Brandon Stephens
Dorchester's Revenge AKA Dollface is the sequel to the indie classic Crinoline Head directed by Tommy Faircloth.Our film begins at the beginning, actually showing us what the original only spoke about. Young Dorchester and his mother, Mary Stewart are seen spending their last moments together before her passing of a heart attack right in front of the scared young boy... Now according to Legend, Dorchester is forced to spend the summer alone after her death, eventually eating his mother to survive. This more visually disturbing backstory makes those who have never seen the original film (Check my reviews for: Crinoline Head) stay caught up without missing too much of its predecessor.Starring in this: is busty scream queen Debbie Rochon as Betsy, the caretaker of the now burned down lake property from the previous film. She is a force to be reckoned with. Her introduction includes a shotgun, a 'Merica bandana, a redneck accent and enough sexual innuendos to make a sailor blush...not to mention she backs up every word (as one will see later in the film much to your delight). Another actor who in my opinion doesn't get enough screen time, but does a damn good job with the amount of screen time he has is Jason Vail. Vail comes back as Paul Donner, one of the lone survivors of Crinoline's bloody rage from the first film (originally played by: Brian Kelly ). Jason is a very talented actor and knows how to tease the audience into thinking is he or isn't the bad guy or the good guy as you'll see in my review of: The Cabin - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2989422/reviews-1.The other actors like Lizzie Mears, Gunner Willis, Leah Wiseman, Kirsten Ray & John Kap, alongside the others all add their our individuality to their roles which make each character feel more fleshed out then in the previous film.Something else that needs to be mentioned is that the clichés that were once riddled on screen are trumped in this sequel, not only that but the kills upped, the gross out humour is so over the top that it borders on awesome. This film is obviously another Horror Comedy and it shows, yet it also when needed has the serious elements that make it so successful as a horror film also. Mentioning the actors as I did earlier, I must say that 3 in particular stand out for me. That's not to say that I picked one more than the other, it's just that when someone throws a bloody tampon at another bang on & swears, screws like a sailor and enjoys the company of diesel, and well let's just say it KILLS PEOPLE; they tend to stand out a bit.Another thing I must give props about this film is how they reimagined Dorchester's look, it is so much more menacing almost like that of BABYFACE from the film THE HILLS RUN RED. As I mentioned in my review of the first film, the deaths were quite inventive and original... This is still the case, I love the deaths in these films!! They truly have a 80's flare to them. You can tell that the director knew, we (the horror fans) were getting tired of the same ole same ole on screen kill and Tommy being a product of that generation truly delivers on the kills in this film. Whilst we are on the topic of kills, the gore is quite lacking. Saying that, if one can appreciate the creativity and imagination which us old school horror fans do then the fade to black kill sequences with a scream and the sound of dicing/slicing can be much more gruesome.I own several of Tommy's films and the one thing that I always have to touch on is his cinematography and camera work. Something else I couldn't help notice and love was the real fly buzzing across the screen more than once during the film. At first, I thought it was intentional but realized later it probably wasn't. Either way I dug that it was kept in the film.Dorchester's Revenge is a wonderful follow up to an amazing debut film. I personally, can NOT wait to see what he brings to us with his up and coming "FAMILY POSSESSIONS". Faircloth and Co. are here to stay, and definitely a force to be reckoned with in the indie film circuit. Crinoline Head IS ALIVE!!!!
Crimsonprod
Dollface is a modern-day slasher with all of what we love about the oldies, carving its own bloody niche for the genre's new generation. Our homage to 80s horror begins again at the beginning, showing us what the original did not–Mary Stewart, at the lake house of legend, finding her son returning from outside, alone, his absence unbeknownst to her earlier. As the story goes, Dorchester's mother dies of a heart attack in front of him. He is forced to spend the summer alone, eventually eating his mother to survive. Yes, I did say that! "Eating his mother." A rich backstory, strengthened by a review for newbies, makes the movie easy to follow, even without having seen the original. For those of you who avoid the sequel to a prequel you haven't seen, worry no more. A welcome addition is horror icon and A-list scream queen Debbie Rochon. She owns her role as Betsy, the real-estate company's caretaker of lake property that won't sell. Wearing an oversized T-shirt with the words "Saigon, Vietnam," and an American flag bandanna around her head, Rochon rivals the best of sailors. Hamming up her role to perfection, with a backwoods accent and off-the-charts innuendo, no man is safe from Betsy. "I got somethin' else that you can vandalize, and it ain't property," she says…and she means it! The rest of that quote maxes out the raunch meter at SJR, but in the movie it's a hoot (as are numerous others)! Rochon's unexpected language, more than once, is an ironic addition to the movie that actually elevates it; she's a shot of adrenalin delivered at just the right moment, when things could lose steam. Rochon makes Betsy believable, authentic, and real–a character with depth and dimension…and a heart for those who deserve it. No actor could have played the part of Betsy better! SJR is sure of that! A knockout performance from Rochon, gives Dollface just the punch it needs, with all contenders down for the count! Jason Vail is Paul Donner, one of two survivors from