3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting story gives low-budget movies a good new title., July 13 2005
By Sid Stirling - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Insaniac (DVD)
I really like a good story and this movie delivers. Director John Specht (ABSOLUTION) guided the story through an exciting array of locations and imagery. I was impressed by the lead performances of Robin Garrels and Chris Grega in this movie. This is an excellent low-budget feature that is interesting to watch over and over to catch different nuances of the main character as she is caught in the chaos of her own mind. I enjoyed the horrific imagery, but was much more impressed with the psychosis of the characters and the relationships portrayed. Pick this one up!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent micro-budget cinema!!!!, Aug 9 2004
By mizziah "mizziah" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Insaniac (DVD)
I was very impressed with this title! I've seen many micro-budgeted features, but rarely have I've seen one as thoughtfully written as this one was. On top of that, the movie features some strong performances (especially from Chris Grega and screenwriter Robin Garrels), tight editing and some excellent music. If you're looking for Hollywood production values, look elsewhere cuz' this flick ain't for you. If you have an open mind, you may find a lot to admire about this flick. To check out a recent display of Garrel's talent, but sure to check out CHINA WHITE SERPENTINE, which she co-directed with Eric Stanze (SCRAPBOOK, ICE FROM THE SUN). Good stuff!!!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Literally: you have to be a little crazy to like this..., July 25 2006
By Max&Maia - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Insaniac (DVD)
Ok, I loved this film. It is my favorite horror film of all time. But in most cases, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Despite the awful choice of having Sub Rosa Extreme distribute the film, it is NOT in any way, shape or form a disgusting exploitation flick. The average movie viewer would probably say, "Is this a joke?" Where as the average horror fan would probably say, "This is just garbage." But...Before I go any further, a brief overview: The movie is about a girl who's insane and has amnesia (insaniac, get it?), blah blah blah.
Now that we're all done with that, it's all a catylst to watch a tremendous actress (Robin Garrels)wade through the symbolic construct of her subconscious. If you can immerse yourself into the world, the movie is ironically linear and surprisingly moving. It's a terrifying journey of discovery, so terrifying that our protagonist can only navigate it by theme, color, emotion, etc.
However, to say low-budget would be a dramatic understatement. I mean, the thing was filmed on home-video. Which means, poor sound, grainy video (not always bad), poor sound...you get the point. Put in the effort to get over that hurdle, or don't.
Back to my first point. I truly feel that one can only appreciate this movie if a) one has at some point questioned their own sanity, and b) has been scared by the answers. If those two prerequisites are there, I guarantee you a night to remember (whether you want to or not). Unfortunately, a great deal of those candidates might be suicidally depressed. Those of you who are...DON'T WATCH. Those 1% of us who are left. PLEASE give this a chance.