Sunday, July 3, 2011

#331. See No Evil (2006)


Directed By: Gregory Dark

Starring: Glenn Jacobs, Christina Vidal, Michael J. Pagan




Tag line: "This Summer, someone is raising Cain"

Trivia:  This film's star, Glenn Jacobs, is a professional wrestler who goes by the name of Cain.








See No Evil was financed by the WWE, and the sport's high-octane influence is almost immediately apparent. Before the movie even crosses the 4-minute mark, a young cop lies dead, and another is seriously injured, his arm severed at the elbow. The assailant, a giant of a man, was himself shot by the injured cop, and a young woman (Zoe Ventoura), already at the scene when the police arrived, is missing both her eyes. So, as you can see, See No Evil is not a subtle film.

Flash ahead to four years later. Frank Williams (Steven Vidler), the cop who lost his arm, is now working at a Youth Correction facility. In the hopes of giving some of the kids a second chance, Frank heads up a weekend outing, during which a group of incarcerated youths will clean up a burned-out hotel that's being transformed into a homeless shelter. In return for three days work, the young men and woman will have one month reduced from their sentences, but what they don't know is they'll be a lot more to deal with in this hotel than just rats and roaches. Hidden away on the top floor is a homicidal maniac, the very same one that Frank shot through the head four years ago. Armed with a meat hook, the killer sets to work almost immediately, leaving a trail of carnage everywhere he goes.

There are aspects of See No Evil that simply don't work, and chief among them is the story. As if it's not enough of a stretch to accept that a group of delinquent kids, all of whom have criminal records, would be released from jail to spend a weekend cleaning a hotel, we learn that this particular hotel is filled with hidden passageways and two-way mirrors, providing the kids with more hiding places and escape routes than they know what to do with. Throw in the added subplot of a long-forgotten safe, which supposedly holds a small fortune, that's hidden somewhere on the premises, and you have a film that gets off to a less-than-credible start.

Yet despite all the improbabilities were asked to swallow early on, See No Evil does pick up some steam once the killer, played by pro wrestler Glenn Jacobs (aka Kane), gets down to business. A veritable monster, Jacobs is very intimidating in the role, and his character's expertise with a meat hook leads to some very bloody encounters. This, along with the unusual habit of pulling out his victim's eyeballs with his untrimmed fingernails, make him one of the most interesting psychopaths to come along in recent years.

In the final analysis, See No Evil has more weaknesses than it does strengths (aside from the story, there's a twist towards the end involving one of the characters that I honestly saw coming from a mile away), and even though the film boasts a fascinating killer, I can't recommend it for everyone. Gore hounds may find enough to their liking in See No Evil, but all others will want to steer clear.










27 comments:

Anonymous said...

about the new horror jungle podcast; got it. listened. impressed.; sweeney

Anonymous said...

STUPENDOUS horror movie Podcast. Great music cut in's on all the DVD segments. Every category is covered and the two elaborate reviews and ratings are super.

I don't know how you managed it but Horror Jungle is epic.

DVD Infatuation said...

Thanksa for stopping by!

@sweeney: Glad you enjoyed the show! Thanks so much for listening.

@Anonymous: Thanks for the kind words. I'll be sure to pass along your comments on the music cut-ins (all of which were created by Hellhunter), and we thank you for listening.

Anonymous said...

Anuther homerun hit inside the jungle

Thoughts on hosts'
-Billchete,Drshock,Hellhunter amazing trio glad you went into the forrest
-Midnitecorey zombies yes! nothing more to say
-Kcanton what a way to start a nonconventonal slashpick wondering what's next
-Joemummy funny man and knowledgeble
-Bossbutcer vampires now that's cool
-Bloodliz sounds like a sweety nice a girl joins in

Trekkie29

DVD Infatuation said...

@Trekkie29: Thanks for the comment, and for your kind words about the Podcast. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks also for taking the time to rate each of the hosts. I'll be sure to pass this along to each of them, and I'm sure they'll all appreciate hearing it!

Take care, and have a good day!

Anonymous said...