Crinoline Head's attack in the first movie. I have seen Vail previously in Elias Gangster's Gut and Tommy Faircloth's horror short The Cabin. Vail's even, natural force delivers, as always, convincing viewers that all is real, regardless of how ordinary, bizarre, or surreal things may be. His performance in Dollface is no exception. Vail's character teases us, hiding a sinister secret we see in the expressions on his face and his suspect body language. Sly glances suggest something amiss, and in a movie like this, anything is possible. What's better, and more impressive, is that Vail leaves a larger footprint on the film than his limited screen time should allow. Exceeding the limits is what great actors do, and Vail does it again! Could Paul be Dorchester himself—perhaps an obsessed victim turned copycat killer?The first difficult task a movie in a cliché-ridden genre has is to overcome exactly that—the clichés. Anytime a movie achieves that, in any way, its success is exponential. Dollface is a movie that not only achieves success, but also uses the genres clichés to get there. Instead of being predictable, it isn't. Almost anyone could be the killer, and anyone could be a victim.What's different? How's the fresh blood spilled here? First of all, Dollface is a horror comedy that is truly funny. (Yes, belly laughs abound here!) In every scene where humor is intended, it works. Witty one liners, (particularly from Elizabeth Mears, as Janet) are spot on, with just the right sarcasm to hit the punch line every time. Is there still more? Lots! A doll-loving psycho who wears a dress on his head and, yes, eats his own mother is more than a "tongue in cheek" mouthful. The undercurrent of humor as a contrast to Dorchester's deadliness is ironic and most effective!Second (and not in true order of effect), are the inventive ways that death is dealt to the victims. With every psycho murder already committed in movies before, this one manages to kill again with originality. Yes! An 80s-style slasher gives us something different in 2014, following the formula! The popping and squatting Janet, along with human piñata strangulation by intestines, are just a couple of things that "pop" in Dollface.Speaking of murders, the gore is mostly subdued or totally off screen, but all the more effective in being so. More than once, kill scenes fade to black with a scream and the sound of a weapon piercing flesh or hacking limbs. A well placed squish or a juicy slosh paints the picture as well as images on screen. As mentioned earlier, director Tommy Faircloth is a master of subtlety. The success of an off-screen murder by ax in Faircloth's short film The Cabin is repeated in Dollface with equal success…and flying feathers! Few directors can make such ellipted effects feel complete, but Faircloth does again.Pearls of cinematography jumping out are subtle but powerful, and far from ordinary. I couldn't help notice and love the real fly buzzing across the screen more than once. (Yes, that really happens, but it's rarely seen in movies.) A blurred faucet in the foreground, with an amped up drip, further catches viewer attention with great effect. I like the smaller things that often go unnoticed, as a director's calling card discreetly placed. Even if the fly is coincidence, taking advantage of the moment is the charm.Dollface is a horror comedy drawing fresh blood from the genre; it's a needed IV for a horror niche anemic and cluttered with cliché. As an homage to the 80s, it delivers the goods and the gore, no less off screen in the mind. Splashed with style and humor, a taste of nostalgia tops it off. Faircloth hacks and slashes his way to the screen with a body count. Michael Myers, Freddy, and Jason lookout! Crinoline Head is here…again!
dcarsonhagy
First of all, it was almost impossible for me to actually find the movie I watched (which was entitled "Dollface") in order to write a review. It seems there was an original (Crinoline Head), then this movie, and now another one (?) known as "Dorchester's Revenge." Much ado about nothing, that's for sure.The one I watched TRIED to be a stroll down memory lane (think 80's slasher flicks), but it did not even come close to that decade's worst slasher film. The story (from what I could follow) was some history students (yeah; I know) at a local university have a deadline to meet in regards to their semester "project." Two males announce they want to research the legend of Crinoline Head. It is also brought to attention their history teacher was a survivor of the original slaughter brought on by Crinoline Head and he's not certain they should pursue this. Yawn. Anyhoo, off they go to what looks like a nice fishin' hole to set up camp and get slaughtered. Along the way, they meet the repulsive female caretaker of the land whose mouth and personal hygiene leave a lot to be desired. She watches over what's left of the property where Crinoline Head used to live. Why? Who knows, because it seems the house actually burned down. How nice the director thought showing her laundered s*it-stained underwear hanging on a clothesline would add something to the movie. But I digress.I could go on prattling about this mess, but that would give it way more attention than it deserves. Lacking for any kind of continuity or believable story, the director decided to go for the gross-out factor. I will have to say that in all my born days (and there have been a few...), I have never seen a movie that called for one female character to slap another female in the face with a soiled tampon. Yes, this happens, and it gives the phrase "tea-bagging" a whole new meaning. This trash panders to the lowest-of-low kind of viewer who would have people believe they're hard core horror fans, but who actually wouldn't know good horror if it bit them on the ass. All involved should be ashamed of this bowel movement. True horror fans continue to ask why horror is disappearing from movie screens. Well, here's one great example that will help answer that question.Unrated for disgusting images, language, and violence.
