Haute Tension (for those who saw it) **SPOILERS!!**

[Don G.]

This movie was good but it has such HUGE plot holes that it took away from the whole experience. I don't understand how it could have been the blonde chick the entire time. How was she in the back of the truck when they were driving away when that other guy didn't really exist. If she was actually him then how the hell was she in the back with the girl tied up?? Also, when the guy starts killing the family why was he up in her room? Why was she hiding from him when he wasn't real? She's hiding in the bed while he's walking around the room but she was the one killing everyone so what the hell was that all about? Also, how the hell was she upstairs when everyone was getting killed if she was the killer? ...and how the hell did she stay in the closet while her mom got her throat slashed if she was the friggin killer!!! These are all confusing questions because it was a confusing ass movie. Maybe I completely missed something but I don't see how any of what I wrote makes sense.

[Psychocandy]

I came to the conclusion that the events as described were her memories of what happened and as the movie progressed the truth starts to peek through. I've only seen the movie once though and would have to see it again to verify whether this is a possible explanation. I don't see how it can't be though since this would allow the director to put anything up on screen and legitimise it.

[Don G.]

Yeah, that was the only thing that I could think of but it's still not a good enough explanation. That's to easy a way to just say "fuck it" now we can do what we want. The movie was good, don't get me wrong...but those plot holes really kept it from being excellent. There is just no logical explanation for the events leading up to the end.

[Cronos]

Originally posted by Psychocandy
I came to the conclusion that the events as described were her memories of what happened and as the movie progressed the truth starts to peek through.

after deciding i really hated the ending of this film thats the only conclusion i came to as to what happens in the film

[Donnie_Darko]

I only saw one plot hole really. It started right before the opening credits, and ended when the closing credits started.

Plot holes are fine, if they're small. Non-sensible plots are fine, if they're at least interesting. This movie, is a clusterfuck of poor storytelling, and assinine "let's fuck with the audience" crap. Honestly, there is NO saving this movie, if what was filmed was even close to what was scripted.

Won't get off on another anti-Tension rant, but yea, plotholes aplenty in this festival of shit. Trust me, you didn't miss anything, cause this movie made NO sence what-so-ever. Don't watch it again to make sure... that would be called, "self abuse".

[Don G.]

yeah i gotta agree with donnie darko....there is just no reasonable explanation for the events in the movie leading up to the end....it just did not add up....it was nasty and it was gory and all that....and it kept you in your seat waiting to find out why that guy was doing it but when you find out he wasn't real you're just like "what the fuck?"....just a dumb way to end what could have beena great horror movie..

[mshulman5]

After several viewing it added up fine to me. The movie started in the hospital....the rest was her already in the hospital replaying the events that happened in her head the way she saw them in her obviously fucked up mind. I can see how the ending could put people off though. It's almost as if what's the point of making the movie if you're going to show at the end that it didn't really happen like that. I enjoyed this movie immensely. Not really for the ending, but for the genuine tension filled moments. Again though the ending didn't rub me one way or the other, it was what was in between I really enjoyed.

Haute Tension 9/10

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by Donnie_Darko
I only saw one plot hole really. It started right before the opening credits, and ended when the closing credits started.

Plot holes are fine, if they're small. Non-sensible plots are fine, if they're at least interesting. This movie, is a clusterfuck of poor storytelling, and assinine "let's fuck with the audience" crap. Honestly, there is NO saving this movie, if what was filmed was even close to what was scripted.

Won't get off on another anti-Tension rant, but yea, plotholes aplenty in this festival of shit. Trust me, you didn't miss anything, cause this movie made NO sence what-so-ever. Don't watch it again to make sure... that would be called, "self abuse".

I'll say this one more time.

THERE ARE NO PLOT HOLES

THE MOVIE MAKES COMPLETE SENSE

READ MY POST ABOVE AND THEN READ MSHULMAN'S POST

NOW WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION AT YOUR DISPOSAL PLEASE EXPLAIN WHERE THE PLOT HOLES ARE AND HOW IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE?

Phew...:D

[Psychocandy]

Oh...and while i'm at it.

Haute Tension - 4.5/5

[mshulman5]

I completely agree with Pshycho. There's no plot holes because it was all in her head from the outset. As everything unfolded the truth was revealed contrary to what she had in her head about the events that took place. This gave them great leeway to pretty much go any direction they wanted.

[X-Nightcrawler]

The twist was so stupid, it hardly made any sense.

Otherwise, fantastic movie.

[mshulman5]

Again it's hardly a twist either. Just someone's fucked up mind distorting events that happened previously. It made me think about how it must actually feel to have multiple personality disorder or some sort of paranoid schitzophrenia. What people don't realize is that the human mind is capable of such things as splitting into seperate personalities. When this happens blackouts occur, and the voids in memory are either unaccounted for, or filled in by our brains inaccureately. I think it's fine to be put off by the ending, but I appreciated it.

[Donnie_Darko]

Originally posted by Psychocandy
I'll say this one more time.

THERE ARE NO PLOT HOLES

THE MOVIE MAKES COMPLETE SENSE

READ MY POST ABOVE AND THEN READ MSHULMAN'S POST

NOW WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION AT YOUR DISPOSAL PLEASE EXPLAIN WHERE THE PLOT HOLES ARE AND HOW IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE?

