Stylized and bombastic, plainspoken and pointedly declining subtlety - films from The Asylum have a definite feel to them, and 'Little Dead Rotting Hood' (what a title!) isn't especially different. A preponderance of the dialogue, scene writing, direction (arrangement of shots and scenes, and guidance of the cast), and camerawork is boorish to the point of being garish. Even fundamental elements like lighting, costume design, set design and decoration, and hair and makeup waver on the edge between "okay" and "painfully overt." We get a LOT more wholly unnecessary and gratuitous shots of nudity, or otherwise lingering looks at women's bodies, then I would have expected, and the special effects we see are on par with what viewers anticipate of Asylum features. In all fairness, the image quality is crisp and clear, reflecting what would seem to be higher production values than one may assume, and the blood and gore effects generally actually look pretty suitable as far as I'm concerned. On the other hand, the sound design feels imbalanced - occasionally a little tinny and hollow, sometimes blaring and grating on the ears. Suffice to say, this title fits neatly with its brethren from the same studio.
At the same time, much to my amazement, this isn't an utter waste. There's some surprising cheeky cleverness in a bit of the dialogue, and some fun in the minor flourishes - like wild-eyed supporting character Benson, played up delightful zeal by Tony Ketcham. There are actually some solid ideas in the narrative, strong enough that they wouldn't feel out of place in a more sincere movie, and against all odds director Jared Cohn periodically manages to demonstrate a carefulness and keen eye exceeding the standards of like pictures. Most astonishing of all, though - defying everything we know of The Asylum - I don't think the acting is half bad! The least that can be said is that the cast members lean into the ridiculousness of a feature that is intended only as a slice of pompous genre fun. To my amazement, though, for the short time that Marina Sirtis appears on screen, I feel like she gives a performance stronger than anything actors have usually ever contributed to Asylum flicks. And her star power is adjoined by Eric Balfour and Patrick Muldoon, two players I've seen enough of elsewhere to know they're capable - and who clearly had a blast making this nonsense. So it is, too, with still other folks on hand - Bianca A. Santos, Heather Tom, Amy Argyle, and more.
But make no mistake, this production company earned a particular reputation, for a particular reason. There comes a distinct point in the length when the most tawdry tendencies of The Asylum shine through - at about the 50-minute mark, we're treated to a scene that emphatically throws out whatever nuance we may have gotten before, a moment with sandblasted bluntness that matches our expectations perfectly. That crudeness does the movie no favors, and in a similar vein, the more that 'Little Dead Rotting Hood' relies on overblown special effects, the worse it looks. In all earnestness, I think this bears strength in its cast, and in its screenplay. But I guess no one was going to greenlight this feature except this one infamous studio, so of all possible iterations, the one we get is plagued with deficiencies of one sort or another.
For everything here that is Wrong, though, I'm frankly aghast at how much was done Right. The very nature of what The Asylum does, the low-budget and deliberately schlocky approach to their productions, means that this was hamstrung from the start to one degree or another. And still there's sufficient real value in this film that I can honestly say I enjoyed it. True, anyone who can't stand any step down in quality should avert their eyes, and I'd not begrudge anyone who has more critical opinions. All I can say is that I entered with the lowest of expectations, and for however bumpy a ride it may be, I ultimately had a good time. Recommendable only for viewers who specifically enjoy B-movies, 'Little Dead Rotting Hood' is hardly essential action-horror - but if you're open to a wide world of cinematic possibilities, maybe you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
At the same time, much to my amazement, this isn't an utter waste. There's some surprising cheeky cleverness in a bit of the dialogue, and some fun in the minor flourishes - like wild-eyed supporting character Benson, played up delightful zeal by Tony Ketcham. There are actually some solid ideas in the narrative, strong enough that they wouldn't feel out of place in a more sincere movie, and against all odds director Jared Cohn periodically manages to demonstrate a carefulness and keen eye exceeding the standards of like pictures. Most astonishing of all, though - defying everything we know of The Asylum - I don't think the acting is half bad! The least that can be said is that the cast members lean into the ridiculousness of a feature that is intended only as a slice of pompous genre fun. To my amazement, though, for the short time that Marina Sirtis appears on screen, I feel like she gives a performance stronger than anything actors have usually ever contributed to Asylum flicks. And her star power is adjoined by Eric Balfour and Patrick Muldoon, two players I've seen enough of elsewhere to know they're capable - and who clearly had a blast making this nonsense. So it is, too, with still other folks on hand - Bianca A. Santos, Heather Tom, Amy Argyle, and more.
But make no mistake, this production company earned a particular reputation, for a particular reason. There comes a distinct point in the length when the most tawdry tendencies of The Asylum shine through - at about the 50-minute mark, we're treated to a scene that emphatically throws out whatever nuance we may have gotten before, a moment with sandblasted bluntness that matches our expectations perfectly. That crudeness does the movie no favors, and in a similar vein, the more that 'Little Dead Rotting Hood' relies on overblown special effects, the worse it looks. In all earnestness, I think this bears strength in its cast, and in its screenplay. But I guess no one was going to greenlight this feature except this one infamous studio, so of all possible iterations, the one we get is plagued with deficiencies of one sort or another.
For everything here that is Wrong, though, I'm frankly aghast at how much was done Right. The very nature of what The Asylum does, the low-budget and deliberately schlocky approach to their productions, means that this was hamstrung from the start to one degree or another. And still there's sufficient real value in this film that I can honestly say I enjoyed it. True, anyone who can't stand any step down in quality should avert their eyes, and I'd not begrudge anyone who has more critical opinions. All I can say is that I entered with the lowest of expectations, and for however bumpy a ride it may be, I ultimately had a good time. Recommendable only for viewers who specifically enjoy B-movies, 'Little Dead Rotting Hood' is hardly essential action-horror - but if you're open to a wide world of cinematic possibilities, maybe you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.