SMILEY (2012)
Man that looks like an awesome mask.
That's what I thought the first time I saw a trailer for this low budget slasher. And sometimes that's enough right? It catches your eye, and you're like well, give it a chance. And a chance it was given.
So the story goes if you are online video chatting with someone, and you type I did it for the lulz 3 times good old masked man with a large knife AKA Smiley will show up and kill the person on the other end, while you watch. Ok, you may be thinking, Pfft that's stupid. Well, I say not so much. Let us not forget many people bought into cell phones that kill, and a video taped girl that comes out of your TV. As such, I say its acceptable. Anyway, cute girl, freshman, gets caught up with a bunch of tech weenies who are obsessed with Smiley. She then begins to get stalked.
Ok so the good. I laughed. Is that good in a horror flick? Sometimes. The only problem is I wasn't sure if I was laughing at it, or with it sometimes. But I was enjoying it very much... At first. The problem is once the cheesy acting, and overthetoptotrytobecool lines start losing there awesomeness you're left wondering "Okay, what is this movie?". At times it seems its a standard slasher straight to video, only, there really isn't that much gore. And all the girls, yes all of them are fully clothed. Okay, so trashy TNA gore fest is out. But the acting is still awful, so maybe comedy horror? But then, and here is perhaps the biggest problem, intelligence. Suddenly, without warning this film will make a statement so absolutely genius that you can't help but look to your fellow audience and nod in approval. For instance the film professor (by FAR the best character in the film) has a Phenomenal speech on the evolution of the human species and the possibility that we are not the final stage, but a gestation stage for the next form of life we will allow to be created.
Ya. Crazy heavy. And okay maybe they are trying to imply that Smiley could be a similar creation as a result of being willed into existence. But then as your still digesting BAM! 18 horribly acted and written lines punch you in the face and you are just shaking the dust off again.
There are moments here folks. A few really cool kills. A killer mask (which any slasher will tell you is uber-Im-por-tante) but it is painfully obvious that a clearer direction was needed. If they had simply embraced the cheese, loaded the violence, and worked the Smiley in the real world angle more, well we would really had something. However, they choose to try to turn a silly B movie into a thoughtful expose on youth and technology, and blah blah blah... leading to what I can only describe as my "WTF" ending of the year. Yes. More so than Killlist.
Ok Maybe a tie for WTF ending of the year.
You know all this has got me thinking maybe me and Bucklesworth should get together and give out some awards. Hmmm... why not. We'll mail the winners tinfoil Oscars, and call them um... Lil' demons... maybe. I don't know... dam... sorry... ok annnnnnnnd back.
Sadly folks I think there is too little hardcore horror for the true believers, and too much for the average teeny scare lover. It will almost certainly get lost behind many of the better entries in the genre this year (including many reviewed on this lovely blog lol)
movie scale 1.5 out of 5 stars
Horror/slasher scale 2.5 out of 5 stars
- Boonsweet gives y'all the adios...
P.S.
I did it for the lulz
I did it for the lulz
I did it for the lu......................
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