Phew...:D

WHY ARE YOU YELLING? ;)

The "plot hole" I was referring to, was the actual lack of anything resembling a plot. What is the movie about... uhm, it's about a girl, and another girl, who decide to "do their homework on a farm", then some guy shows up, and kills everybody, then the end happens, and you're left wondering... wha?

I guess it's like talking religion or politics. Some will love this, and others will hate... I'm of the hating varitey.

Haute Tension - 1.5/10 (my rating keeps going down, the more I think about this movie) :D

[Don G.]

there is no reason to yelll....everyone can have an opinion on the movie....i just think the whole movie just didn't add up all that well at the end....obviously the story had to be told from her messed up eyes (i realize this now) but it's still a cheap excuse to take the movie in any direction they want....i mean if that's the case, and it's justifiable becasue she was crazy then they shoulda taken the movie a step further and incorporated flying elephants and neo nazi transexual men in pink suits...and teletubbies

[murder]

This film is good for the GORE----that's it.

It has no plot, it has the stupidest ending I have ever seen in a slasher film, and no nudity....but ....

it has some great GORE....that's the ONLY reason to see this film. If they didn't show the killings, it would be a complete waste of time.

See it for the GORE.

[murder]

Oh yea....I'l give it a 7/10 for the Gore...

I'll give it a 3/10 as a horror film.

[Harry Warden]

Fantastic movie...Tense, brilliantly shot, well acted, amazingly brutal and realistic murders.























Then Alexandre Aja realized he was making a masterpiece and understood that newcomers never put out masterpieces on their first try...So he killed his baby with THE TWIST!




Could be the worst ending ever featured in a horror movie.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by mshulman5
I completely agree with Pshycho. There's no plot holes because it was all in her head from the outset. As everything unfolded the truth was revealed contrary to what she had in her head about the events that took place. This gave them great leeway to pretty much go any direction they wanted.

Again it's hardly a twist either. Just someone's fucked up mind distorting events that happened previously. It made me think about how it must actually feel to have multiple personality disorder or some sort of paranoid schitzophrenia. What people don't realize is that the human mind is capable of such things as splitting into seperate personalities. When this happens blackouts occur, and the voids in memory are either unaccounted for, or filled in by our brains inaccureately. I think it's fine to be put off by the ending, but I appreciated it.

That'd be a twist, it just changed what the audience thinks it's happening.

And if that's the logic explanation, well it does make sense. However, that's stupid storytelling. Add this wild plot turn in the end to screw with us (eventhough it was almost inconcequential) and tell us "Uh, yeah . . . it was aaaall in her head. How 'bout that?" is not only dumb, it's pretty lazy.

I thought that the movie was doing GREAT (it was tense, scary, gory, inventive, fun) until it tried to be smart. Otherwise, great movie.

9/10.

[mshulman5]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. However we can both agree that the best part of the movie was what took place from the opening credits up till the ending. It says alot when you hated the ending of a movie and you can still give it a 9/10.

[KcMsterpce]

What-with the tons of movies that have come out since (yes I'm saying it) The Sixth Sense and Fight Club as well as a coupleo ther titles around the same time, how many films since then have almost the exact same ending? I won't say more titles to save spoilers, because almost all the titles I'd mention rely heavily on the final twist.

It's to the point now that it's like saying "And then he/she woke up." It's a cheap and easy trick that has lost its' charm and lustre 6 years ago, and if not that long ago, then three years ago.

How hard would it have been to have just made it a movie about a killer who has no agenda, except to kill? That would have really topped things off nicely for me. That would actually be a fresh approach these days. That would have been more of a twist than the expectant ending.

I love this movie until the retarded twist, which I saw coming but was hoping wasn't going to happen. Because you see, in the very opening scene and her mentioning her dream one minute later... it seemed too simple and CHEAP to end it with her being the crazy killer.

As for the original post, I don't think those are plot holes. The only real concern I have with her as a man is how she found the strength to move a whole dresser through a guy's head? But you can also say "when crazy people are another personality, they can also achieve higher feats of strength." Ok, sure, whatever, but it's more of a stretch to an already tightly tethered suspension of disbelief for me.

Great movie. As for the dissappointing conclusion: *Yaaawwwnnn* (http://www.kcmsterpce.com/reviews/hautetension.html)

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by mshulman5
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. However we can both agree that the best part of the movie was what took place from the opening credits up till the ending. It says alot when you hated the ending of a movie and you can still give it a 9/10. Oh big time. Read my review. Until that ending I was completely praising it, I thought it was like a modern-day Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So damned intense.

[heavy!!!]

I had no problem with the ending other than that the evil mo-fo! throughout the film wasnt real.....shame he was nasty.

Got the dvd seen it like 5 times personally i cant see any plot hole what so ever but hey movies like books are down to interpretation.

[Kanadian_kev]

A little bit off topic but...

Can someone tell me if there is a completely UNCUT version in the original FRENCH language that is region 0 NTSC? I bought the Korean disc a while ago, it was supposed to be uncut, but the dad's head never came off so I sold it to my friend for 20$. Now I've ordered one that IS uncut, I know because I've seen this version already, but it is english dubbed.

[boogeyman16]

I figured that the easiest way to view the movie is to think of it like The Usual Suspects. What you see is the characters version of the story. However, the events that are being told are questionable because of who is telling them. And there are plenty of signs about what the ending is, such as the fact that Alex almost never acknowledges Marie when she's talking to her.

