Starting with the most recent picture I have viewed was the VERY low budget horror film, Carver. The movie is relatively new, stating a 2008 release on every movie site, but the title leads the viewer into a completely wrong direction. Not one of the victims in the movie was 'carved' at all, but it simply was the last name of the hillbilly murderer. Even for the low budget of the movie, it did manage to get some gut-wrenching reactions, including the worst torture (to me, at least) involving the testicles of one male victim to be popped with a pair of pliers... ugh... ouch... no fun. the entire thing was so predictable and unrealistic, but it was supposedly based on a true story of some town that was completely made up, unless you watch the other horror films from the director, Franklin Guerrero, Jr. I still like cheap thrills, so it was worth the watch. If you hate predictability, cheap nudity, gruesome violence or campy themes, you won't like this at all...
For the BIBLE Tells Me So was an eye-opening look into how real-life religious families have dealt with their children 'coming out' as homosexuals. Though every single one of the people involved in the documentary grew up in an environment that severely chastised the idea of homosexuality, they battled the idea or buried it deep into their subconscious until they could not hold it in any longer and had to live their life in the way that felt right. Though the families were against a lifestyle the Church has labeled 'immoral' and 'wrong' the parents supported their children because they love them, no matter what way they are. This was true for every instance except one, where a woman told her daughter she would never accept such a lifestyle for her child and as time passed, the daughter committed suicide. In reaction to this, though, the mother stepped out and became an avid supporter for those in similar circumstances of fear and rejection because of their lifestyle. The film even follows the beginnings of Gene Robinson, who recently became the first openly gay administer ordained in the Episcopal Church. This documentary was a very moving piece and should be viewed by anyone, even those who are against homosexuality.
Early in the week I had happened to view a movie entitled, The Girl Next Door. Though this shares the same title as the teen sex romp from 2oo4, this movie holds such a completely different entity and context and it is even based on real life events. The film is seen through the flashback of the main character to when he was a boy in the 1950s. A new girl just moved into town with her younger sister after their parents were killed and soon their abusive, alcoholic aunt turns her anger towards them. Eventually, it comes across that their aunt was inappropriately touching the younger girl when the older one fought back against it. To combat this, the aunt tortured the elder girl in the basement and held her captive there. She would even allow her three sons to sexually abuse their cousin or beat her, too. The main character was a neighborhood boy who tried to stop the abuse and eventually got a police officer to help, although it was too late and the girl died from the awful treatment. In real life, the victim was Sylvia Likens, who lived in Indiana and received similar, but not exact torture, as was featured in the film. This film is not for the easily disturbed or overly emotional, but is nonetheless and amazingly moving piece of film.
