Disturbed (2009)

Disturbed (2009) see below for preview image

Director: Randy Aldridge, Brian McLaughlin
Writer: Randy Aldridge
Main Cast:
Melissa Deverian as Ashlee Fontaine
Alex Aldridge as Alex Fontaine
Peyten Aldridge as Peyten Fontaine
Randy Aldridge as Charles Mason
Apparently, damn near the whole Aldridge family was involved in making this film.  I know I didn’t list the mother anywhere here.  I know she was involved in the production side of things but, honestly, I didn’t want to turn the movie back on to find out.  If it is that big of a deal to know, it can be found on google.
However, that information will NOT make this film any better.  I have stated many times before that I dig B-rate horror films.  (Maybe it’s an ‘80s thing…B horror was so big back then.)  I’ve also said that there’s different levels to horror enjoyment.  I like to laugh during horror movies.  I like to be grossed out and entertained.  I like those moments of shock and awe that make you think, “No way! They did NOT just go there!”
Here we have the classic story of a madman who has escaped his prison/hospital.  This time, it’s a serial killer.  He has broken free and has sworn vengeance to the man who dropped out on his case.  That man is now a congressman.  And the first three names on the cast list up there, those are his kids.  So, a serial killer is stalking the congressman’s kids for revenge.
The opening scene is a doctor in session with a patient, going over the horrible casefile of the patient’s dastardly acts.  This is where the patient, Charles Mason (yes Mason, not Manson) escapes.  This was a pretty good scene and gave me hope.  But, it was quickly dashed.
The acting is not what I would call B-rate.  At all.  I’m going to say C-rate, even wickedly amateur.  There were times it was truly hard to keep watching.  Other times, it was almost B-rate.  The plot was full of tidbits from other horror movies and happenings.  For instance:
There was a “Carrie” element because there was what was meant to be an intense bullying situation.  A character named Barbie is the bully of one of the congressman’s kids.
Barbie also lives in the congressman’s old house.  This could be compared to Halloween or even to the Manson killings because on the first night (the Tate murders), they went to the former house of Terry Melcher, a guy that Manson had become angry with and wanted to teach him a lesson.  The killers did not know at the time that Melcher no longer lived there.
At one point, our killer lays out a dress (or nightie) for Barbie to put on.  She doesn’t.  Soon, she is the target of his rage.  This is similar to a scene from the movie “Copycat” where a serial killer does the same thing to his intended victim.
As you watch, IF you watch, you’ll notice this kind of parallel happening frequently.
The sound is poorly done, as the background noise is right on top of the dialogue like there is no distinction between what’s going on in the background and what’s going on in the foreground taking up the majority of the shot.
They try to make some gory FINAL shots but we get very little of the gore in action as the kills happen.  The budget was obviously lower than low, like weekend family fun filming kind of low, because the coroner holds up an actual Ziploc labeled baggie with “body parts” in it.  Seriously?  Don’t you think an off-brand would have been better??  Then it would have just been a plain, clear plastic bag.
You can’t see the killer at all until the end and even then, the reveal isn’t much.  The lighting is very poor at times making the film hard to see on screen.
The most focused on part of the whole movie and what seemed to be the culmination that we had built to was the rape of one of the daughters, the oldest.  This is truly one of the most awkward rape scenes in a movie that I have ever seen.  The only thing it would be good for would be some sort of sick comedy influence in the movie.
All of the real gore that is available in the movie happens at the end.  And the ending wasn’t bad but, it wasn’t great either.  The gore isn’t total cheese but, it’s not what we hope for in B movies.
This was definitely a movie where I was checking the counter about every ten minutes or so.  There are times the actors can’t even keep straight faces while acting.  The camera zooms in on a “dead body” but they zoom so close that you see the eyelashes moving.  There are times when the filming is all rough and bumpy and out of focus.
It was just a difficult movie to watch.  Although, I did laugh a couple of times, though I don’t know if the makers intended for laughter.
I can’t even bring myself to recommend this to…well, anyone.  Not unless you’re having a horrible horror movie night or something like that.  This could headline in a showing like that.
If you get the chance to see this…pass.
RATINGS
1/5 Stars
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This is the only preview image I could find. I think just that says something about the film.