[mshulman5]

I got the official region 2 Optimum release and it's uncut and in the original french language. Optimum released it under the title Switchblade Romace. This is the release to have because the DVD is loaded with extras. A making of featurette, effects featurette, cast interviews, etc....all with english subtitles. I love mine.

[X-Nightcrawler]

This probably has been asked a few hundred infinity times around here but, does anyone know if there is/going to be an Uncut NTSC any region release? I'd love to own the movie.

[TheDeadWalk]

Are there any signs throughout the movie that you can get a glimpse that she and the "killer" are the same person?

Because if not, I'm going to have a dandy of a time trying to explain to my friends why I give this film a 10/10 and a 3/10 to that other shitty horror movie that came out this year with the exact same ending.

Yeah, this ending type has been played out, but the way this movie presented it, it just felt sooo fuckin fresh.

I loved every minute of this movie.

And yea, the unrated version is fucking killer!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GoldenGhost]

Originally posted by mshulman5
I got the official region 2 Optimum release and it's uncut and in the original french language. Optimum released it under the title Switchblade Romace. This is the release to have because the DVD is loaded with extras. A making of featurette, effects featurette, cast interviews, etc....all with english subtitles. I love mine.

Aye :) Don't forget the commentary.

[TheAxeGrinder]

I just saw the new clip from Horror-Movies.ca, and from what I saw, this film looks to be nasty, which is a good thing. I haven't seen a good nasty horror flick in a while, and the head rip scene proves it. It's over-the-top in a 'Bad Taste' sort of way (those of you who've seen it know what I'm talking about). Hopefully we get the NC-17 release here and a bitchin' DVD to go along with it.

[TheDeadWalk]

I thought bad taste was over-the-top in a stupid, goofy ass way. Haute Tension's gore scenes are shocking and terrifying.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by TheAxeGrinder
I just saw the new clip from Horror-Movies.ca, and from what I saw, this film looks to be nasty, which is a good thing. I haven't seen a good nasty horror flick in a while, and the head rip scene proves it. It's over-the-top in a 'Bad Taste' sort of way (those of you who've seen it know what I'm talking about). Hopefully we get the NC-17 release here and a bitchin' DVD to go along with it. Not at all. Bad Taste is the worst horror movie in history of time (.5/10), Haute Tension is actually good.

Though the desk death in Haute Tension was pretty goofy, it almost killed the scene for me.

. . . but then there's the slit throat.

[JayWolf]

X-Nightcrawler, Bad Taste isn't really even a horror movie. It's a sci-fi comedy romp with gore. I don't know what you were expecting when you saw it but I got what I wanted out of it. It was entertaining, funny, and gory. It didn't try to be anything else than that.

Suck my spinning steel, shitheap!

God, I love that line! :D

As for High Tension, I really didn't like it. The death scenes were SO over the top and felt completely out of place. There was this great/tense atmosphere and then they would give us a goofy over-the-top death scene that killed that atmosphere (ala the dresser decapitation). And then the ending... I'm sorry but even using suspension of disbelief didn't even work here. It was very cheap indeed. Identity started a really bad trend of these "surprise twist" endings. I think the only movie to pull off a similar ending was Secret Window.

So many disappointments this year.

Well, at least The Devil's Rejects looks promising from the trailers and video clips. Plus, I know there will be no twist endings! Hallelujah! :)

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by JayWolf
X-Nightcrawler, Bad Taste isn't really even a horror movie. It's a sci-fi comedy romp with gore. I don't know what you were expecting when you saw it but I got what I wanted out of it. It was entertaining, funny, and gory. It didn't try to be anything else than that.

Suck my spinning steel, shitheap!

God, I love that line! :D I was expecting something like Dead-Alive, which I enjoyed. But it wasn't funny for me, it wasn't entertaining (everyone involved was annoying) and it wasn't even that gory.

Literally, the worst movie I've seen in my entire life.

[JayWolf]

Read my review of The Beyond under the Horror Reviews section of the forums and you'll know what is the worst movie I've seen. :p

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by JayWolf
Read my review of The Beyond under the Horror Reviews section of the forums and you'll know what is the worst movie I've seen. :p What is it? Is it Bad Taste? It's Bad Taste isn't it! *sharpens glare* It's Underworld, right? That's why you're not telling me. :D

[heavy!!!]

Dude seriously... Bad taste is brilliant, terrible acting, stupid plot, disgraceful gross out effects, its such a mismatch of ideas and process but there is something about it that is just so great.

Jackson made the movie over 6 yrs with a group of friend on days off from work and weekends, the guys passion is so evident throughout, its like monty python meets star trek in New zealand.

And dont forget Derrick!!!!!

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by heavy!!!
Jackson made the movie over 6 yrs with a group of friend on days off from work and weekends, the guys passion is so evident throughout, its like monty python meets star trek in New zealand.

And dont forget Derrick!!!!!

I feel he should have left it on his home video collection shelf next to the birthdays and anniversary tapes. Then three years down the road, get drunk and accidentally record over it with some softcore porn on Cinemax.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by heavy!!!
Dude seriously... Bad taste is brilliant, terrible acting, stupid plot, disgraceful gross out effects, its such a mismatch of ideas and process but there is something about it that is just so great. Damn, you're right. It IS great. I mean, terrible acting, stupid plot, disgraceful gross out effects, no character development, annoying characters, terrible SFX (i don't care if it was done with a shoe-string budget, they sucked), uninterestin directing.

No, wait. That's not great.

