Shock Value (2014)

 
Shock Value.
 
Let's listen to the definition of the word, the potential of an action (as a public execution), image, text, or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of massive disgust, shock, anger, fear, and other similar negative emotions hoping to make their audiences sick. Now when I was asked to review this film I was thinking that this was gonna be another failed attempt at something like a Face of Death or Banned In America type film. Constant flashes of death and other disgusting things. But when I found out this was an actual film I was a little relieved cause to me when I first heard the name of the film I automatically thought this was that kind of film and I was gonna just chalk up as the same bs I have seen since I was a kid and  rented all those tapes from the local video store.
 

 
The film starts off with us seeing glimpses of the two main characters. Nick (Anthony Bravo) as appearance can be deceiving as he seems like a normal office worker but upon entering an elevator we see that there's more to him than what we see. A dark, twisted side that has him covered in someone's blood. Then we are introduced to Miles Fowler (Zak Hudson) a sleazy B-budget film maker whose apparently won an award at some horror film fest but later we find out that our friend didn't really win anything that he bought the award himself to help further his image. Miles' sleaziness is furthered that after the festival he has ventured to some area in the mountains to watch a young couple have sex while he masturbates in the car but moments later a hooded figure appears to bludgeon the young couple to death and Miles is the only person to see this attack. Miles proceeds to follow Nick all over the place as even with no explanation Justine (Michelle Campbell) appears in the car next to him. Yes I was like how the hell did she get in the car or when did he stop....nevermind.
They proceed to follow Nick now as he goes for his next kill and then break into his apartment and steal his killing tools and various polaroids he has laying around.
 
Afterwards Miles has devised a plan to get Nick to star in his next film by blackmailing him that if he doesn't Miles would turn Nick into the police. Apparently the note told Nick to meet them in a public place a restaurant so they could talk it out. Nick pissed cause what serial killer wouldn't be if his stuff is stolen from his place. Let's just say he made a fork become a scary weapon cause he sells a fork as a killing weapon. Even though Miles isn't scared of a fork and tells Nick he should go for the knife but Nick says with a calm demeanor that the knife is too dull and the fork would be the better choice to kill Miles and Justine, who becomes shocked that Nick would kill her when she has little to nothing do with all of this but being Miles' wheelman. After awhile Miles is able to convince Nick that doing this film would benefit them both and Nick agrees to do it.
 
As the film progresses on we meet Ashley and Jeff. Ashley who is Miles' meal ticket as she is the only best thing that's happened to him by being his ONLY actor who can act. Jeff well lets say douchebag and that's how I will leave it for him cause you barely see him in the movie but a few minutes here and there. Nick is forced to wear a dress in the movie and becomes apprehensive at first but Miles has convinced him that he should of read the script to understand why he has to wear the dress. This is where ego takes over and cockiness plays out as Miles believe that Nick is a dumb serial killer and has no idea how to comprehend what's going on as Justine tells Miles that maybe Nick is the one whose smarter than Miles and is just playing dumb to get the right moment to kill him. This all leads up to a cameo by horror icon and legend Malcolm McDowell. Wait there's an actual well known actor in this low budget film? Wait it's Malcolm McDowell so this is a common practice for him. But anyway McDowell stars an aging movie star, producer, director whatever he is but he is who he is and he plays the role perfectly as its something I would expect from someone whose claim to fame was well past their prime and their ego has yet to take that blow that their irrelevant now in this day and age. But its that ignorance that brings forth Nick's rage and lets just say it was one hell of an ass kicking he got for it.
Now as the film begins to wind towards its ending, Nick and Justine have taken their relationship to a sexual level and Ashley's loser boyfriend Jeff has arrived on scene to deliver a beat down on Miles all cause Jeff is slightly jealous of Ashley's success at the hands of Miles and can't accept that she's the bigger star and wants to lash out violently towards the one whose brought her that success. Its in this moment that Miles has snapped and he becomes enraged with revenge that he seeks out Jeff to find him at a park sitting a swing. Jeff delivers a low blow before having his brains splattered all over the playgrounds dirt below the swing. Miles looks around to see no one is there and that he's gotten away with murder, he then goes to Ashley and the two have sex after she just wants to use Miles to get even with Jeff. As Miles returns to set he talks to Justine about the ending of their film and how they are gonna turn Nick in to the police and make a lot of money off of the film cause of Nick's fame as a serial killer and being the film's star. But when Justine's emotions get the better of her and she begins to have second thoughts and refuses to go through with the plan Miles does what the only thing a desperate man will do in this moment.
 
 
This leads to the film becoming a disaster as he attempts to use a real gun in the fake death of Nick in the film. After Ashley accidentally kills a crew member when the gun gets stuck on her clothes Miles flees and runs to a strangers house where he hides out til Nick finds him and Miles stabs him only to run back to the set. Desperate to convince Ashley that he killed Nick to save her only leads her to read through the lines of his story and Nick comes back to attack Miles one more time only this time he's shot by Ashley who then is attacked by Miles but when she turns the tables and bludgeons him with his award he had in the beginning of the film. The film come to an end as movie studios are fighting over whose gonna release the unfinished film by Miles and we see that Ashley and Nick have survived their ordeal only to have Nick's taste for killing still intact as he watches a couple make out in the crowd and smirks before the credits roll.
 
I recommend this film cause its not actually decent for a low budget film. The shock value being that Nick is a serial killer and that Miles wants to exploit it to sell a movie that he would use a real life serial killer as his twist ending would make for a excellent twist. Though some of the acting is kind of ehh and okay the film comes off very well done and doesn't reek of any cheesiness that you would tend to get from a B-budget film. So do yourself a favor and see this film. The only regret you'll have is if you choose to wait on seeing this is that you waited for a period of time instead of taking my word and seeing it today.
  
             
 
 
reviewed by Bucky

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