Excision: Review By The Cryptkeeper: Resurrected

When I rented this movie, I did not know what I was in for. I wasn't sure if I should expect something cheesy, or disgusting, or both. But what I got was a surprisingly amazing work of cinema. Now, this is not just some psycho horror movie with blood on every frame. This is more of a "slow burn" psychological horror/thriller. It's horrifying, for sure, but technically not a horror movie, one could argue.

It's about a girl, Pauline, who is... Different. She is a Senior in High School, and doesn't fit in. She's an outcast. And for good reason too. She is very weird, creepy and often downright rude. Her home life is one she thinks is terrible. Pauline's sister has Cystic Fibrosis, and will need an organ transplant sometime in the future. This inspires Pauline to become a nurse. But all the mean time, she is having these weird sexual dreams about dead bodies, death, or just flat out sensual weird stuff. It is a story line that may not sound incredibly filling of a feature length film, but trust me, it is.

Writer/director Richard Bates only has two movies under his belt. This, and another short film of the same title. With this being his first feature length film he's even written, much less directed, I must say I'm stunned. There is every once in a while a first time writer or director that I must say I'm impressed with, and Richard Bates is one of them. The whole movie looks very professional, and is one of the most entertaining, and gripping movies I've seen in a while. But I must give the most props to the screenplay itself. It is so original; something that is very rare in the horror genre. On top of that, it flows incredibly well, and by the end, you'll want to start the whole movie over again. I know I would have, if it wasn't so late when I watched it.

While Bates' cinematography is simple, it is yet effective, and perfectly fitting for the movie. During Pauline's dream, the shots and sequences presented, and brilliant because of their simplicity. There's no complex craning shot, or dollying (all the time at least). It's just BAM- Here's the shot and what's in it. The entire movie isn't like this; just the dream sequences. It works fantastically well. On top of the cinematography, the sets were perfect. They're basically in a plain white room, usually. But this is some great contrast, especially for when the blood comes in.

AnnaLynne McCord plays Pauline. She does a fantastic job. Her performance alone should not be missed. She plays her role more than perfectly. She is not all that well known of an actress. I am only familiar of her from her role in a season or two of Nip/Tuck (a favorite show of mine). People who do know her, know she is a beautiful girl. But in Excision, she is made to look quite the opposite in fact (in her dreams I must say that made her look hot again). This leads me to believe that she is a very fearless actress; one that likes a challenge. One that isn't afraid of what people think of her. Here I am, hoping this will help her in her promising career. As for the co-stars of the film, we have some interesting choices. Traci Lords plays Pauline's mother, whom she doesn't get along with. And Roger Bart of Hostel Part II fame plays her father. Amongst John Waters who plays her priest/therapist. And finally Malcolm McDowell which is her teacher, who doesn't like her very much. None have very tough, or challenging roles. But I enjoy the fact that they're in such a fantastic film.

Excision is a movie you must witness for yourself, to fully comprehend the story provided. It will definitely not be what you think, and you may despise it. It is many things; so many adjectives come to mind. Horrifying, twisted, morbid, disturbing, but on top of all that, there is also an extremely original and somewhat poetic, and dare I even say beautiful film. I think this movie definitely has an audience that will appreciate it for what it really is.