Though we've really gone off topic, it's okay and admirable that he did the entire movie with whatever and however, making a movie is a big thing in itself. His movie sucked. He then went by and did Dead Alive (which I liked) and the one and only Lord of the Rings (which I really liked).

He is a great director, but his first effort is, in fact, the worst movie I have ever seen.

[JayWolf]

Personally, I think there is far worse to watch. You could have seen Colinsville. :o

[Duke Nukem]

I gotta say, when I first heard of this movie late last year and watched the trailer, I thought that the movie looked really generic. Yeah, the trailer was kind of stylish, but it was it looked like just TCM...with a buzzsaw instead of a chainsaw.

Well, I picked up the movie, the uncut version with english subtitles, recently at the Monster Mania Con 3. I watched it to see what the fuss was really about.

And, this turned out to be a the biggest, most pleasant surprise I've seen in a long time. The praise that I've heard is true. It's nothing but a gory, suspenseful, cat-and-mouse chase film...with a twist.

I had read Arrows review, and I figured the "twist" had to with pecular elements I saw early in the movie (over a questionable "love" element between the two friends). I was kind of right, but there was much more to it than that and and I was not expecting that and at all

It only took one viewing for me, but the entire movie does make complete sense. No matter what you guys say, it does make sense if you think it all through. Here's how:

Up to the point where the short-haired girl (I don't remember the names) and the long-haired girl were soon arriving to the house, most of the stuff was seen from the short-haired girl's point of view. And she was crazy! She is one crazy bitch! In fact, she is secretly in love with her friend - To the point where she made up a crazy scenario in her head where she tried to "win" the love of her friend.

She created the "fat, crazy guy" and acted as him, tying up her friend, killing her family and driving her away in that truck, stopping by the gas station, asking for a drink, killing the gas attendant, and driving up to the woods. This is what happened for real.

But, what we saw in her head was what from her alternate point of view, what she wanted to see (sort of a split personality thing). She "saw" the crazy guy kill her family, she saw him take her away into the truck, she played a little cat-and-mouse around the house, followed him up to the gas station, played a little cat-and-mouse with him in the gas station, drove after him into the woods with a sports car and and had a final face off with him. This is what she wanted to see and envision while she was really the crazy one altogether.

Whenever, we saw her playing cat-and-mouse with the crazy guy, it was in her head. Whenever we saw her watching her friend's family dying, it was really her doing the killing. Whenever we saw her reassuring her friend in the back of the truck, it wasn't happening; she was really driving her tied up friend far off. And the sports car wasn't real either. There was no car chase and car wreck.

It's simple. Along the way, she spotted the truck, and that's where the "crazy guy having 'head' with a severed head" happened in her head. Either that, or she already knew her friend's family owned such a truck and envisioned the start of her crazy scenario. And later on, when she left to smoke a cigarette, she didn't really do that. She was getting the truck and preparing to kidnap her friend and kill her family.

So, it all makes sense! The only reason I think you guys are having a problem with this movie is because this is the umpteenth "pyschological" movie of this type within two years. If a few other such movies weren't made recently, you wouldn't be complaining about it. It made sense, and was a fun, scary movie, don't single this one out because it uses a familiar plot element from a few other pacular movies, it used the "psychological" thing better than the other two anyway.

Think about this way: the original title for this was "Switchblade Romance" which sounds dumb but better explains what happens in the movie: the short-haired, crazy girl was in love with her friend - and would do ANYTHING to be with her and try to "win" her heart. "High Tension" also sort of sums up the movie, there is a lot of tension, but the original one, while weird to hear at first, was better suited.

In fact, by the end of the movie, they didn't use the psychological thing for no reason; there were clues all over the movie if you pay attention. They were there. In the end, once the poor long-haired girl was untied and "rescued," she finally faced off with the real killer - a crazy bitch who was in love with her! And with a buzzsaw in her hands! Part of the finale was was from the sane, long-haired girl's point of view. Other parts of the finale was still from the crazy bitch's point of view. And the ending gave justice to what happened.

Okay one more thing: even if the cat-and-mouse stuff was only in the crazy bitch's head - wasn't it still suspenseful? If so, then it shouldn't matter that there was a twist. The twist only enriched the movie more, no matter how crazy it sounds. I suggest you all watch the movie again and see for yourselfs. At first, I thought this movie seemed stupid. Instead, I'm defending it.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by JayWolf
Personally, I think there is far worse to watch. You could have seen Colinsville. :o I wish I had.

Nah, kidding. No more smartass comments from me.

[Fettdog]

I must admit, the first time I saw this I wasn't sure if I loved or hated the 'twist' but having seen it again I think it's actually quite a clever move.

There's no denying that there's a real sense of, well, tension throughout the entire movie, and even knowing the ending the second viewing was as satisfying as the first.

I think it's true to say that there are clues to what's going on, from the opening scene where Marie (the short-haired girl) says "are you recording" meaning that she's about to tell us her version of what happened, to the fact that, as boogeyman pointed out, Alex almost never acknowledges Marie when she speaks to her.

As with The Game, I think it's one of those movies where you'll love the 'twist', or you'll think it's a complete rip-off. I loved both movies.

Haute Tension: 8.5/10

[ceedub]

The only plot hole I saw in Haute Tension was the beginning with the blowjob from the head bit. I dont see how that would have anything to do with the girl being the killer the whole time. Everything else made sense to me cuz it was in her mind kinda thing.

