Cut!

USA 2014
produced by
David Rountree, Chris Moir, Darvin Morales, David Banks (executive) for Psycho Rock Productions, Brilliant Screen Studios
directed by David Rountree
starring David Banks, David Rountree, Sam Scarber, Dahlia Salem, Gabrielle Stone, Suze Lanier-Bramlett, William McNamara, Chris Moir, Allen Maldonado, Rosie Garcia, Mike Simon, Ace Underhill, Tansy Alexander, Michelle Ivette Badgley, Jade Banks, Shelden Blevins, Chelsea Brennan, Matt Callahan, Daniel Carlton, Gregory Caruso, Ray Chao, Reid Cox, Nancy Cronig, Kelley Day, Mark Durmisevich II, Pat Fitz, Heath Francis, Daniel Gannon, Heidi Georgina, Naz Gharai, Edward Jackson, Joe Juarez, Jesse Keen, Suzanne LaChasse, Kandiss Marie Lewis, Freddie McClain, Darvin Morales, Lauren Nash, Cody Ogden, Adam Palmer, Savannah Polisar, Stacey Newsome Santiago, Diane Sargent, Lauren Thompson, Steve Thompson, Kristin Vahl, Annie Whitfield, Brian Woods
written by David Rountree, David Banks, music by Mark McDiffet, songs by Delaney Bramlett, Suze Lanier-Bramlett, Minister Crowley, The 3 Heads

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Travis (David Rountree) and Lane (David Banks) work at a filmmaker's supply warehouse that's closing down in three weeks - and while Lane is worried about losing his job as he's a petty criminal out on parole, Travis thinks it's time to finally fulfill his dream and become a movie director. Thing is, Travis has some big ideas, but not exactly the budget to make the horror film to end all horror films. Lane on the other hand might be a cinematic illiterate, but he's good at scaring people ... and he takes special pleasure in beating up prostitutes. So he suggests to Travis that they pick up some whores and scare the living shit out of them to make an authentic horror movie - but their first few attempts to do just that just don't work out ... until they hire a homeless guy (Sam Scarber) to act as their bogeyman. But when they hand him a knife to scare a prostitute (Dahlia Salem), he just goes and slashes her throat. Travis and Lane are shocked, but as they have set the guy up, they are accomplices to murder, so they dump the body. It doesn't take them long to realize the footage they got was gold, and despite everything, they did enjoy the rush, so they just keep on doing what went right with that scene (actual murder), sometimes involving the homeless guy, who remains a mystery to them otherwise, sometimes not, killing more prostitutes, a colleague they don't like (Chris Moir), and even a popular horror actress (name withheld to not spoil the surprise). And while they're still shooting, Travis is already fixing a distribution deal. But something's just terribly not right about the whole affair (quite apart from the fact that it's not right killing people) ...

Fan faves Suze Lanier-Bramlett and Gabrielle Stone play themselves, William McNamara has a guest spot as one of Travis's high profile customers.

Cut!, while deeply rooted in the slasher genre, is definitely not your usual genre fare - it's a film that plays with genre expectations and twists and turns especially when you least expect it to (just wait for the film's resolution, despite making total sense it's a surprise ending if I ever saw one), focuses on characters rather than spectacle (though when it lets loose, it's quite graphic as well), is carried by performances rather than just depending on a familiar story arc, and the direction is suitably subtle to properly let the story unfold instead of burying it in over-used horror mainstays.

Pretty good, really!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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