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Branded
USA 2004
produced by Darla Enlow for Next Monkey Productions
directed by Darla Enlow
starring Trey Fillmore, Jamie Sworski, Dana Pike, Dru Callis, Matt McHan, Megan Enlow, George Allen, Darla Enlow, Angie Knowlton, Bonnie Stribling, Larry Scott
screenplay by Gigi Phillips, based on the novel Straw House, songs by Last Exit, Tammy Jackson, Dark Set Theory, Michele Wade, David Ira, Tony Romanello Band, David Ashmore
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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Mitch (Trey Fillmore) and his band are supposed to record their new
album in a posh lakeside mansion somewhere in rural USA, but their mission
is under a bad star from day one, when drummer Crash (Jamie Sworski)
refuses to give up his rockstar lifestyle even for the duration of the
process, so he has brought himself a groupie (Darla Enlow) and a ton of
heroin. and he's trying to drive a spike between Mitch and the rest of the
band (Dru Callis, Matt McHan). It doesn't help then when his groupie is
eventually found murdered, as are two other girls (Angie Knowlton, Bonnie
Stribling), and somehow an at first inconclusive trail leads to Mitch and
band. Mitch kind of freaks out because of late he has had more and more
visions of a little girl with a teddybear, visions that usually signalled
something bad. To keep everything on track, Mitch's sister and band
manager Megan (Dana Pike) stops by, and she does have a talent to keep
even the wildest guys in line. But eventually, she kills one of the
bandmembers (Matt McHan). When Mitch finds the body of his bandmate, he
starts to remember: the girl with the teddybear is actually a younger
version of Megan who has saved him from their abusive father back in the
day and has taken care of him since then. He figures now it's payback time
and accepts the blame for the murder in her stead ... Megan though has
never had any interest in taking care of Mitch, only in money and power -
which is exactly why she has killed his bandmate ... and all the girls:
For publicity purposes. There is just one factor she has not taken into
account: Rock'n'Roll wildchild Crash, who has long been wise to her, and
who one day comes by her office to murder her, but in a way that the
police are sure to find the evidence that she's the one who has killed the
girls and the bandmember ... For the most part, this is not too
special a film: The characters are all terribly clichéed, the murders are
not placed too well within the story, and the identity of the murderer is
a bit too guessable. And all of this is transported by an uninspired
directorial effort that's low on atmosphere and a rather mediocre cast.
It's only the ending that actually packs a punch, the way Megan is
revealed as a killer, her motives, and also her demise. It's late in the
movie for sure, but way better than nothing. Still, not too special a
film.
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