[KcMsterpce]

Originally posted by ceedub
The only plot hole I saw in Haute Tension was the beginning with the blowjob from the head bit. I dont see how that would have anything to do with the girl being the killer the whole time. Everything else made sense to me cuz it was in her mind kinda thing.

You're right, that's a very good point. I noticed that, too. I thought that there's no use for this except to make the audience believe that he's real. And for a gross-out.
But people can say it's a previous victim, and she's living her fantasy as a demented man with the last person she killed.

[TheDeadWalk]

I've seen the film three times now, and I SWEAR I see a part where the killer and the heroine are one.

When she's driving the car, and notices the truck behind her, she picks up the gun. Then, she looks in the rear-view mirror and sees that the killer is holding the bullets. She checks the gun, it is empty. The killer releases all the bullets out of the window.

Now, am I crazy, or does the camera show the blond haired chick's hand dumping the bullets out the window?

[Kanadian_kev]

I was confused by that too. I watched that scene in slow-mo to see, and it does look like Marie's hand dropping the bullets, but she's wearing the killer's rings it looks like. If it is the killer's hand, then that's a pretty confusing cut.

Another thing my friend noticed. I'm not sure how she got the lock at the back of the van undone, you clearly see the killer close a big padlock on the outside of the van but she somehow opens it from inside. Perhaps he's showing us it was never 'really' locked in the first place? I don't know.

[Duke Nukem]

I've read an interesting explanation for the "head" scene in the beginning on another website. Get this:

We already know that the cat-and-mouse suspense scenes between Marie and the crazy guy were in her head and that alternate scenes were really happening: Marie going crazy, Marie acting upon the "crazy guy" within her, Marie killing Alex's family, kidnapping Alex, Marie driving Alex off in the truck, Marie killing the gas attendent and having the ultimate battle of wits with herself and the "crazy guy" within her.

Well, what if Marie was already waiting near the house for Alex? What if it was just Alex on the way to her family's old farm by herself? What if, for whatever off-screen info we didn't know about, Alex knew Marie but didn't invite her to her family farm?

What if all of the opening scenes with Alex and Marie on the way to the farm were also in Marie's head? What if all the opening scenes with Alex introducing her family to her friend Marie were also only in Marie's head?

We already know that Marie was a crazy bitch and was in love with her friend. What if she was so determined to "win" Alex's heart, she got to her friend's family farm sooner, waited for Alex tor arrive, started dreaming up her alternate fantasy to "save" Alex and so on? It means that, just as she imagined all the cat-and-mouse scenes with the "killer," she also imagined those opening scenes, wanting and wishing she was invited by her friend.

In fact, Alex might not have the only woman Marie was in love with. In the truck she was in, there were photos of 5 or 6 other women. What if they were other women she was in love with that rejected her? What if the head she dropped out of the truck was another "lover"?

So, when you sum up the entire movie: Alex was on her family's old farm. Marie was crazily in love with Alex and came uninvited. In fact, Marie arrived sooner and waited for Alex. Alex arrived home to her family...and the rest is history, going along with everything else we already know.

I think it does make the movie make a little more sense.

[KcMsterpce]

Originally posted by Duke Nukem
I've read an interesting explanation for the "head" scene in the beginning on another website. Get this:

We already know that the cat-and-mouse suspense scenes between Marie and the crazy guy were in her head and that alternate scenes were really happening: Marie going crazy, Marie acting upon the "crazy guy" within her, Marie killing Alex's family, kidnapping Alex, Marie driving Alex off in the truck, Marie killing the gas attendent and having the ultimate battle of wits with herself and the "crazy guy" within her.

Well, what if Marie was already waiting near the house for Alex? What if it was just Alex on the way to her family's old farm by herself? What if, for whatever off-screen info we didn't know about, Alex knew Marie but didn't invite her to her family farm?

What if all of the opening scenes with Alex and Marie on the way to the farm were also in Marie's head? What if all the opening scenes with Alex introducing her family to her friend Marie were also only in Marie's head?

We already know that Marie was a crazy bitch and was in love with her friend. What if she was so determined to "win" Alex's heart, she got to her friend's family farm sooner, waited for Alex tor arrive, started dreaming up her alternate fantasy to "save" Alex and so on? It means that, just as she imagined all the cat-and-mouse scenes with the "killer," she also imagined those opening scenes, wanting and wishing she was invited by her friend.

In fact, Alex might not have the only woman Marie was in love with. In the truck she was in, there were photos of 5 or 6 other women. What if they were other women she was in love with that rejected her? What if the head she dropped out of the truck was another "lover"?

So, when you sum up the entire movie: Alex was on her family's old farm. Marie was crazily in love with Alex and came uninvited. In fact, Marie arrived sooner and waited for Alex. Alex arrived home to her family...and the rest is history, going along with everything else we already know.

I think it does make the movie make a little more sense.

*Kc scratches his head*

Honestly, I don't really understand exactly what your point is, but is it similar to what I said three posts above yours?

[Duke Nukem]

Sorry, I'll try to make that clearer to understand.

Okay, I was trying to explain how the "head" scene in the beginning of the movie made sense with the rest of the movie. In one of the above posts, one schmoe commented how the only scene that didn't seem to make sense was the one where we see the "crazy guy" having "head" with, literally, a decapitated head, then drops the head out on the road by the cornfield.

