The cast is made up of mostly unknowns which helps us to disappear into the world that the film creates. They’re not particularly interesting actors or characters but I at least admire the choice, out of necessity or otherwise, to choose a cast which is not well known. In a lot of movies nowadays which have extremely well known actors I am always very aware it is them I am watching on-screen, but having relatively unknowns is great to see every once in a while.
Within the first five minutes or so it seems to be a random collection of scenes which just happen to have the same people in them. In my opinion if it had kept that mentality I would have liked it a lot more, as I am a huge fan of weird and surreal cinema. However when it introduces and proceeds with its plot it’s at first intriguing but soon becomes repetitive and boresome. However in saying that there’s some nice plot points here and there, and it’s a great little film to look at, so it’s not all bad. There will be a select audience out there which will lap this film up and ask for seconds, and I can at least see how people would like it even if I personally don’t.
It’s hard to even classify my opinion of the film, or more specifically why I didn’t really like it. I guess it comes down to how it just doesn’t work – it seems very amateurish, none of the scenes really fit together right and in it’s attempts to be a “cult” film (which I got a strong vibe that’s what it wanted to be) it doesn’t really succeed. There are some nice visuals in there and some admirable creativity is at play but I can’t say I’d recommend Spike to anyone.
Article comments
1 - Mr Stan
I could not agree more, but I would have to be a bit harsher with my words. Spike should have been an amazing film, the outline written by EIFF staff made it impossible to resist. But this was the first mistake, the outline no resemblance to the film that I saw on Friday evening. The use of the words ominous, obsessive, skulking all added up to what I though (or what should have been) an eerie and creepy experience. The creepiest part of the film was watching the woefully untalented cast chew up the clunky laughable script. There was no tension at all and very little about this film said gothic horror to me (apart from the overuse of images of roses). Was I supposed to like the character of Spike? Was I supposed to hate him or was the goal that he just bore me with his sappy, hammy one liners? This felt like a student movie at it's worst and although I think that the 'under the radar' section in the EIFF is a brilliant addition to an already fantastic festival, they made a very bad mistake to include such an awaful piece of cinema. One last point, anyone who saw the film on Friday can you please explain to be the bizarre dream sequence in the car at the beginning - was I supposed to think that the lesbian lady wanted to have sex with her brother whilst covered in giant spider webs? Or did I hallucinate something interesting during my hour and a half of boredom.
2 - Ross Miller
Well as I said in my review I actually liked the part at the beginning (with the dream sequence etc) as it resembled my kind of movie - weird and surreal. I really don't know what it was supposed to mean, I guess it adds to the list of negative aspects of the movie.
I really didn't like the character of Spike, the opposite of what was most likely intended. I think they were going for the whole elephant man thing in that we are supposed to feel sorry for him because he feels isolated from the rest of society because of the way people treat him based on his looks. But the filmmakers really didn't make us feel anything for the character let alone feel sorry for or like him.