So happy I got wind of this today didn't know this has been out since Tuesday. New day I have to mark it down in the calendar. I see why though because of the new DVD release, that works.

I love all the changes and new critics. I am happy you kept a 2 hour show since you are staying every other week. Is Horror Jungle ever going to be weekly? That would make me very happy. :-) You can never get enough horror movies!

Anonymous said...

loved the twisted, warped mind that was given to the main character, yet by no fault of his own (shows the revelance of how environment plays a part in creation of society)..Jacobs did an excellent portrayal; in using his persona from WWE..it translated perfectly in this film.

DVD Infatuation said...

@Anonymous: Glad you found us, and so happy you enjoyed the show!

As for weekly, if it does happen, it won't be for a few months, but we do know how much the listeners would like to hear the show on a weekly basis, so we're definitely keeping that in mind for the future.

Thanks for the comment, as for stopping by

DVD Infatuation said...

@Anonymous: As I stated in the review, I did have problems with the film, but Kane's maniacal killer certainly wasn't one of them. When he finally entered the story full-force, the intensity was ratcheted up a few notches.

Thanks for the comment!

Anonymous said...

Pretty amazing horror podcast Shockmeister. I value your take on films. You have a keen eye for reviews. If you say go, I will get it, but if you say no, I will forget it.

"Glee" fan and "Shock" fan,
Xavier

Anonymous said...

To. The minds behind Horror Jungle.

From. Travis "Slashum" Radcliffe.

Reference. Horror Jungle Podcast.

Completed the opening of Horror Jungle and I am amazed at how good this horror Podcast is and will be. This Podcast is going to blow the others out of the water.

I did a few calculations that are astounding.

Definite recommendations=9
Episodes in a year=26
9x26=234 guaranteed horror movie recommendations per year.
Possible 11x26=286

That is purely incredible and awe aspiring covering that many horror movies in a year.

For your information with Planet Macabre I bought almost a 100 DVD's and Blu-Ray's. All the hosts persuaded me every episode and I have to hand that to each host for the enthusiasm per there recommendation.

I apologize for the length of this comment but I feel that I must tell you that I value horror hosts like yourselves and I honestly appreciate all the hard work that goes into the production and execution of the Podcast.

I would love to give back somehow to the Podcast. Do not delay if there is anything I can ever do for such a fine and classy bunch of horror hosts. You bring horror movies to the next level and get it out to the mainstream which is vastly missing in these times.

DVD Infatuation said...

Thanks for the comments!

@Xavier: Thank you, sir. I am humbled by your comments, and I thank you for your continual support. It really does mean a lot to me. As for my ratings, hopefully I don't let you down!

Thanks, also, for listening to Horror Jungle!

@Travis: Awesdome breakdown...I actually didn't even think of it in those terms!

Thanks for you praise of both Horror Jungle and Planet Macabre (A hundred movies! Wow...hope you at least enjoyed them all).

No worries about the length of the comment. It was very interesting. As for giving back, at this point, just know we're happy to have you as a listener (though we appreciate the offer).

Thanks again to both of you for stopping by, and for the kind words. They do mean a lot to all of us!

Anonymous said...

DANG FINE NEW PODCAST DOCTOR
NETFLIX SEGMENT IS A GREAT ADDITION ITS HOW I WATCH ALL MOVIES THESE DAYS
PROUD TO BE A LISTENER IN THE JUNGLE

Anonymous said...

Horror Jungle is terrific. A delightful mix of horror critics. The show kept me captivated the whole 2 hours. Now I am off to the store to buy some DVD's.

Yours truly,
Allie Weisz
31, Homemaker and Mother of triplets

Anonymous said...

hj is a first rate horror cast. the averaging of eight critics gives me a great picture of how the movie is. dvds+blurays are a boon. the one thing i am a touched shocked on is hell hunter. after 15 episodes on pm he still seems shaky and awkward. hopefully he can improve but it seems unlikely with his weak voice. everyone else projects strong and competent..thaddeus

DVD Infatuation said...

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

@Anonymous: Glad you like the Netflix segment. It'll be a regular feature going forward. Thanks for listening, and welcome to the jungle (I REALLY gotta stop saying that!)