Well, here is what we already knew: We already discussed on the first page to the beginning of the second page of this thread that over half of the movie from the point where the "crazy guy" arrives to the house didn't happen and was taking place in Marie's imagination all along. Well, the scenes we saw earlier might not happened either. During the beginning of the movie, alternate scenes really took place.

And, here is that possible explanation for the "head" scene: Marie wasn't really riding with Alex to her family farm. Alex was alone and hadn't invited Marie at all. In fact, Marie was the one in the truck who had "head" and dropped the head outside on the road. She was waiting for Alex to arrive. She was already dreaming up her alternate fantasy as the "crazy guy" who would go onto kill Alex's family and as herself who would try to save Alex from the "crazy guy" and "win" her heart. Get what I'm saying?

It's not just half the movie that didn't really take place, its the whole thing! And if you think about, it still makes sense!

So, here's what really happened in the movie:

Alex was on her way back home to her family's home/farm. Marie, with crazy plans of her own, was already waiting there for Alex. Alex arrives home. Marie makes her move and rings the door bell.

Marie proceeds to kill Marie's family. Marie chains up and gags Alex. Marie kidnaps Alex and takes her away in her truck. Marie stops by gas station. Marie kills gas attendant. Marie drives Alex off further away into the woods.

Marie, who's been having this suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase with "crazy guy" the whole time, finally faces off against him - in a battle wits in her head. Upon defeating the her "other self," she finally unties Alex.

Alex, whose witnessed Maries's crazy antics the whole time, tells Marie off. Marie chases after Alex with a buzz-saw in the final the duel. Marie is captured by the police and taken to insane asylum. Marie is revaled to really be a crazy bitch who was in love with Alex and would to ANYTHING to be with her and keep ANYBODY from interfearing in their relationship. That's what what the movie was about.

[KcMsterpce]

Yeah, it's basically the same thing that I said in the above post then.

It could be a previous victim, and she's playing out the crazy guy fantasy by getting a blowjob from her severed head.
OR it could be imagined... just like anything else in this movie, which means that if there IS a potential plot hole, it can be covered up with the simple statement 'she's imagining it in her crazy little head'.
[like the HEAD pun? Oy, I kill me sometimes - oops! KILL haha!]

But here's my previous post (and the quote) that I was referring to:

quote:Originally posted by ceedub
The only plot hole I saw in Haute Tension was the beginning with the blowjob from the head bit. I dont see how that would have anything to do with the girl being the killer the whole time. Everything else made sense to me cuz it was in her mind kinda thing.


Originally posted by KcMsterpce
You're right, that's a very good point. I noticed that, too. I thought that there's no use for this except to make the audience believe that he's real. And for a gross-out.
But people can say it's a previous victim, and she's living her fantasy as a demented man with the last person she killed.

[Ratlehed]

I just saw the movie. It was a decent flick. I found my self a little bored at times. I didnt feel any "High Tension" watching it . It was still an avg. slasher(the gastion restroom scene reminded me of Halloween 6). The gore effects where very good though. I would have enjoyed it more if the killer was real.
I dont think this movie's gonna be a smash in my neck of the woods. Only 9 people where in the theatre. It was only an afternoon show but I still expected more people on its second day.
They showed trailers for Land of the Dead(looks real good) The Devils Rejects (looks O.K.) and Dark Water(looks dumb), but no Undead trailer. I was suprised by that.

High Tension earns a 2.5/4 stars

[IamNoOne666]

I just now got back from seeing it, I knew the ending before I saw it which I thought would ruin it for me. It didn't I loved it. I'm shocked that there are some horror fans who didn't like it, this is one of the best horror movies I've seen in theatres in a really long time. I will admit thought that the head scene was alitte confusing and the other thing that kinda confused me was where did Marie get that truck? I'm just saying if she did show up with Alex where did the truck come from?

When I walked out of it my thoughts were that everything was real (except the head scene) up until she went out to smoke her cigeratte then she sees Alex in the shower and thats when she switches to the killer. And that static music that was playing I think was there to let the veiwers know when shes crazy. (it's playing alot when the killer is on screen, and when she picks up the phone and hears it and its on the radio in the truck) but again I loved it can't wait to see it again.

[mcquade]

if all the scenes of her in the back of the truck , when she is consoling alex)weren't real and only in her head - then when the hell did the girl get the knife? who gave it to her?

[KcMsterpce]

Originally posted by mcquade
if all the scenes of her in the back of the truck , when she is consoling alex)weren't real and only in her head - then when the hell did the girl get the knife? who gave it to her?

I don't think the scenes where she's consoling her in the back of the truck are imagined. She's gagged so she can't talk. She's freaked out because she knows she's going to get killed.
In the killer's mind, she's being nice and 'normal'. The victim is thinking she's going to be killed any second.

I don't know where she got the knife. Probably had it with her all along.

[Ratlehed]

Originally posted by KcMsterpce
I don't think the scenes where she's consoling her in the back of the truck are imagined. She's gagged so she can't talk. She's freaked out because she knows she's going to get killed.
In the killer's mind, she's being nice and 'normal'. The victim is thinking she's going to be killed any second.

I don't know where she got the knife. Probably had it with her all along.


I think Marie gave Alex the knife while she was in "Marie Phase" then she hoped out of the truck and turned on "killer phase". Though part of her brain was thinking she was still in the back hiding.

I didnt like that she got the crazy guys strength while she was killing people. Shes 100lbs. Even being a psycho I doubt she could decapitate a guy with a dresser she could hardly push or swing around a concrete saw like a baseball bat.

