Here are some recent DVD buys that I've added to my collection.
The Human Centipede is a film that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would. It's one of those films that I think I'll watch over and over. Dieter Laser gives a fabulous performance as the misanthropic surgeon whose motivations are a little cloudy. Given the film's advance publicity, I'd convinced myself that it was going to be a mindless tale of tasteless excess. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I think some may be disappointed with how clean the whole thing looks.
Splintered is a the first full-length feature from director, Simeon Halligan. It's a British film that is part teen-slasher movie and part psychological horror. A low-budget affair with a talented cast, it does what it does very well. The basic storyline is that late-teen, Sophie and a group of friends go to rural North Wales where a mysterious creature is allegedly on the prowl. While on its trail, Sophie comes upon an abandoned building where she is captured and held in a cell by a strange man who claims he has locked her up for her own safety. Unfortunately, too much of the film takes place in darkness and the twist in the tale is a little disappointing. It's worth seeing, but it's a DVD that you'd probably rather rent than buy.
