Horror Movie Review: Cornered

Cornered

Starring: James Duval, Elizabeth Nicole, Peter Story, Ellia English, and Steve Guttenberg

Directed by: Daniel Maze

Written by: Darrin Grimwood and Daniel Maze

Production Company: MAZEfilms



Release Date: November 17, 2009

Awards: Ellia English won for Best Actress at the 2009 New York City Horror Film Festival award and the film won 2nd Place for Best Feature Film at the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival

I love slasher films. They are the best horror films because the writers and directors have to think up a new gimmick with each film. Jason Voorhees is a zombie in a hockey mask, Freddy Krueger a scarred dream demon, Michael Myers is pure evil in a William Shatner mask...but then things get even crazier...Evan Rendell, aka Dr. Giggles, with his doctor fetish, killers in funhouses, ice cream truck killers, killer clown...the permutations of slashers is fascinating.

So comes the nameless killer of Cornered, a killer of convenience store employees and patrons. His targets in this film are five friends having poker night in the upstairs loft over the convenience store they either work in or shop in. The five victims are interesting characters chock full of vices. There's the alcoholic owner of the shop who berates and belittles his drug addicted nephew. There's the donut nomming loser attracted to the chain smoking prostitute, and my favorite...the ice cream loving phone sex vixen. It's easy to imagine that a night of drinking and playing poker could be a comedy film without the slasher who shows.


The killer overheard them discuss how they would stop him and decided to act out their ideas on them. I find that an interesting twist because you can imagine the victims being found and people saying, "What kind of sick mind could come up with that?" and the answer is the victims themselves.

There wasn't a whole lot actually scary going on, but it was interesting and fun. It's pretty obvious who the killer is, so there's not a whole lot of mystery here, but it's fun nonetheless.

It was cool seeing Steve Guttenberg, even for a little bit. I haven't seen him since the 80s. I know he was working, but not in anything that I wanted to watch. And as mentioned, Ellia English as the ice cream loving phone sexer steals the show. It's a fun watch all in all...but do watch it with an open heart...

Related Trailers

Penance - James Duval also appeared in Penance. A young mother decides to become a stripper to earn some fast cash only to find her worst nightmares are about to begin.

High Spirits

Steve Guttenberg also starred in High Spirits. When Peter Plunkett's Irish castle turned hotel is about to be repossesed, he decides to spice up the attraction a bit for the 'Yanks' by having his staff pretend to haunt the castle. The trouble begins when a busload of American tourists arrive - along with some real ghosts. Among the tourists are married couple Jack and Sharon. Sharon's father holds the mortgage on Castle Plunkett, so she's hoping to debunk the ghosts. Jack, on the other hand, after meeting pretty ghost Mary, is very eager to believe. Can there be love between a human and ghost? Jack and Mary are going to try and find out.