The Lights and Running From Machetes and Repetition: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Osiris Entertainment.

Director: John Sjogren.

Writer: Bonnie Orr.

Cast: Derek Lee Nixon, Kerry Wallum and Oscar Lusth.

Slasher films are a dime a dozen, and The Lights is just one of many “killer” titles coming from Osiris Entertainment. That is, if this company is typecasting itself with the kinds of movies it likes to distribute, then The Lights is a comical addition to the slasher-film genre. Most of it is unintentional; the humour cannot go unnoticed especially when Jack Carter is the crazed killer with some silly one-liners, lame kill-zone moments, and uninispired deadpan deliveries.

Some people may want to know why he has gone cuckoo. The explanation is given with the opening act. When he comes home only to have his wife say she’s leaving him because she is in love with someone else, he simply goes berserk.

The secondary plot about four college kids feels unimportant. After the introduction of Carter, they are the next to be established. More time is spent in creating a relationship of them with the audience, but it’s one that is buried in musical montages rather than with character driven dialogue. It works in creating the kinship the four have with each other, and there is a burgeoning romance between Steve and Kelly. Brad and Madison seem to be there more for the ride.

And when the group travels to the countryside outside of Kyle, Texas, to go watch a meteor shower, what they end up witnessing is an aurora instead. Supposedly, the Borealis can be seen from that far south but that must be a rarity. When Brad’s car breaks down, perhaps as a result of that magnetic storm, they hole up in Carter's barn.

One-by-one, they are going to die. This film does not try to be creative with the gore. Anyone looking for some real bloody moments will be in for a disappointment. As a budget film, it’s incredibly tame with the practical effects.

With a title like The Lights, some expectations are created. But without a playbill to describe the product, this movie can be about anything involving the lights. A tale about will-o’-the-wisps or the Brown Mountain Lights in North Carolina can potentially be far more interesting. An interesting irony is that writer Bonnie Orr is from North Carolina and she did not consider exploring some local folklore.

But at glancing at the packaging and making a connection of that to the title is confusing. With an image of someone brandishing a machete, the setup is obvious. Unfortunately, Jack Carter is no Jason Vorhees; Friday the 13th is far more interesting and creepier than this product.

Overall: 4 out of 10.

The Lights is available at Osiris Ent. for $4.98:

The Lights w/Release Details

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Posted in: 2011 release,movie review,osiris entertainment,slasher,slasher horror movie review