[TheDeadWalk]

I don't know, she was pretty stacked, the actress actually took kickboxing lessons to get ripped for the part.

[The_Driller_Killer]

Just wanted to say that I saw it tonight and thought it was absolute brilliance. A one of a kind piece of filmmaking and by far one of the best horror films I've ever seen.

It was so incredible to see a recent movie that had such a throwback to the films of the '70s and '80s we all love. This film took all of the Screams, as well as its clones and decapitated them, fucked them up the ass, then tossed them out the driver's side window. Kudos to Alexander Aja. Amazing job.

[Ratlehed]

Originally posted by TheDeadWalk
I don't know, she was pretty stacked, the actress actually took kickboxing lessons to get ripped for the part.

Chop saws are like 40 lbs, I thought they where like 60lbs. So that doesn't bother me as much now.

[Harry Warden]

Reading all these posts make me sad...

I would LOVE to like this film....But I can't.......the damn ending....Why Aja! Why?!!!

[Dark_One79]

The only horror fan who has a right to not like this film is Dean Koontz. Other than the obvious objections he may have... everyone else should find something to like here.

The film has great SFX and many moments of genuine tension. Regardless of whether the ending pays off or not (to each individual viewer), it is hard to ignore all this film does right.

For a horror fan to rate it 1.5 out of 10 seems insane to me. Everyone has their own opinion, and I certainly won't say they are wrong, because I have no right to do that. However, I cannot fathom how someone who has seen many horror films can rate this movie that low. It isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread, but flaws aside, it is very entertaining.

Switchblade Romance = 8.5/10

Import the UK DVD today if you can. I am sure glad I did.

[dellamorte dellamore]

Originally posted by The_Driller_Killer
Just wanted to say that I saw it tonight and thought it was absolute brilliance. A one of a kind piece of filmmaking and by far one of the best horror films I've ever seen.

It was so incredible to see a recent movie that had such a throwback to the films of the '70s and '80s we all love. This film took all of the Screams, as well as its clones and decapitated them, fucked them up the ass, then tossed them out the driver's side window. Kudos to Alexander Aja. Amazing job.

I like the way you put that , couldnt have said it better myself , this is a real horror film , with substance and style , i would say an instant classic for sure , perfection personified .



Let's see what this Aja guy can do with Hills have Eyes remake , and hopefully a zombie movie or two , he knows how to create suspense , he's masteful with shot composition , he has an eye for haunting cinematography , he can create believable characters , he can write , and he knows exactly how to utilize gore without making it look goofy or over the top .



It dint do too bad at the box office , considering it's a basically unknown french horror film , jus shy of 2 mil for this past weekend , not too bad .

[mcquade]

i posted this in another thread but felt it is better suited here

****spoilers****
after days of mulling this movie over in my head this is what i have come up with-

personally i think that there is no multiple personality.
at the begining of the film marie asks if the camera is recording. she is being interrogated by the police and they ask her what happend
so she is in fact telling her version of what occurred to the police. so she makes up the entire story. the only parts that are real is everything involving the made up trucker(who is actually marie) and his victims, anything involving marie and the killer are fictional.
-look at it this way, the movie uses the same set up as the usual suspects. but instead of the story being told by verbal kint, its told by a serial killing lesbian psycho. she is telling the police her version of the story and so she creates the psycho trucker, when she is in fact the serial killer
alex and her family didnt know her or invite her, she did not ride up with alex, she stalked alex to the house and killed the family and kidnapped alex
-in the gas station she goes in to pay and the cashier sees the blood on her hands so marie kills him.
-the car chase and wreck is all made up
-so she tells the police her version of the story which of course is actually just her fantasy of what she wished happend. but her lie is finally screwed up when she gets to the part where she frees alex in the back of the truck and alex stabs her, you see she was able to explain that alex got the knife becuz she lies and says that she marie the hero gave it to her-but she couldnt explain why alex stabbed her, the best lie she could come up with was that she did not know why.
and thats when the lie breaks down, at that point in her story we see that marie is in fact the killer, she continues to try and tell her story but she is at a loss at how to explain why alex runs from her and why she finally stabs her with a crowbar.
so during this part of her made up story the audience sees snippets of marie the killer, basically her lie breaking apart.
my 2 cents

[Duke Nukem]

Well said, mcquade.

[Fettdog]

Originally posted by Duke Nukem
Well said, mcquade.

Well said Duke! :)

(and by proxy, well said McQuade!)

That's pretty much how I think the story goes having thought about it for a while.

[dellamorte dellamore]

That explanation sounds good to me , i'll go with that one . Im still thinking they had a relationship at one time that went sour , and it drove her mad , the murderous rage that ensued was " revenge " for the falling out that occured with her lover .

She dint imagine the interior of the house , she was there at one time , maybe multiple times , and she knew the routine of the family .

[mcquade]

remember all those pics of girls in the truck? those were actually other girls that she had fallen in "love" with and killed also.
she probably knew the routine from studying the family, or she just waited till they were all asleep and killed them.

