"You're running out of friends."
An "ancient curiosity", built as a "tool of vengeance", by a French artist, Rubenstein, who named it "Le Vaudou Mort", finds its way into the possession of a college student named Ben (Michael Dorman) after his father dies. His estranged brother, kind of a black sheep, named Marcus (Travis Fimmel), has become a crime photographer. Marcus and Ben reconnect after two years apart since their pop's accident, and because the former has been photographing the crime scenes of the latter's friends, it does allow the two to figure out why this is all happening.
Kind of a nifty concept (an antique "kill box" that, when a photograph is provided in this little slot, builds a wax figure which, when damaged, tortures and kills the person on said picture), with a detective story (who is behind the murders of Ben's friends and why?) that utilizes it in the way of the slasher. The violence can be quite potent and shocking (particularly the death of Luke Carroll, portraying college news reporter, as his body shows internal burning cuts and ongoing breaks), while the story regarding a box that kills for a particular person using it based on revenge is not the standard slasher mainstay the genre is accustomed to. As the friends die, and the numbers dwindle, only a few suspects could possibly exist: think Clue, with a supernatural box as the weapon instead of the candlestick or wrench, and suspects/killers are college kids. Even the college professor of archaeological studies doesn't last long due to her knowledge of the machine: a big no-no.
The "sins of the father" aspect that happens from time to time in murder mysteries, giallo thrillers, and slashers returns, as Ben's friends die not necessarily because of anything he's done as much as what his pops might have. Marcus is an unusual kind of hero as he has this swagger and cock in his walk while Ben is uneasy and shaky during their investigations into the murders and the box. The "brothers bonding as they go after the murder" aspect is a nice addition to what could have been the standard issue "final girl must discover the killer" routine.
Cast includes Trilby Glover and Jessica Marais as lesbian lovers, Nathaniel Buzolic as the jock, Tahyna Tozzi as Ben's love interest, and Khan Chittenden as the pal pining for Marais. John Jarrett as a coroner is a hoot, with a coffee/espresso addiction. Being behind the murders of those you were supposed to care about is a rather morbid touch. Tozzi is the kind of babe most guys aren't too unaware of regarding her interest in them; this does resort in many of us rolling in our eyes, but these things happen in slasher movies. Attractive movie, and it has good special effects, even if the reasoning behind the murders is a bit old-hat and shopworn.
An "ancient curiosity", built as a "tool of vengeance", by a French artist, Rubenstein, who named it "Le Vaudou Mort", finds its way into the possession of a college student named Ben (Michael Dorman) after his father dies. His estranged brother, kind of a black sheep, named Marcus (Travis Fimmel), has become a crime photographer. Marcus and Ben reconnect after two years apart since their pop's accident, and because the former has been photographing the crime scenes of the latter's friends, it does allow the two to figure out why this is all happening.
Kind of a nifty concept (an antique "kill box" that, when a photograph is provided in this little slot, builds a wax figure which, when damaged, tortures and kills the person on said picture), with a detective story (who is behind the murders of Ben's friends and why?) that utilizes it in the way of the slasher. The violence can be quite potent and shocking (particularly the death of Luke Carroll, portraying college news reporter, as his body shows internal burning cuts and ongoing breaks), while the story regarding a box that kills for a particular person using it based on revenge is not the standard slasher mainstay the genre is accustomed to. As the friends die, and the numbers dwindle, only a few suspects could possibly exist: think Clue, with a supernatural box as the weapon instead of the candlestick or wrench, and suspects/killers are college kids. Even the college professor of archaeological studies doesn't last long due to her knowledge of the machine: a big no-no.
The "sins of the father" aspect that happens from time to time in murder mysteries, giallo thrillers, and slashers returns, as Ben's friends die not necessarily because of anything he's done as much as what his pops might have. Marcus is an unusual kind of hero as he has this swagger and cock in his walk while Ben is uneasy and shaky during their investigations into the murders and the box. The "brothers bonding as they go after the murder" aspect is a nice addition to what could have been the standard issue "final girl must discover the killer" routine.
Cast includes Trilby Glover and Jessica Marais as lesbian lovers, Nathaniel Buzolic as the jock, Tahyna Tozzi as Ben's love interest, and Khan Chittenden as the pal pining for Marais. John Jarrett as a coroner is a hoot, with a coffee/espresso addiction. Being behind the murders of those you were supposed to care about is a rather morbid touch. Tozzi is the kind of babe most guys aren't too unaware of regarding her interest in them; this does resort in many of us rolling in our eyes, but these things happen in slasher movies. Attractive movie, and it has good special effects, even if the reasoning behind the murders is a bit old-hat and shopworn.