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 ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE (tentative title)

 Open House is a new horror thriller hitting DVD and Blu-Ray courtesy of Lionsgate on August 3rd. The film is sure to garner quite a bit of attention thanks in no small part to the two most prominent faces featured on the cover art – Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer – stars of the hottest show on television, True Blood. Seeing the on and off-screen couple immediately caused hesitation on my part that this was just some sort of cash-in based on their current level of celebrity – that is, until I noticed the name of the writer and director: Andrew Paquin, i.e. Anna's older brother. Hey, we all do favors for family…

The plot concerns a man who enters the home of Josh (Moyer) and Alice (Rachel Blanchard) during the titular open house. The couple has split up and decided to put the dwelling on the market since Josh has moved out. The man who sneaks into the open house is David, played by Brian Geraghty of The Hurt Locker fame. Neither Alice nor the realtor notice that David has entered the home and he hides out until the open house has ended, taking Alice hostage shortly thereafter. David's accomplice Lila (Tricia Helfer) soon joins him and it quickly becomes apparent that she is the one wearing the pants in the relationship. The film plays out as expected from this point as the psychotic couple of David and Lila make Alice's home their own for the next several days while acting out their murderous impulses on both invited and uninvited guests. The only wrinkle in the storyline is that Alice is secretly kept alive by David even though Lila thinks he has disposed of her. Geraghty's performance is fairly impressive – he plays a blank, submissive psychopath with the best of them and at moments even goes so far as to remind the viewer of Anthony Perkins' brilliance as Norman Bates in Psycho. The major issue with his performance is that it falls smack dab in the middle of a hollow, paint-by-numbers film. I caught myself wanting to just turn it off at numerous times – not because it was bad, but rather because it was just so boring. No tension, no excitement, no heart. And for a film like this to be successful those ingredients aren't optional.

Additionally, my earlier fears upon viewing the cover art were fully realized – Anna Paquin has what is approximately one minute of screen time while Moyer times in at slightly more with around five minutes. Needless to say both are absent from the film before long and certainly aren't nearly as intricate to the picture as the artwork would lead you to believe. Fans of True Blood will certainly blind buy this one when they see it on shelves at their local retailer and will almost as certainly feel ripped off after watching it for wasting their money.

Obviously Open House is working with far more talent than your typical straight-to-video fare which is why this flick is so disappointing. The only thing worse than being subjected to bad acting is watching good actors just going through the motions. I've honestly been more entertained and creeped out by episodic dramas on network television than by this bland motion picture. The Blu-Ray disc itself looks good, but the picture quality isn't anything out of this world. Deleted scenes and a commentary with writer/director Paquin are included as supplemental content, although I can't imagine most viewers caring enough to turn them on. For those who are still curious to check this one out, don't say I didn't warn you.

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 Paws

The concept of a pregnant woman in peril is nothing new to cinema, yet it has always been a controversial subject matter that most filmmakers shy away from. This certainly isn't revelatory – most films are made to be enjoyed and such a focal point for a motion picture is tough for a general audience to swallow. Nonetheless, director Louis Mansfield manages to confront this notion head-on with his new feature Birth of Separation. Shot on a shoe-string budget on location in Philadelphia, PA, the film follows the daily routine of Elizabeth, a pregnant housewife who one fateful morning has an encounter that will change the lives of her and her family forever.

Wandering innocently around town with a stack of fliers depicting his missing son, Jerome knocks at Elizabeth's door and is invited in for a cup of coffee. A warm gesture from one parent to another soon escalates to unnerving proportions as the conversation shifts from Jerome's missing son to Elizabeth's personal life. With the pregnant Elizabeth taken off guard, Jerome manipulates his way into her home, taking her hostage and inflicting both physical and psychological torture on the young woman all under the guise of getting more acquainted with her – and revealing some deep, dark secrets along the way.

First and foremost, Birth of Separation isn't your standard home invasion horror flick, but rather an independent art film – or 'ugly art' as the filmmakers have coined it. This isn't necessarily a film you go to the cinema and enjoy – it is a film you experience. As a result, I didn't catch myself walking out of the theater smiling ear to ear, yet it was the first thing I thought about when I woke up the following morning. Birth of Separation is very much in the same vein as Michael Haneke's Funny Games. It may not make you feel good, but it does make you feel – and after all, isn't eliciting emotion out of the viewer the mark of a quality motion picture?

Some may look at the miniscule budget as a detractor, however I felt it was quite the opposite. Whereas a film like Funny Games is well polished, Birth of Separation (BoS) felt real. It took place in a row house that any city dweller could identify with and it didn't have A-list talent to distract or remove the viewer from the moment. What it did have were talented local actors that infused the film with a sense of reality. The film's star, Ashley-Rebekah Faulkner (Elizabeth) puts in a splendid performance, highlighted by a chilling scene where she has her own hair cut off (in a single take no less) by the picture's villain Jerome, portrayed by executive producer Steve Saturn. Faulkner excels in her believability; drawing in the audience and making them feel as if they are being held captive along side her. Ultimately the fervor with which Faulkner portrays her character is what truly allows BoS to stand out as such an effective film.

BoS refreshingly refrains from graphic violence and instead opts for psychological fear in order to unnerve the audience. This is not to say the film is free of violence, however, it certainly does not rely on it for shock value. Factors like this are what ultimately allows BoS to be viewed as art rather than exploitation and, in doing so, will likely lead to the film being seen by audiences which are less accustomed to this sort of cinematic fare.

BoS is not a perfect independent picture but is unarguably a testament of what can be done on a low budget when those involved have the passion to make the project the best it can be. After all, tension is something that you can't just buy. So if the opportunity presents itself to see Birth of Separation make sure you do not pass it up. It may not be the feel good hit of the summer, but if you can endure it then you will hopefully find the appreciation for it that I did. I love popcorn flicks as much as the next person, but sometimes I want to be challenged by a film and BoS certainly challenges. And if you have the same reaction I did, then BoS will linger in your psyche for some time to come.