Cutting Room

I recently saw the film at the Milan Film Festival and I thought it was great. I especially enjoyed the scenes with the writer and Manuel, the maintenance man. That dude is creepy! Jon Polito, as always, was a hoot. Infusing subtle humor in scary films is risky, but I felt they really pulled it off. The stylized, campy feel really worked. I'd love to see more of Truitner's work. It was fun to see the blend of styles (Fincher/Coen Bros/the Scream films). In addition, the score and visuals hit just the right tone. They made great use of the steadicam. Not wanting to give anything away, there is an awesome shot where the camera just roams around the studio that I thought was especially effective in conveying the mood.

Low-budget horror/comedy about writer/director Ed Smith working on a low-budget horror film besieged by a real murderer who is trying his best to derail the film by offing various members of the cast and crew. Less irksome (but only slightly so) are the studio liaison who wants to put his input into the film, the producer who's funding this little venture with mob money & the big name star's agent, Sandy (Jon Polito known best for his roles in multiple Coen Brothers' films) who won't let his client take part in the movie in order to pursue more lucrative ventures.

Perhaps labeling this as a horror/comedy is a bit of a misnomer as the horror elements are played down for the most part, and the supposed 'comedy' aspect of the film is non- existent. It was cool, as always, to see Jon Polito act, but his part is minimal and is barely more than a glorified cameo. I just felt that this film was much ado about nothing and that I wasted my time on it.

Also for those few that actually make it to the end credits before falling asleep, there's another scene after the credits roll (I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't let them play while writing my review)

My Grade: D

This isn't a GREAT movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still pretty good. "Tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek" does not even begin to describe how this is played by all the actors. The entire movie is empty of any serious thoughts. The violence and bloodshed are just a notch above a cartoon (often using shadows of the characters performing heinous acts) and I really can't see much in this that wouldn't be suitable for even small kids.

The plot is quite thin, but the script and the characters are quite funny. Every character is a stereotype of Hollywood personality and/or the horror-movie genre. The two standouts are Weetus Cren as Charles Drake, the loopy semi-serious producer/director of an extra-low-budget slasher movie, and Lindsey Labrum as Mindy, the perky not-so-there production assistant.

This movie really is a lot of fun and I suggest you give it a chance. Just don't expect a classic horror-comedy.

I saw a screening of this film at the Italian Institute last month. Cutting Room is one of those movies you're not completely sure what it is at first, but once you're in it's a great ride. The colors, lighting and style emphasize the nicely weaved blend of quirkiness and spookiness. The larger than life characters are well performed by a strong cast who walk that fine line of being believably funny without becoming over-the-top. The sound and score also lends itself to the humor and pacing, keeping you off-guard and then surprising you when you least expect it. In a market filled gratuitous gore flicks and bland comedies that seem to repeat themselves year after year (and even recycle the same cast over and over), Cutting Room is a breath of fresh air, combining strong production value with fun characters and an intriguing story.

Definitely worth checking out.