Pink Eye (2007)

I was sent a screener of "Pink Eye" and really looked forward to seeing Melissa Bacelar in all her glory. I wasn't disappointed either. Not only does she have a wonderfully toned (and tanned) body to look at but she is quite a charismatic presence on screen too.

Unfortunately, the little girls in the film steal every scene they are in and actually do a much more credible job than the seasoned pros here. It's obvious that, in spite of the ultra low budget, "Pink Eye" actually contains some decent actors but the overly slow pace does tend to spoil their performances from time to time.

Melissa's legs also tend to be a major distraction. I'm not entirely sure what her relationship is exactly to the children (or to the hero for that matter) but her skimpy shorts are probably inappropriate attire for babysitting. I just found myself gazing at her legs more than paying attention to the dialogue but then that's probably always going to the case when it comes to Melissa Bacelar.

The story itself is somewhat confusing. Things really aren't explained too well and there are a few red herrings along the way which really do more to hinder the plot rather than help it. The whole thing reminded me of the huge annoying pause you get on quiz shows like "Millionaire" where you end up shouting, "Just get on with it!" In particular, the scene with the Russian woman telling the story of how Brandon had "Pink Eye" when he was younger just felt like padding.

The special effects, on the other hand, are quite well done. Most effects appear to be the practical kind although there are also a couple of dodgy camera effects which are overused. Whereas I thought that the various eyeball gouging and belly cutting effects were good, I really didn't like the scenes which looked like a double exposure.

I absolutely hated the use of music throughout the film though. Not only did most of it outstay its welcome by overlapping from one scene to the next but it was often inappropriate. No background music at all would perhaps have been a better option although strangely enough there were a couple of scenes near the end where it actually worked.

The real star of this show though was Joshua James who plays the Poe quoting lunatic "Edgar". Big plot holes mean that I'm not sure why he was so special as a patient but he certainly has a very eerie voice somewhat reminiscent of James Earl Jones mixed with Vincent Price if that makes any sense. He certainly managed to convey an air of menace.

I was disappointed by the scene in which Melissa removes Edgar's mask mainly because I wanted to see the total extent of his deformities. Alas, either the budget didn't run to it or someone thought it would be best left to the imagination but in a film so previously full of gore it was odd.

Overall it was quite entertaining but very flawed. There were some nice boobs once or twice (sadly not Melissa's) and enough blood to satisfy most independent horror film fans. It's not really any worse than "Beyond Re-animator", which it reminds me a lot of, but it's equally not at all scary either.

I'll give it 3 out 10. I wish I could give it more but it needs some more editing in places before it would be totally pleasing. I also wish that Melissa hadn't disappeared for three-quarters of the film as, from the order of the credits, I really thought she was going to carry the whole thing.