Well, it's happened yet again. No, that darn cyst hasn't magically reappeared on my neck, that's been taken care of...I hope. That'd be a great title for a movie, or a band for that matter 'That Darn Cyst' - moving along. What I am speaking of is how every so often, I sit down with a film, with certain expectations (about said film), and in the end, I wind up with something completely different than I had thought. Recently it's been a bit of a rarity for this to happen (sometimes a good thing, sometimes not so good), but when I sat down with EI Cinema's Shock-O-Rama release of Suburban Nightmare - this is exactly what happened. Let's back track for a moment though, just to fill you in on the gruesome details. EI Cinema, famous for their sexy spoofs and sexalicious stars like Misty Mundae have entered the indie horror scene. They've got a fairly impressive slate of indie horror offerings on the way, which began with their release of the first film in their new line Screaming Dead (review here) a few months back. These are all brand new, independently produced horror features, and while Screaming Dead wasn't exactly my cup of tea, it showed definite promise (and I am a fan of many an EI Cinema sexy spoof as well, so I know what they are capable of). Suburban Nightmare marks EI's second horror release, and it's an ambitious little flick, but perhaps not quite what you would expect. Luckily, I was able to switch gears, considering that I had settled in for the evening, expecting one form of entertainment but was ultimately given something completely different than I had been braced for.

The story of psychopathic lovers at large is nothing new, and I'm going to politely spare you the long list of previous offenders. Suburban Nightmare certainly delves into familiar territory, but manages to surpass its budgetary restrictions (and familiar subject matter), with sheer chutzpah, primarily in the way in which it handles its material. The story takes place over one long evening at Charles (Trent Haaga) and Deborah (Brandy Little) Rosenblad's home. Our story begins in flashback, to show us just how in love Charles and Deborah are with one another (or at least were at one point in time), only to cut to present times where we see that the honeymoon is definitely over. Sure they argue about things that every 'normal' couple would argue about - like being late for dinner, or buying the wrong wine, but then there are the differences, the arguments that are not so common. Since Charles and Deborah are both psychopathic killers at heart, sometimes their arguing reaches some truly absurd levels. For example, Deborah is horrified to discover, after a dinner party, that Charles has murdered their guests...without her! BUT, when it's time to lay down the plastic and get the chainsaws, it's nothing but teamwork at its finest!

It doesn't get any easier for our crazy lovers beyond this point. They've got a sick daughter upstairs, and a couple of prisoners chained up in the basement downstairs. Well, one 'pet' actually remains in the bowels of the basement, the other girl wound up in the spaghetti they had for dinner (much to Deborah's chagrin, in a particularly comical scene). Not to mention the fact that it isn't long before it's apparent that our couple's idea of reality should be considered quite different than our own (or any sane person's idea of reality for that matter). There are some tender attempts at unity (like inviting another woman into their relationship in the form of a stripper or burying a body together) but in the end, the two can't control their primal urges of skull bashing, even when it comes to one another.

Part of the uniqueness that surrounds Suburban Nightmare is in how the material is handled. Essentially, this is a character driven piece, full of drama, black comedy and long exchanges between characters. The film never really comes across as pure exploitation; the nastiness seems all the more necessary to really drive the point home. And unfortunately, this is one factor that may turn some people off. Those who may be looking for an all out gore-fest will be sorely disappointed. I appreciated the filmmakers' unique approach and honesty towards the subject matter, along with the genuine performances that all of the actors on hand provided. It was a refreshing change of pace I hadn't been used to, and I certainly wasn't expecting it here. But in the end, I was sure glad that I got it.

Far from a perfect film (there's still some cliché in here and at times, dialogue seems a bit forced) Suburban Nightmare is still a smart attempt at an intelligent horror flick. There is some violence and nastiness, but it's never pushed to the forefront. Relationships are the high point here, and it's mostly an intriguing watch throughout. Whether it's Charles and Deborah with each other, with their daughter Becky, or Deborah and her relationship with the young girl locked up in the basement - relationships are definitely the forefront with the violent tendancies being the backdrop. It's all handled quite interestingly, and I give major kudos to all involved for their dedication the the film, and their dedication to trying something different.

Quality is quite exceptional for this shot on video film. The care that was taken into dressing the sets and framing really shows. Nothing was left to chance here, from the colors the walls were painted to the outfits the actors wore, and it all works so well on a purely visual level. The full frame transfer is crisp and clean with bold colors and absolutely no visible artifacting. Audio is presented in a solid stereo track with clear dialogue; no hiss or distortion is present, and absolutely no mic problems, just a clear audio track all around. Since this is mostly a dialogue driven film, this is very important - it all works quite well.

Extras include 5 mini documentaries (anywhere from 2 to 7 minutes a piece) that cover a lot of ground, from FX, to sets, and other aspects of a 'behind-the-scenes' nature. Next up are 3 short films (unrelated) and a music video (directly related to the film) and also 6 Shock-O-Rama trailers for future films in their new horror line. Also included is a feature length commentary with the films writer/director and editor. An interesting listen, if the amount of heart that went into this production wasn't so obvious before - it should be after listening to this track.

It's a bit ambitious, and at times, it tries a bit too hard, but I gotta give 'em credit for trying something new and for offering some exceptional entertainment in the end. Suburban Nightmare may not be for all tastes, but for those of us who enjoy our effective indie shot on video films, Suburban Nightmare is definitely worth a look, and easily recommendable.