The Stranger Within (2013)

Estella Warren about to mount William Baldwin in The Stranger Within (2013).

The ghostly Katia Winter. Yeah I would.

At a glance:

Philosopher Erwin Neutzsky-Wulff's son Adam is a Danish TV series director makin his feature film debut with the R-rated Hollywood thriller The Stranger Within (2013). The earlier Sony title was The Stranger Inside but I think they're all too generic still. Anyway, it's completely Adam Neutzsky-Wulff's baby since he wrote, produced and directed it, and the biggest sellin point is that it sounds like an erotic thriller since William Baldwin and Estella Warren star in it. She's some kind of famous actress who survives a kidnap and rape, and he's the concerned psychiatrist husband who decides to take her to a holiday home on a remote island. Things get groovy when some bird appears on their doorstep (Sarah Butler, in various states of dress and undress again, just like she was in I Spit On Your Grave, 2010) with blood on her hands, seemingly havin just survived a hikin accident in which her boyfriend died. We're let in on a series of mindfucks but it does stop short of turnin into a home invasion thriller. Oh, there's a part too for Katia Winter -- I vaguely remember her naked body against Kellan Lutz in Arena a.k.a. Death Games (2011).

Bad news on the doorstep:

BDSM necrophilia? Nope. Oughtta be, though.

The billin is attractive and the performances are well above serviceable for an $800k flick but I didn't like bein whisked here and there so quickly in the early stages, while hardly connectin to the characters. The stock mystery thriller soundtrack compliments the rather predictable proceedings once they get to the house. It's not the most original of stories and if you watch a lot of thrillers, maybe the payoff twist won't really do it for you. To be honest, I only got this because I saw Kim Bodnia (that badass in the Pusher movies) in the cast listin but turns out he cameos as a masked kidnapper for just a few minutes! What a waste of a top actor -- didn't even get to see his face! Fuckin muppet.  

Perennial wonderment:

Estella Warren: Blushed and bemused.

Don't know modellin works but when I first saw Estella Warren in Planet of the Apes (2001), I thought she had an over-blushed kind of sex appeal that I don't particularly enjoy in an actress. Oh well, at least she finds work. Did you know she's a foodie and about to start some cookin shows and a culinary career of some sort?

Reminds me of:

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992), Sleeping With The Enemy (1991), Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992) and this movie here (don't click it if you still want to watch the movie proper because you'd make out the twist right away).

Did you know:
Estella Warren is a world-class synchronised swimmer from Canada?

Watch out for:
There's a nice little song somewhere in the middle of the movie which I later found out to be Joan Westgate's Nothing Is Real. I'm tempted to say this is the best thing about the movie but that would be slightly too harsh. Her fans on YouTube said it anyway. Ha.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

For a thriller that wants to be taken seriously, the groundwork is pretty dodgy and the characters make pretty strange decisions sometimes. Well this ain't Mulholland Dr. (2001), that's for sure.★★
Bonus material:

Sarah Butler asks Estella Warren if her boobs are too small.

Sexy Evil Genius (2013)

Looking to jack off to Katee Sackhoff? Sexy Evil Genius ain't the movie for it.

At a glance:

Shawn Piller's lo-fi black comedy Sexy Evil Genius (2013) was reportedly completed some two years ago and only found VOD and DVD release through Lionsgate Home Entertainment last week, so do align your expectations accordingly. It does boast an interestin lineup of now lesser seen stars though, in Michelle Trachtenberg, Harold Perrineau, William Baldwin and Seth Green. The movie is almost all-indoor and most of the proceedings happen in a downtown L.A. bar where a group of strangers meet, on account of their mutual friend Nikki Franklyn (Katee Sackhoff in the titular role), an unconventionally attractive woman who'd recently done time for murderin her last ex. We get some flashbacks from different characters every now and then, as the night progresses into a full-blown cat-and-mouse mindfuck.

Bad news on the doorstep:

You'd think a movie with these two would set your pants on fire.

Scott Lew's dialogue-driven script can sometimes surprise us with several sharp turns, even makin references to great classics like Double Indemnity (1944), but the guessin game grows tiresome and the material simply couldn't spark much excitement. Despite sufficiently watchable chemistry between the table guests, we aren't allowed much room to invest in them, as all things have to defer to Katee Sackhoff's central character but she doesn't seem to give much energy to the narrative, though this is through no fault of just her own, especially if you read this Collider interview about how bloody hard she worked for the role. You'd think she'd be perfect for this crazed femme fatale role but somethin is amiss with the direction and we're left feelin indifferent about the payoff even before it comes. Perhaps they could've put in stronger sex scenes to perk things up a little, since it's already rated R?

Perennial wonderment:

Although he's got a quite a substantial body of work in various capacities, Seth Green will always be remembered as that wigga with the goggles who screwed the awkward girl in Can't Hardly Wait (1998), won't he? I liked him as the Amish guy in Sex Drive (2008) too but that wigga role will never be topped, I believe.

Reminds me of:

The Perfect Host (2010) with David Hyde Pierce but that was nowhere near borin, which is what many would feel about this little release.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Not particularly sexy, evil or genius, by most accounts. The DVD has quite a lot of cool extras though, but I wouldn't pay for it if I were you. Go show some love on its official Facebook fan page though.★★
Bonus material:

Goofing around on set.