Directed by: Mel House
Written by: Mel House
Cast: Katie Featherston, Glenn Morshower, Debbie Rochon
You know that you're in trouble when the protagonist of your film must be reminded in the very first scene to remember his medication. (Cue the close-up of prescription bottle changing hands.) If only I had been reminded to take my medication before watching Psychic Experiment, maybe I would have been in the proper state of mind to follow it. Describing the plot of this newest film from Texas indie filmmaker Mel Closet Space House is a bit daunting. There are so many characters and story threads wandering around the wildly ambitious, yet convoluted, screenplay that it would take multiple viewings to sort out all the bizarre goings-on. Even with the meds, my prescription simply isn't strong enough to watch this epic horror/sci/fi mash-up a second time.
This is what I can tell you for certain: Dr. Cole Gray (a wooden Denton Blane Everett) has just accepted a researcher position working for the Facility, a top secret, eh, facility, on the outskirts of his former hometown. This community, where everything is within walking distance (Walking Distance was the film's original title), has been plagued recently by disappearances, sinkholes, fires, residents stricken with cancer and various other diabolical events. In short, this place is bad news. We are also introduced to convicted child molester Joseph Webber (Phantasm's Reggie Bannister) who has been released from prison and is now living a tortured existence with housing and medication provided by the Facility. Once back in his old hood Cole is met at the airport by Louise Strack (Friday the 13th's Adrienne King) a manager at the Facility who is eager for the new recruit to begin work. Cole eventually reconnects with old friends including Lisa (Melanie Donihoo) and his estranged mother Marie (a miscast Debbie Rochon). It seems that Marie was not an ideal mother and her attempt to reconcile is hastily rebuked by the resentful Cole. Several other characters are quickly introduced including a strange older couple (Glenn Morshower and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake's Kathy Lamkin) whose son is part of a group of young researchers who are investigating a link between child molester Webber and the recent disappearances of certain town folk. To complicate matters there is also an additional group of young researchers including Cole's ex-girlfriend Jennifer (a vibrant Shannon Lark) who are investigating a connection to the Facility and the high number of people in the area stricken with cancer. In fact, there are so many superfluous characters introduced that at a certain point it is difficult to remember whom the protagonist is supposed to be.
Fortunately for the audience, about 20 minutes into the film, House turns the gonzo up to eleven and the character soup and disparate plot threads suddenly become secondary. Wide-eyed humanoids covered in tar and CG flames (also referred to as "mysterious dark humans" in newspaper clippings) begin to terrorize the less recognizable cast members. Somehow tied to both the shady Facility and drug-induced hallucinations, these bad-ass creatures can torment and kill in all manner of ways. A cell phone is compelled to sprout circuitry that infiltrates/mutilates an entire body, a woman melts into a pool of goo and, best of all, a man is skinned alive and literally falls apart. During these strange set-pieces, filled with amazing practical effects, the film comes alive and finds a funky rhythm and charm. However dodgy CG is used to enhance many of the best gore effects and it undercuts their effectiveness. Amid the attacks by the "dark humans" and other strange hallucinatory sequences, the disparate story strands come uneasily together. Ultimately our hero Cole must come to grips with a terrible secret from his past, connected by Webber and the all-powerful Facility. With elements of early David Cronenberg, the Nightmare on Elm Street series and even James Gunn's Slither, Psychic Experiment is all over the place. Never as coherent as it needs to be nor as smart as it wants to be, it's an ambitious film that attempts far too much and misses most of its marks.
The casting in Psychic Experiment is certainly inspired. In fact, the film plays like a horror version of a '70's disaster film - only with a cast of b-movie stalwarts and made for the price of, say, a week of catering for Airport '75. Phantasm franchise regular Reggie Bannister comes off the best as the tortured child molester. He delivers a fairly nuanced performance and even manages to elicit some sympathy for his vile character. Famous "final girl" Adrienne King, who is woefully miscast as a corporate heavy, gives an awkward performance as the enigmatic Louise. She actually gets better as the film progresses, but not enough to make much of an impact. Indie horror staple Debbie Rochon is always a commanding presence, but she's cast as the lead's mother and is far too young for the role. Texas scream queen Melanie Donihoo (who does double-duty as production manager) always manages to deliver an impressive performance - even in the worst of circumstances. She brings some much-needed energy to the small but pivotal role of Lisa. The big surprise was former Fangoria "spooksmodel" Shannon Lark. She's given a fairly throwaway character and truly makes the most of her often-nonsensical dialogue. Cover girl (and Paranormal Activity star) Katie Featherston is arguably the most famous face in the cast. Her part is basically a cameo which bookends the film and she's fine in the "concerned girlfriend" role. The actual star of the film, Denton Blane Everett, turns in a very poor performance as the anguished doctor. If only he had been half as animated as he is during the spirited commentary track.
House, who also wrote the screenplay, clearly had an epic Cronenberg-like film in mind. Unfortunately, his screenplay is poorly constructed and far too ambitious for the budget. Big ideas and multiple intersecting storylines are indeed rare in independent horror and should be championed. But this particular story is simply too big and unfocussed to make a connection. The poor CG effects used throughout the film are also very distracting. House has talent as a filmmaker. It's clear he has a love for the horror genre - and obviously has a very literate and thoughtful approach to his work. If he can just reign in his big ideas and make his limited budgets work in his favor, he could achieve something truly special.
This Lionsgate release features a widescreen presentation of the film with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. It includes a fairly entertaining commentary track moderated by House and featuring Bannister, Everett, Lark and other cast members. There is also a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes (with commentary) and several trailers for upcoming Lionsgate genre films.
Rating: (3 out of 5):
