DEFILED

Cassidy (Amanda Myers) and Peter are virgins. Young and in love, they are unable to take their relationship to the next level because of her lack of self-confidence.

Or so she tells him.

Truth is, Cassidy likes nothing more than to secretly visit dodgy Internet sites and arrange for strangers to sneak into her parents' home to 'rape' her in her bedroom. Even this gets boring though, and she gives her latest faux aggressor the elbow - provoking him to snarl "I hope you get fucking raped for real".

That weekend, Cassidy's parents go away and leave her in charge of her younger sister Sam. The folks leave instructions that Sam is not allowed to go to an all-night party nearby. Contrary to their wishes, Cassidy encourages Sam to attend the shindig and busies herself with getting online to arrange a new tryst in the empty house.

Giving her mobile telephone number out along with the address, Cassidy advertises herself online and suggests that any intruder should be prepared to rough her up but stop if she uses the safety words "hello kitty". Then it's time for an evening of girlie chat with her hot friend Macy. Peter would've liked to have been there too, but Cassidy keeps him at arm's length.

When Cassidy receives a husky call from The Man (Jeffery Hallman), she gets rid of Macy and readies herself for a visit from the would-be rapist.

Eventually he comes. A short while and a bit of rough sex later, and so does she. Yes, Cassidy is thrilled by her latest assailant's technique and wakes up satisfied if sore after a night of fulfilling S&M.

It's at this point that she realises The Man is much more dangerous than she could ever have anticipated. And she's all alone with him in her parents' house ...

The tagline for this one is "Anonymous Internet Sex Addiction". Considering that that could be anyone who's ever had access to redtube and a box of tissues, you'd assume that writer-director Zachary Paul's film would have broad appeal.

In reality, DEFILED is likely to alienate in greater numbers than it titillates.

The first bone of contention is its sensationalised depiction of sexual violence. Painfully earnest psychology is dished out clumsily while the characters analyse their views on sex, much of this leading to laboured profanities and screaming matches. From there, events escalate to blood, beatings, rape and more blood. At times a more pragmatic SCRAPBOOK approach is neared, but all too often Paul resorts to cheap gore for his money shot. Furthermore, Myers renders a lot of the action comical by turning in a bizarrely out-of-tune performance.

This brings me to the second issue. We're subjected to some seriously confused acting from Myers - she barely flinches when she discovers a cadaver in the bathtub, but screams her red head off when she breaks a fingernail. The scenes where Hallman chases her around the house are priceless: a crippled snail could catch her.

Finally, although it's a point that is only likely to turn more mainstream viewers off, the film is shot on a miniscule budget. As I say, this is not such a problem for seasoned genre viewers who are traditionally forgiving of such restrictions as long as the film can deliver in other areas. But those more used to polished studio pictures will no doubt balk at the overly dark photography, unconvincing FX work and inexperienced performances (also, it may nark some that Hallman is difficult to understand when he has his mask on). The film's gritty look is very similar to the first AMATEUR PORN STAR KILLER.

In its favour, DEFILED is short (78 minutes) and the pace rarely dips. Those expecting violence will not be disappointed, and a couple of scenes even manage to raise uncomfortable questions about where consent ends and abuse begins. That thorny issue of "she's enjoying it/she asked for it" comes into play too - drawing a comparison to the infamous violation of Susan George in STRAW DOGS.

In fact, it is these scenes where Cassidy appears to enjoy The Man's heavy-handed abuse that will prove most problematic for some. Certainly, I imagine they would land the film in trouble if it ever got as far as a submission to the BBFC. Unfortunately, following such a provocative start, the film descends into silly horror film conventions (one or two admittedly effective jumpy scenes; murder by drill). Only a creepy finale manages to disturb in the final frame.

Independent Entertainment is yet another sub-label of the Alternative Cinema empire (also home to Seduction Cinema, Secret Key Motion Pictures, Blood Earth, After Hours Cinema, Camp Motion Pictures ...). Their DVD of DEFILED is a decent one.

The film is presented uncut in an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer. Colours are good and blacks are reasonably strong. The picture is too dark and somewhat grainy at times, but this is more to do with the lo-fi shooting origins. Detail is average in sharpness as a result. But, with its handheld camerawork and scuzzy feel, DEFILED would probably lose something if it was ever given the THX treatment anyway.

English 2.0 audio is clean and clear throughout, my aforementioned grumble about Hallman's mask aside (again, a flaw of the film and not the disc's mastering).

An animated main menu page is fairly basic. There is no scene-selection menu but the film can be remote-accessed via 14 chapters.

Extras begin with an audio commentary track from Paul and FX artist Jesse Lee. They also acted as co-producers on the film so, between them, they have a great deal of information to offer. They reiterate the back cover's claim that the film's plot is "ripped from the headlines". But this 'true story' is a new one on me, I must say.

Regardless, the commentary track is a solid affair and worth a listen.

A handful of trailers are also provided. These are for STASH, BLOOD AND SEX NIGHTMARE, SHOCK FESTIVAL and WOMEN'S PRISON MASSACRE.

DEFILED is a victim of its own naivety. The performances are inadequate, the script is cringe-inducing at times and the set-up becomes increasingly implausible. But, if it's no-budget nastiness that you're seeking, something along the lines of Eric Stanze's SCRAPBOOK (though not as harsh or as intelligent) then this may float your boat.

Review by Stu Willis