Low budgets #53 When I write about low-budget films, I can’t help but climb into the territory of the wonderful company Lizard Cinema Trade, which from the beginning of zero to 2013 produced proprietary DVDs almost completely budget-free films, supplying them with colorful covers and descriptions. Sometimes there were quite suitable TV movies, sometimes - a cool mockbuster from The Asylum, but there were even videos almost shot on the phone. Buying a disc of this company with some little-known horror, you could never guess what was waiting for you inside. The company managed to release several hundred such films, so we will soon consider a few more.
So, we have before us the thriller Tom Vaughn "Mean". It is difficult to say what Tom Vaughn is famous for, since this is his only film, however, in 2018 he suddenly acted as a screenwriter for the film Winchester. The house that was built by ghosts, which even went to the movies. However, there were still 8 years left before Winchester, let’s see what he shot there.
Jen and Mitch are newlyweds who have moved into a new home. Mitch's best friend, Danny, has to live with them for a while. The Trinity lives quietly and knows no troubles until Danny meets a girl named Blair. The girl begins to spend more and more time in the house, and it is clear that this can not end well. There are more and more quarrels among the heroes, and we understand who is involved in this. It gets even worse when we understand what the girl really has in mind.
Honestly, we again see the story run down to holes in an incredibly illogical performance. Of course, the heroes can not just take and evict a completely left-wing person from the house – otherwise there would be no kin. But to endure the antics of a woman who suddenly settled in the house is yes, we can. One way or another, such moments are present in all such films, so there is no escape from this.
The movie itself looks cheap, but not as cheap as York Entertainment. More like an ordinary thriller and not even category B, but the real category C. The operator shoots poorly, the actors play poorly, well, although the production itself does not seem long, because it takes only 81 minutes. This is not even on the air, I think, a typical DTV film, released almost on its own. Somehow you do not want to scold him at all, because for a cheap thriller of category C, it is made according to all samples of the genre. The plot is worn out, but if you want to look with interest. Actors play badly, but they can’t and at least won’t play differently. Therefore, in its weight category, this film does everything possible to somehow keep the viewer at the screen. That's a plus for him.
To summarize, we have the most standard category C thriller. No better or worse, that’s what you’re supposed to get in this movie category. It will not be delayed, it is somehow played and staged, which is already good. Let the story and the standard, but one view is quite useful if you are longing for such stories.
Thank you for your attention
6 out of 10