Chemical
Peel (2014/Lionsgate DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B Film: C-
Hank
Braxtan's Chemical Peel is a low budget isolation piece
centering around a group of young girls who are stuck inside a cabin
and forced to avoid the outside world that has been infected by a
chemical spill due to a train derailment nearby. The atmosphere
outside the cabin is a poisoned fog that affects whoever dwells
within it and makes them very sick to the point of death. (So like
John Carpenter's The Fog only without the creepy Pirate
Ghosts.) The premise of the film is slightly interesting but it
feels like a third rate Evil Dead meets a third rate
Contagion with a mix of Cabin Fever without humor, star
power, or zombies.
Your
next breath could be your last!! A bachelorette party turns deadly
when a chemical reaction overtakes the secluded valley after being
accidentally released by a corporate company (cleverly named
Bio-Core) but being indoors could be just as deadly as being
outside...
Several
scenes lack logic including the fog itself (some people get destroyed
by it while others it takes longer?) and a terrible scene where CPR
is attempted on an infected person (and then not bothering to wipe
the blood off themselves after) - just a no-brainer that THAT would
be a bad idea?
The
first act of the film is very dialogue driven (with some pretty bad
lines) and a god awful opening title sequence that looks like it was
crafted in iMovie. While the film isn't shot terribly, it doesn't
push the boundaries of gore far enough to be remembered like the Evil
Dead did or early Peter Jackson films. I will say the best scene
of the movie involves a shower that pours acid water on a girl and
turns her as crispy as a chicken tender. The ending is bizarre and
took it to a place that I didn't quite think it would go so it
definitely has that going for it.
The
film stars Natalie Victoria (DeadHeads), Stephanie Greco
(Hansel & Gretel), Lony'e Perrine (The Pack), Leigh
Davis (Playback), and Lacy Fisher. Arielle Brachfeld (The
Haunting of Whaley House) is the best actress and highlight of
the film and sells the realism of the situation the best of the
group.
Presented
anamorphically in a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 - the transfer
is noticeably full of grain/noise throughout and a lack of detail in
skin textures that would benefit from a Blu-ray release for sure.
The sound mix is a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track that isn't terrible
but doesn't match the power of a DTS mix. There are also optional
English and Spanish subtitles on the disc - total run time of the
film is 95 minutes.
Special
features include Filmmakers and Actors Commentary, Slow Burn: the
Making of Chemical Peel, Outtakes, Trailer Gallery.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv
