Penny Dreadful by Richard Brandes [2006]

Title: Penny Dreadful
Director: Richard Brandes
Starring: Rachel Miner, Mimi Rogers, Mickey Jones
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2006
Source: Generation X Video

I don't really get the whole 8 Films to Die For bit, seriously what was so gruesome in this that it couldn't be showed to the general public? This would send kids to sleep faster than Dora The Explorer re-runs.

This movie opens up by introducing you to Penny, a teenage girl with an intense fear of cars after seeing both her parents die in an accident. While on the road to recovery her therapist decides to take her for a drive to the sight of the accident. What could go wrong driving in the woods?

Along the way they end up hitting a hitchhiker with quite the nasty looking exterior. Of course the nice thing to do would be to pick up the hitchhiker [I'm clearly not nice, as I'm positive I would of backed up over the body a few times and then headed for the highway]. Eventually they get to where Mr. Creepy wanted to go and let him/her off. Shortly after, Penny needs to pull over yet again for some vomiting time [I believe it's become a habit of hers] and notices the tire has a spike in it and is going flat fast. Mr. Hitchhiker shows back up, they panic, blah blah blah. I don't know about you, but personally, my rims wouldn't be of any concern if some psycho was after me, I'd drive on a flat and worry about the damage later. But of course, the characters in horror movies are never really all that smart, unless of course they are the ones doing the killing. Miss. Therapist ends up dead, as does a handful of characters that we know barely anything about, leaving us no care what so ever when they end up bleeding out.

There was quite a few decent scenes and I'm sure there would of been more if the crap would of been edited out. Not nearly enough film ended up on the cutting room floor with this little number. Had quite the steady start, a not so terrible ending, but the dragged out middle totally killed it. If this full lenght would of been made into a 45 minute short it would of come out on top.

When you base your entire movie within a car, you can only do so much before the audience starts counting sheep. And when your main character is a sobbing mess with no motivation what-so-ever in saving her own ass, why should we care? You kind of start counting down the minutes until she's dead.

Not the worse, clearly not the best. If you care to watch this, I suggest watching the middle on fast forward. You won't miss much.

Half-assed recommended.

j.