Monday, October 20, 2014

Botched





(2007)

To be honest I'm not exactly sure as to what the hell I just witnessed. Described as a "horror comedy", I found the sense of humor in this Irish film to be simply bizarre.

Stephen Dorff (whom I think is just great, not sure why) plays a low level gangster eager to pay off his debt for being smuggled into the US from Russia as a child. When the perfect diamond heist gets botched (!) thanks to a dog running into traffic, his crime boss gives him one last chance to redeem himself.

Accompanied by two bickering brothers, he's sent to Moscow to steal a priceless golden cross that once belonged to Ivan the Terrible. The older brother Peter is a belligerent moron while Yuri is meek and relatively useless. This mission hits complications when his party gets trapped on the 13th floor, resulting in an unpleasant hostage situation.

The hostages - a security guard who thinks of himself a soldier, a trio of nuns, a nerd, a hot chick and a couple of others who aren't going to live very long - start getting murdered by a sadistic unknown assailant who dresses and acts like a guy who takes himself too seriously at a Renaissance Faire. The plot sound absurd but it's all explained satisfactorily. Hint: Ivan the Terrible.

I dug Botched. I probably won't watch it again anytime soon but I enjoyed the unexpected directions it took. There are some genuine horrific moments that are neutered by  amateurish special effects and one Scooby Doo-like chase.

6 comments:

Catfreeek said...

I watched this one in 2008 http://horrorthon.blogspot.com/2008/10/botched.html but for some reason it never made the Monster List. Pretty crazy film, I liked it too.

JPX said...

I'm glad yo mentioned that, Cat. Everyone,please make note of any links that don't work on the Monster List.

This film sounds bizarre! I don't get any sense of it being a comedy from your review. I'm not sure what to think about it.

Johnny Sweatpants said...

I updated the Monster List Catfreeek and it's all updated to present!

Catfreeek said...

Good job JSP!

Octopunk said...

Good review and thanks as always for your tireless Monster List dedication, JSP.

I like Stephen Dorff too, I think, but I always have to consciously forget his character in the first Blade flick. Did not dig that guy.

AC said...

Can't get excited by *** flix.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...