-way through - is best watched with as little foreknowledge as possible, and for anyone already considering getting this I'd advise you to stop reading and just go ahead and get it - if you're into horror, you won't likely be disappointed.
However, most people are going to want a bit more to go on, so I'll elaborate a bit, first with my usual warning.
***WARNING - POSSIBLE SEMI-SPOILERS AHEAD*****
The various seemingly unrelated segments are connected by a common past shared by at least one character in each segment - a past in which they each came into contact with a demented individual who's now tracking each of them down. The killer likes to play games with his targets, but it's not just another variation on the widely influential Saw theme where the victims are trapped and challenged to survive tests. In this case, it's elaborate scenarios that the targets don't even know Are set-ups orchestrated by the killer, often where the disguised killer himself is playing a role completely unbeknownest to any of the other people involved. Often there's nothing at all to indicate that events are being manipulated.
A couple of these sceanrios, admittedly, have flaws from a story stand-point. Some are very believable, but at other times coincidence plays too large a role, and in at least one case it's difficult to see how the character in question could have walked into the circumstances without major alarm bells being set off. So how much of a hinderance is it to the whole movie? Not very much, really. A little bit of retooling could have probably eliminated most of the problem; and if you want to think about it a bit it's not too hard to come up with a "Well, maybe if..." explanation as to how a seemingly nonfeasible situation could have actually worked, perhaps with events that simply took place offscreen. When you're this good, if your biggest fault is that it calls for a bit of conjecture on the part of the viewer to fit a couple of the pieces together, that's not too big a problem. Ninety per cent of Amusement is very well crafted and thought out, only about ten per cent affected by some plot holes.
As for what it's got right - original concept and (mostly) highly skillful execution, fine acting, good solid production values, freaky visual imagery, nice characteriztion, high-quality special effects, gorgeous female cast members, genuine suspense and a couple of real jolts. What is there left to say? Four-and-a-half stars.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I enjoyed this very much but I have a question.
Added 2/22/2010
Hmmm...I can easily see this little Horror flick being forgotten about over time as with so many other Horror gems that I've come to appreciate (some sooner than others), in time. The reason I can see 'Amusement' forgotten about, is because this giggly, Dr. Giggles-sounding villain is NOT so much iconic in the world of so many great Horror characters. This killer is an average looking/size person. Maybe that's why I like this. Also, the way this story has been stitched together has been done before. Plus, there is no mystery except for the question I have. Well, You'll know who the killer is and you know mostly who his victims are. This flick gives all of that information right up front. The only mystery is that you don't know how this killer will achieve his "amusing" goals! I do like the wicked little laugh coming from the killer. It's true, you can either hate this laugh (which is heard throughout the feature), and let it ruin the whole flick, or you can enjoy it because it fits its title so perfectly. I will have to agree with most of the critics on here about the clown scene! Loved it!!! There are quite a few scenes I loved.
I do have a question on some of those locations that the killer manages to use for his sick game. Were those locations inherited??? Was he from a rich family of entertainers??? He did say he came from a long history of performers and entertainers. I just don't see how he managed to rig up some of those things. This is mainly the second half of the film that I'm questioning. All horrific locations, by the way. Not big on gore but does have some blood here and there. Speaking of gore, I was let down by one certain scene but then quickly reminded myself of the title. All in all, I enjoyed this little Horror.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Beware of creepy little kids!! They may come back to haunt you!!
Added 9/22/2009
Ever wonder what happened to that mentally disturbed little kid in your class? Well he is probably plotting against you right now. At least that is the story line for Amusement. Three girls all connected by a childhood friendship, and a creepy little boy, are thrown together in this horror movie.
Something happened when they were kids, and now each girl is suffering a fate they determined for themselves a long time ago. If you are really interested in seeing the movie, be assured that I will not spoil anything. The opening credits let you know who these people are, and how they are connected.
So why only 2 stars? Well, honestly it is a bad film. It is a waste of time. It is long (which is sad for like 87 minutes) and tedious. The opening scene is too long and does not make any sense. Where did all these people come from? Why the obsession with convoys? Why entwine other people without explanation? The second segment gave this movie its 2 star rating. While still poorly done, it was by far the best part (which is not saying much). But clowns are always scary. Although, this segment too left me with questions: how did he know she'd be there, etc, etc? And the last segment was just unbelievable, over the top. Why is it in horror movie world, no one calls the police? Why is it even a disturbed psycho takes on immortality or invincibility? The world may never know...
Unless you want a bad horror movie to laugh at, or you really want to see this for yourself, I would not recommend this.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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