Behind The Screen: Review Of SCREEN (2012)

Though only 109 minutes long, the first 40 are only a build up to the party itself and the next 20 or so are just of people partying, and discussing, once again, what they think happened to cause the original deaths. I get that this may seem like a long time to wait before any action begins, but I guarantee it does not feel that way at all. You become so invested in the trip itself, and what the girls are doing and experiencing (a little lesbianic encounter, for example), that the movie flies by, and before you know it, it’s over and you’re itching to watch it again (which I did). We also get to witness the transition of Lola from meek country girl who spends her time taking care of her drunk dad to rocking, punkified babe who’s finally coming out of her shell, which is both visually and emotionally rewarding in its own right.

Nicole Alonso is amazing as Lola, in what seems to be a totally different role from that of Tank in Crawl Bitch Crawl, which we’ll see later this year, hopefully. Her range of emotions is stunning, and while both Crawl Bitch Crawl and SCREEN are of the Horror genre, Nicole isn’t someone who’s going to get typecast; it’s clear that she’s more than capable of playing both the quiet, unwilling victim as well as the strong, take-charge badass, and, I’m going to go ahead and assume, anything and everything in between.

Leslie Andrews is absolutely gorgeous as the pink-haired Carrie. With her multiple studded bracelets, black Gothy shirts, “CUNT” necklace, and curious and fearless nature, she’s the chick who would have been my best friend in high school. She’s funny, creepy, and cool — and she spits out classic lines like, “I’m OK with dead hookers. I’m NOT OK with roaches.” Andrews plays the role spectacularly and is so incredibly believable: the resemblance to the hilariously sarcastic bitches I grew up with is uncanny. SCREEN was marvelously cast, and I hope to see both of these actresses a lot more often in future movies.

It’s important to note that SCREEN was filmed during a couple months in the Summer of 2011, with a $4,000 budget, and little to no crew at times. Despite this, it is a beautifully filmed, very well-written, and amazingly acted Indie flick that I implore you all to see when it comes out. David Baker is a genius for managing to make such a quality film with such little to work with, and deserves to have SCREEN seen, and loved by all.

The Verdict:

This flick is another instance in which it was too short for my liking. It was such a great movie, and the idea is actually *gasp* an original one, that I just wish it would have been longer, or have certain parts flushed out more. Another half an hour once the action starts would have made it close to perfect. Still, you can bet your ass that it’s going to be a part of my collection once it hits DVD. It should damn well be a part of yours too.

Stay Scared, kids.

Pages: 1 2