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Friday, April 23, 2010

Shuttle (2008)

Shuttle (2008)
Director: Edward Anderson
Status: Movie Review






This is actually a really freaky movie. I imagine any chick that got kidnapped, paraded around half way naked in front of weirdo's, and then shipped off to some foreign country to be held as a sex slave would be traumatized for life and/or want to off themselves. But we as viewers love a good underground sex ring scandal in Japan! Maybe if we're lucky there will be a Shuttle 2:Cat Box Fury and not only will it be about Mel getting revenge for having to piss and shit in a cat box for weeks, but it will give us an indepth look at the Japanese purchasing and raping many naked women, and the naked women raping eachother. Wow, this is starting to sound like a porno...someone make this movie please?!. Anyways see how fast I get off topic, need some ADD medication to straighten me out. I really enjoy twisted movies that make you feel uncomfortable once you realize what is going on, and this is one of those movies. When you realize what this girls fate is your like "oh shit, and there's no way out"! It's that uncomfortable vibe that makes it all worth while, I love unhappy endings. The fact that this is something that could really happen to someone makes you think twice about riding public transportation again. You never know what kind of lunatics are just roaming the streets looking for fresh victims. Just look at the percentage of people who are kidnapped every year and the plane bombings that are still going on, even after people thought they cleared up all of the security problems. We live in an extremely dangerous world these days, it could happen. So anyways on to the review!










This story follows Melanie (Peyton List) and her best friend Jules (Cameron Goodman) as they come back from a spectacular vacation to Mexico and need to find a ride back from the airport. That's when they meet a Shuttle driver (Tony Curran) who's more than happy to cut them a $15 dollar deal to get them on his shuttle. They take advantage of the offer and end up meeting Andy (Cullen Douglas) A shy family man, Seth (James Snyder) and his friend Matt (Dave Power) whom are crushing on the girls that had met them in the airport catch the shuttle in time. The crew of people chat it up for awhile until Jules notices and announces that they're not going the right direction. Then minutes after a person in a fancy sports car runs them partially off the road and they acquire a flat tire. In the process of changing the tire Matt gets his fingers severed completely from his hand and they all pile in the shuttle to find a hospital, or not. The shuttle man, let's just call him Dick Mgee because I don't like looking at him, pulls a gun out and things take a turn for the worse. He begins giving everyone certain tasks mainly to salvage through luggage and find valuables, get cash at the ATM, and sends Melanie into a store to purchase certain items (which they don't explain until the end). But when they finally do you'll be like "ohhhh"! It all falls together really well in the end, they never tell you to much until then. You just know that this shuttle driver is a whackjob trying to rob and off these innocent people. When the movie switches locations and goes from the shuttle to a huge empty warehouse that's when you realize that something completely different is going on. Jules and Melanie are the two survivors left together at that point trying to figure out why they are there. When forced to dye Melanie's hair blonde and model in their underwear for some random strange man, you start to get an idea of where the movie is going. There's also a little plot point about how Jules slept with Melanie's jerkoff fiance', but at that point you don't give a shit. Your anticipating what's going to happen next and the fact that Melanie already knows just makes it feel like a totally worthless effort on Jules part of confessing. What a great best friend! After the driver discovers Jules is one some medication for a yeast infection he decides it's time for her to face some death by gas poisoning. What a nazi! Then Melanie gets into a big scuffle for her life and rolls snake eyes, which leaves her trapped inside a big wooden box with cat litter, some food, rolaids, and a photo of a bunch of dirty naked women. Guess where Melanie is going everyone?








I really like the fact that the guy looks at a 2 second video of them, because have you ever tried to take a picture and realized that your video setting is turned on. It's something very reality driven, it's something that a lot of people wouldn't even think of, and it makes me love it more. Also is it just me or does anyone else notice that the chick who plays Melanie looks identical to Neve Campbell? I would just like to mention that she doesn't have a very nice best friend. So her best friend Jules screws her fianace' and she doesn't get upset or anything? I don't understand. I would be like "IT'S TIME FOR ONE OF US TO MAKE A SACRIFICE" and push her into the guy and take off. Haha. But I guess people are always pretty dumb in horror movies, it just has to be that way. So we the viewers can see lot's of BLOOD AND GORE, YAY! I saw that the geeky bald guy was a criminal from the very start, no one is that worthless if they are kidnapped in a movie. They always try to escape at least once. The one thing that really bothers me is all the driving. I get kind of tired of the same surroundings and characters. I need a change of scenery every once in awhile or I'll start to wear thin. Oh and watching the Melanie chick make one horrible decision after another just drives me to the brink of madness. Again this plays back to the fact that no one in horror movies ever make right decisions about anything. Good thing Melanie was forced to dye her hair blonde, she can now show her true colors. It's like a warning sign, haha. Just kidding people, I'm a natural blonde and I'm freakin' awesome!

I like the fact that it was all shot hand held, the jittery feel makes it a lot more intense. The scene where he makes the girls take their clothes off just makes you get that nervous feeling in your stomach. I thought Rape fest 2008 was about to happen! I love the way the scene is filmed though, it's put together so perfectly. The way the girls are spotlighted and the camera follows both of them turning. Mr. Michael Fimognari has quite an eye for detail. It's also good attention to detail how the girls all have to be blonde and any piercings/tattoos have to go. I wish they would have showed the guy burning her bum bum tattoo off, that would have made for some morbid entertainment! Also Tony the actor who plays the shuttle driver plays pain really well. In most movies you'll see someone get stabbed with a rusty knife and they'll get up and runaway like it never happened. But to see someone really go far in their performance and show the pain on their face is awesome to see. Yes, getting stabbed with a piece of glass in the leg is going to fucking hurt like hell, and especially when you pull it out. And when Melanie and him are struggling at the end, that's just good acting folks. I think it's also great that they end the movie with no music and then really low kind of creepy tones. It adds to the awkward sensation and shock you already have at that point, and sends you off to ponder to yourself, "should their be a second one"?
I don't think it needs one. Cased closed!

So Aleata gives Shuttle an overall 4/5 stars. It's a movie that you should pick up if you see it!






4 comments:

  1. I've had this one in my Netflix queue for quite awhile - and now with your recommendation I will definitely have to check it out - thanks;)

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  2. No prob! Glad to help! Thanks for reading Christine, hope your doing well!

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  3. Wow, that does look pretty freaky. I'll have to check it out.

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  4. This really was a lot better than it had any right to be.

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