Review: I really dug SMASH CUT. It’s the perfect midnight movie, and seeing this with a full house at the Fantasia Film Fest was bliss. People absolutely ate it up, myself included. Funny enough, I actually wasn’t all that keen to see it, as I’ve never seen a single Hershell Gordon Lewis film- upon who’s work this film is based (Lewis even has a small role). Also- this is a Canadian film, and I must admit to being prejudiced against the films produced by my own country (although this, along with a bunch of other solid Canadian genre entries at the festival is really making reconsider this attitude).
Ottawa director Lee Demarbre, does a terrific job with SMASH CUT, making probably the first truly effective retro horror film I’ve in ages. Usually, when a filmmaker sets out to make a genuinely cheesy horror film, it comes off a little too cutesy-poo for my tastes, thus making it totally ineffective as horror. Demarbre doesn’t fall into that trap. While he’s definitely winking at the audience throughout- it’s still a a horror film, and not a comedy when it comes down to it.
Of course, the actor who got the most attention when this played at Fantasia was porn star Sasha Grey. While she`s not a solid here as she is in THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE (which shot AFTER this), she’s nonetheless effective in the role, and definitely has presence- although this is Hess’ show all the way.
If you’re lucky enough to have a midnight screening of SMASH CUT play in your town, I highly recommend checking it out, as it’s a wildly fun flick that, in a festival full of wildly fun horror flicks, still managed to set itself apart.
Grade: 8.5 /10