@Allie: Thanks for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy those DVDs (with triplets at home, I'm guessing you can use a little "me" time! Here's hoping we give you something good to watch during it).

@thaddeus: Thanks for the honest feedback, and we're very happy you enjoy the show. As for Hellhunter, I think he felt the same way I did about this 1st episode, that it was an opportunity to give the listeners a chance to meet all the new hosts, and get used to their individual styles. This may have caused the both of us to "hold back" a bit, but things will return to normal by the next episode!

That aside, we thank you very much for listening...it certainly means a lot to us!

Anonymous said...

Horror Jungle is awesome!
the Prowler was excelent-great chouce Doctor-the Human centipeed was great too! I ordered several Dvd pickx Blue velvet-Let corpses lie-Mask maker-Behing the mask-Bled got all 5 for under 50 cant wait to see them. Be back next weke to tell u my thoughts.

DVD Infatuation said...

Thanks for stopping by, and we hope you enjoy the movies (looks like you got a great deal on them!).

Please do stop back to let us know what you think of them.

Glad you enjoyed the show, and thanks so much for listening.

Anonymous said...

The JuNgLeCaSt is GrEaT {TyVm DaViD}

DVD Infatuation said...

@David: Thanks so much for listening, and we're glad you enjoyed it!

Anonymous said...

Horror Jungle is a nice refreshment and updated format. More hosts and more horror cats.

I sent in a horror movie request - will the movie I chose "Wake Wood" definitely get reviewed by the Horror Jungle hosts on an episode?

I do agree with that one person "thaddeus" that commented here. HellHunter is out of his element this time around. He was always the weakest link on Planet Macabre, but at least he had a partner with Lady Phantom that picked him up.

Keep up the great work guys!

Tabatha Jolliff

Anonymous said...

how goes it drshock this movie sounds intriguing i like wrestling; i'm a proud subscriber of horror jungle and like it very much. can't wait for the next episode and the insidious review. i was close to preordering it; i will hold off until i hear the hosts rate it.

DVD Infatuation said...

@Tabatha: Thanks for the comment, and for stopping by the blog. I know we have an announcement coming up regarding the fan requests, but to be perfectly honest, I don't have any information as to which movies received the most votes, etc. I have heard of WAKE WOOD, and it sounds intriguing (in fact, it releases on DVD/Blu-Ray tomorrow). As for Hellhunter, I thank you for your honest opinion, however I do feel he was a strong part of Planet Macabre, and will be equally as impressive on Horror Jungle (he also has a great sense of humor). That said, I thank you very much for the kind words regarding the podcast, and we're glad to have you as a listener!

@Anonymous: Thanks for listening, and we're glad you enjoyed the show. Fortunately, you don't have long to wait to hear about INSIDIOUS. We thank you for the show of good faith.

Anonymous said...

8hosts+8dvds+netflix+2monsterreviews=outstandinghorrorpodcast.julio

DVD Infatuation said...

@Julio: Thanks for stopping by, and for listening to Horror Jungle. We're glad you enjoyed the show!

Anonymous said...

Dr. Shock this is Tabatha Jolliff and I read your comment you left for me.

I am stunned you feel you need to attack me for my statement about HellHunter. There was no beef with him, and all I said was he was the weakest link, meaning of the 5 he was the least desirable, not that I even didn't like him, but that he was valued the least by myself.

With all the new and strong voiced and opinionated hosts he will just get further out of his element.

I can truthfully say that I will be less than desirable at leaving comments here anymore. It was my thoughts and not even negative at that. And I can also say that your approach as a leader in horror is very unappealing.

DVD Infatuation said...

@Tabitha: It certainly wasn't my intention to attack you for your comment. I thanked you for your honest opinion, answered your question about the fan requests, and then said that I felt he was a strong part of the show. Honestly, I'm very sorry you took it as an attack, and would ask you to please go back and read it again. As you expressed your opinion, I simply expressed mine, with no malice behind it whatsoever.

Thanks for stopping by, and again, my apologies if it upset you.