Cornered! and First Impressions: A Movie Review

Director/writer: Daniel Maze.

Slasher horror films are very common. The original Friday the 13th films to the more recent Laid to Rest, and several other indie' flicks like Frayed stand out as being some of the best, but put simply: there are a lot of horror slashers films in the DVD universe. So, what does one do to stand out? First time director Daniel Maze has chosen to introduce interesting characters, a simple set design, a few humourous anecdotes along the way and lots of imagination in the execution of the film's violence to his film, Cornered!. This film has been released May 25th on DVD by Phase 4 Films in Canada, and Cornered! is a refreshing look at a genre that could use re-invention and fresh ideas.

The plot follows a serial killer's dreams to snuff out street-level corner store operators with finesse. This killer turns the tables on a series of forlorn victims and misfits with a broken Ketchup bottle, who fantasize about stringing up the much publicized killer, while videotaping their demise. Carefree, likable characters are removed leaving one under the radar character standing alone in a tragic ending to a mostly comedic feature.

Director Maze makes his presence known with beer product placement, as the confining set builds tension through dialogue involving a masked killer stalking the neighbourhood. Characterizations are given depth with a casual poker game and James Duval (Evilution) shows a believable heroin junkie, with others limelighting as phone sex operators, prostitutes, and food addicts. Steve Guttenberg (Cocoon) plays a friendly deliveryman, but his appearances are minimal. The movie review site Joblo says of the characters: "I was happy to get to know these oddballs" and likely so will audiences (Joblo); these are imperfect characters much like everyone else and that makes their appeal natural. This first production from MAZEfilms equates to a low-budget and therefore all the scenes are kept within a basement, a loft, and a convenience styled store where one killer puts the condiments to good use. The reason they are all isolated inside the store is believable "as they are all gathered for poker after the store is closed" (Joblo).

Cornered! is a fun film with some clever dialogue that takes a different approach to slasher films by adding humourous deaths and breathtaking endings. The film does not require in-depth analysis and Maze's first film sets a bold precedent for other horror filmmakers by creating a near technically flawless film, with interesting characters. Horror movie review site Fangoria sums up the film nicely with "as a fun horror/comedy, Cornered! works" (Fangoria) So, pick this one up on DVD for a nice distraction and expect to see this director in future films, despite Cornered! taking an unusually long time, compared to other horror films, to reach audiences (2 years).

Directing techniques/visualization: 7 (an interesting shot with one decapitation).
Writing/story/dialogue/characters: 7 (well-written, careful, smart use of budget).
Conclusion/structure: 6 (the ending came a little too quickly and the film feels overall short, story is linear with a bookend styled ending).

Overall: 6.25 out of 10 (good characters, dialogue, but could use some scare effects, unpredictable twists and an extended ending).

Purchasable:



The Cornered! homepage:

The Cornered! Homepage

Cornered! at Phase 4 Films:

Cornered! at the Film's Distributors

A Cornered! review at Joblo:

Cornered! Reviewed at The Pub

At Shock Till You Drop (3 out of 10):

Cornered! Reviewed at STYD

At Fangoria:

Cornered! Reviewed at Fangoria

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