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2000 |
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Rated: R for
violence, adult language, and strong sexual content. |
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Genre: Thriller Drama |
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Directed By: Dennis Berry |
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Running Time: 1:33 |
| Review
by: Felix Vasquez Jr. |
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Review Date: 12/14/03 |
| DVD Features:
None. |
| If you like this,
try: Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy 2, Devil in the Flesh, Devil in the
Flesh 2, Swimming Pool, Fatal Attraction, Single White Female,
Swimfan, The Good Son, All About Eve, Femme Fatale, Fear, Wild Things, The Night Caller |
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POISON |
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As a red-blooded teenager, I must make
a declaration: Mandy Schaffer is unbelievably hot. How is it I've never seen
this girl before? One of the main aspects of the film that kept me from shutting
it off was watching this blonde goddess shake her money maker throughout the
movie. Mandy Schaffer is fun to look at and pulls of the seductive scenes very
well. Even I'd have trouble saying no to her, and I assume
director Dennis Berry seems to have a thing for her, because he features a lot
of her body in the film, from backside shots, to wet t-shirt shots, to many
shots of her in bikinis, even Berry isn't immune to her allure on-screen. It's
not completely far-fetched though; Hitchcock fell for Grace Kelly, Larry Clarke
featured a load of nude scenes of Bijou Phillips in "Bully".
The story in the film and the script is
a hefty mess and bears some incredibly wide plotholes that ruin the efficacy of
the film. For example, It's never fully or clearly explained as to why Traci
does the things she does to get her mother's attention. There's some insinuation
that she resents her, or maybe she's psychotic, but there's no verification.
Even in the end which is somewhat blurry, we're never truly sure as to her
motives with killing all the people during the movie. Her actions during the
film perceive her character to be more spoiled than psychotic and threatening,
so in the end it remains hazy. Also, the climax of the film seems so rushed and
tacked on it begins to feel awkward on the closing credits.
The scene with the hot tub and the
chase in the bridge and the fight feels so artificial it became difficult to
even experience the atmosphere and tension attempted to such a great extent.
Even in the beginning scenes which set up the story are increasingly hazy and
also become questionable to Traci's motives and character and pose a large plot
hole. Why is Traci so attached to her teacher? Why does she kill her boyfriend
on the boat and then move along during the rest of the film without any contact
with her? Why is it we never hear from the teacher again until the end of the
film? The situation is never resolved and leaves a gaping plot hole throughout
the film. Also, there are these hilarious instances where we hear Traci's theme
song. Yes, you read right, her character has a theme song, and it is so
laughably similar to the character Jason Voorhes' theme song from "Friday the
13th", it became nearly impossible for me to hear it without breaking into a
chuckle.
Rosanna Arquette, a seasoned and very
underrated character actress, tries her best with
the messy material she's given in the film and attempts to save the adequate
performance from Schaffer. Jurgen Prochnow who I most remember from the awful
"House of the Dead" is given little to do in the film and has a contrived
sub-plot taken from "All about Eve" where he witnesses Traci's little plans and
attempts to foil her schemes throughout the film but can't truly do anything
about it except banter back and forth with her like rivals. The rest of the
supporting characters are your usual batch of disposables including the tepid
love interest named Evan, and the hilariously ridiculous character Carmen played
by the horrible Suzanne Coy who chews the scenery
with her bit role as Traci's maid who always conveniently seems to be at the
right place at the right time when Traci is committing an act of deceit. Wow.
Can any of these writers manage to
muster up new original closers to these obsessed girl flicks and not invoke
another interchangeable last hurrah? These types of films all seem to end at the
edge of a cliff/river/ocean/bridge/tall house/balcony/building while the
mother/father/son /brother/lover fights with the psychotic
girl/guy/convict/young boy/young girl/evil babysitter who holds the victim at
the edge fighting them and then falls off themselves by some weird coincidence.
Ya-a-a-awn!
Mandy
Schaffer is fun to look at, Rosanna Arquette does the best she can and looks
good doing it, but I got what I was expecting: Nothing new or original.

- Also known as "Blonde Biest - Das
Wenn Mutterliebe blind macht" released in 2000 on German television, and
as "Tease" re-released in 2002 on DVD.

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