The Bottom Line
Pros
- Good production value
- Solid cast
- Interesting concept
Cons
- Silly, unbelievable story
- Underdeveloped characters
- Uninteresting villain
- Too many horror cliches
- CGI gore
Description
- Starring Keir O'Donnell, Katheryn Winnick, Laura Breckenridge, Jessica Lucas, Tad Hilgenbrink, Reid Scott
- Directed by John Simpson
- Rated R
- DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009
Guide Review - 'Amusement' DVD Review
Amusement was originally scheduled to hit theaters in the fall of 2007. Then, it was bumped to the spring of '08. Then the fall of '08. Then winter '08. Then, the studio dropped all pretense and removed it from the schedule altogether. Finally, in early 2009, Warner Brothers finally releases the film...on video. Was it worth the wait? Sadly, no.
Amusement has an intriguing premise: three stories, told in anthology format, about three childhood friends whose past comes back to haunt them. Each woman has her own segment, telling the tale of her encounter with a crazed ex-schoolmate with a grudge. First, Shelby runs into him on the way home from a weekend out of town. Then, he stops by Tabitha's when she's babysitting her cousins. Finally, he gets to Lisa by kidnapping her roommate. Eventually, all four old chums get together for a bloody reunion.
This movie has loads of potential. It's got a solid cast and a nice, polished look, given its theatrical-level budget. If only the script had as much polish. Horror anthologies tend to have clever twists, but these clumsily told tales are predictable with been-there-done-that setups (the first feels like Joyride or The Hitcher; the second When a Stranger Calls or any of a dozen films with a babysitter alone on a dark and stormy night).
The villain himself is as nondescript as they come, not even warranting a backstory other than "He's crazy!" The real crazy ones here, though, are the people who thought that this script was worthy of a theatrical release. I never thought I'd say this, but the studio was right to pull Amusement and release it straight to video. It's not terrible, but Blockbuster is where it belongs.
Meanwhile, Warner Brothers is still sitting on the significantly superior anthology Trick 'r Treat. Sigh.
The DVD
No special features.
Movie: C-
DVD: F