[Moviefan02000]

I don't agree that Marie went out to get the truck and not smoke a cigarette. There was no truck, everything was done in Alex's car. Remember the beginning when Marie is laying down in the car? I think that basically is the big clue that there is no truck. Marie had to be smoking the cigarette because the reason she masterbated in the bed was because she saw Alex in the shower. She imagined herself masterbating, that's what she wanted to be doing when the killer came. Get it now? ;)

[Moviefan02000]

Originally posted by dellamorte dellamore
That explanation sounds good to me , i'll go with that one . Im still thinking they had a relationship at one time that went sour , and it drove her mad , the murderous rage that ensued was " revenge " for the falling out that occured with her lover .

She dint imagine the interior of the house , she was there at one time , maybe multiple times , and she knew the routine of the family .

Again, don't agree with this either. I don't think Marie went into the house at all until she actually went in to kill the family. Basically everything before her smoking the cigarette was in her mind.

[Moviefan02000]

Originally posted by mcquade
remember all those pics of girls in the truck? those were actually other girls that she had fallen in "love" with and killed also.
she probably knew the routine from studying the family, or she just waited till they were all asleep and killed them.

Definetely don't agree with this! The truck is fake, it's quite obvious that it is, at least I think it's obvious. It was just her imagining the killer and the other girls she's murdered, it's the same with the blood prints and scratches on the ceiling of the van.

[Moviefan02000]

Also, I have to say that I don't think Marie is psycho. I like sticking up for my horror girls, I guess because I was also stilling up for May in MAY, saying she wasn't psycho. Marie was in love with Alex and she knew that she couldn't be with her. Eventually she got to such a point, she just snapped.

[mshulman5]

When someone snaps they are psycho. Criminals try to claim temporary insanity all the time, as in they are sane, but at the moments in which their crimes were committed they were not. To do something like what Marie did any psychologist would tell you that there's an element of insanity at work. A sane person who couldn't have someone else would move on, not snap and go on a murderous rampage.

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by Moviefan02000
Definetely don't agree with this! The truck is fake, it's quite obvious that it is, at least I think it's obvious. It was just her imagining the killer and the other girls she's murdered, it's the same with the blood prints and scratches on the ceiling of the van.

I believe the truck is what she brought with her to kill the family.

Even when we get into Alex's point-of-view the truck is still there. I think it also makes more sense with the powersaw, chips, dips, chains, and whips... all that jazz.

[Moviefan02000]

Originally posted by TheDeadWalk
I believe the truck is what she brought with her to kill the family.

Even when we get into Alex's point-of-view the truck is still there. I think it also makes more sense with the powersaw, chips, dips, chains, and whips... all that jazz.

But they live on a farm, so it's easy to get all of that stuff, she could have just went out into the shead (could have done that while smoking) and put it in the car. Of course what I think probably isn't the right answer but it is what a lot of people believe in. There is no "true" answer to the film.

[mcquade]

she is a psycho killer and has used the truck on many occassions to kill other girls, this is the first time she has been caught, obviously. when forced to tell the truth she tells an elaborate fantasy. now i dont know about you but if i was telling an elaborate fantasy i would probably throw in a girl playing with herself at some point.
was she ever out on the swing smoking? probably yeah, but as the serial killer watching the family before going in for the kill. probably in real life after seeing alex in the shower she went to her truck to pleasure herself.
i think every part of the story she creates is too explain what really happend - alex got a knife so marie makes up that she gave it to her, marie kills the gas station clerk so she lies and says that the killer did it because he was suspicious, etc...
every part of her story explains what happend for real

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by Moviefan02000
But they live on a farm, so it's easy to get all of that stuff, she could have just went out into the shead (could have done that while smoking) and put it in the car. Of course what I think probably isn't the right answer but it is what a lot of people believe in. There is no "true" answer to the film.

I think it makes more sense for her to have those tools within her wherabouts, instead of her scrambling through the house with a switchblade. I think the chick really came prepared, and if she did so with her own car, she had a lot of items for a little space, including a human body. But I don't really like the idea of her scrambling around for various items to use or take with her from the farm when she'd never been there before.

[cdmiller]

Saw this flick last night.To be honest,I'm neither nor about it.Good solid slasher film with the now days must have "twist ending". But the thing that really got me and NO BODY has mentioned on here ....where did the confederate flag tag on the yellow car come from ??? The car that she drives away from the gas station has a confederate flag tag on it ! ! ! !

Ok,so I guess they filmed this in the SOUTH of France.

[ChemicalRomance]

Originally posted by Fettdog
As with The Game, I think it's one of those movies where you'll love the 'twist', or you'll think it's a complete rip-off. I loved both movies.

Brilliant comparison my amigo.

[ChemicalRomance]

What would YOU GUYS have rather had the ending be?

Personally for me:

SPOILERS?

I'd have Marie fake death by suffocation in the house and then the whole buzz saw thing happens. Except it really is a fat dude buzz sawing the car. Then Marie comes, kills him in some fucking awesome way. And then when Alex is celebrating Marie winning, Marie beats Alex to death. Just because she went fucking insane.

[KcMsterpce]

I would rather the ending be that it's a real dude, really doing the killing.

It would be cool to have a real life killer, who's face is shown the whole time, with no agenda but to kill in a horror movie. THAT would have been refreshing.

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by KcMsterpce
I would rather the ending be that it's a real dude, really doing the killing.

It would be cool to have a real life killer, who's face is shown the whole time, with no agenda but to kill in a horror movie. THAT would have been refreshing.

Sounds like someone is jonesing for a little slumber party massacre.

[Antonio]

Will the unrated French version be available on DVD? NetFlix lists an upcoming R-rated version, which I presume is the U.S. theatrical release?