Goth

I rented this hoping I'd get something a little bit different: a "gothsploitation" film that reveals the eeevvviiilll dark side of goth culture that those crazy kids are into nowadays, ala "Class of 1984" or something like that. I figured it would be laughably bad, and, yeah, "Goth" is that... but it actually tries not to insult its audience's intelligence THAT much.

Don't get me wrong; it's terrible and stupid, a very poorly written movie... but hell, what else WOULD it be? But it was just a little different from what I expected. The filmmakers obviously know little about the "goth" subculture (I don't know that much about it either, really, except that I think it's silly and some of the old "goth" bands like Bauhaus were pretty good), and luckily they don't really PRETEND to be authorities on it. They just sort of use some goth imagery and silly ideas about "darkness" to drive the (lame) plot.

Basically, a character NAMED Goth lures a couple of goth kids on a rampage of death and destruction by constatly taunting them that they're "poser" goths and through threats of physical force. There's alos some hogwash about one of the character's sisters being killed by Goth a few years back and some revenge stuff, but that's all besides the point and really quite useless to the plot.

Anyway, apparently, in order to be a real goth, you simply have to follow three rules:

1. "Embrace the darkness."

2. "Kill your fear."

3. "Live for death."

And apparently this entails having sex with/slashing up ugly, fat prostitues and stabbing random people in goth clubs. It's pretty funny stuff, and the gore is really quite pathetic if you as me. Best part of the movie is Goth's skull necklace that's top flips open to reveal a big pile of cocaine or something. Pretty sweet.

This movie is not a must see - the script is uninspired, the creators conception of goth culture is skewed, and the dialogue is... well, in a word, horrible.

I have the feeling the actors were paid in beer (Watch the bloopers on the DVD, hilarious) for their hard work trying to make their characters human - the acting itself was indeed a fine affair given the sloppy, disjointed and unconvincing dialogue. Dollar makes a fine evil goth chick and it is very fun to watch her suppress her unidentifiable accent. The actors were obviously more cognizant of the campiness of the film than the production crew, who appear pretty drunk in the Interviews on the DVD.

A rental for lovers of unique and independent film. If you buy this and you habitually wear black cloths and dye your hair... you obviously don't know what goth is and have too much money for your own good. The goth lifestyle is really just an outlet for severe depression - not aggression. Goth (Dollar) put it very correctly when she said, "You call yourself goth and you've never even bled yourself?"

This movie is shocking, in every sense of the word.

The producer should be shot, for a start. The "special effects" were absolutely awful. The acting was some of the worst I have ever seen, as well.

The Movie tries to shock and sicken the viewer throughout, what with it's rape and murder, and completely neglects any other factors of the movie.

Overall this is up there with the worst movies i have come across, but for some reason I don't regret watching it. If you watch this movie, and realize that people made money making it, then you know there's hope for everyone!

Budget Goth subculture movie is nothing more than cheap and cheerful. Well, without much cheer.

OK, so this one was obviously made on a shoestring budget, and the production values suffer as a result...

Laura Reilly (Who?) is Chrissy, a 'goth' who embraces the superficial nature of the culture. Aided and abetted by her boyfriend Boone (Dave Stann) she goes to a gig at a club and encounters Phoebe Dollar's (Your guess is as good as mine) 'Goth', a sadistic and sinister goth who delights in making people suffer. She takes the 2 on a trip of violence, sodomy, and drug-taking.

OK, first off, the acting is not good, but it's the type of movie where it's impossible to act well. The low budget cheap film-reel is more Blair Witch than anything else, with the difference being the movie isn't filmed as a documentary. So it does look like a group of film students have taken a day off college to film a project...

The 'effects' are truly appalling - the blood literally looks like tomato sauce, and no attempt has been made to create convincing wounds. Apparently smearing puree on someone's chest is enough to tell us they've been sliced open.

The plot itself is daft, but quite honestly it's not hopeless. It's *reasonably* entertaining, and not overly predictable. Sure, it's not especially original, but it doesn't have to be.

As for the question of the accuracies about goth subculture, well I find anyone defending goth culture to be mostly misguided. People become goths because they're trying to be different, yet because it's such a common route to take, by trying to be different, goths end up conforming just like the rest of us. Plus true Gothic culture is nothing like the film portrays, nor anything like what most people think it is.

But this is academic and irrelevant.

Ignore the factual discrepancies, the poor special effects, the awful acting, and purely focus on the strongest aspect, the story, and you'll find this vaguely agreeable for an hour and a half.

In "Goth," a young goth couple at a goth show in a goth club meet a tough goth named Goth. Soon, the goths are with Goth in Goth's goth van, where Goth shows the goths the true meaning of "goth." Will the young goths of "Goth" get back to their goth music and goth friends, or will Goth's version of goth bring the goths of "Goth" to their end? At the core of "Goth" is the goths' relationship with Goth and her version of "goth." "Goth" is an interesting portrait of goths in the goth culture, with Goth's version of goth a stark contrast to the goths' ideas of the goth world and what it means to be goth. Unfortunately, "Goth," despite Goth and the goths and the goth music, probably could've been a bit more goth.