The Deepening (2006)

   
Produced, Edited, Written & Directed by: Ted Alderman & Jim O'Rear

Starring:

Jim O'Rear .... Jim
.... Ted
.... Nick
.... Lyles
.... Detective Thomas

Special Appearances:

Gunnar Hansen .... Dr. Chambers
Debbie Rochon .... Barbara
Debbie D .... Waitress

Release Date:
Fear Film Festival: October 1, 2006

 

Rating:

 

A deranged fireman kills local residents with an axe in a small town as one of the emloyees at the fire station Jim (Jim O'Rear) is a suspect in which him and Ted (Ted Alderman) tries to look for clues to prove his innocence.

 

The beginning sounds better than what it looks like with a teenage couple making out at a campfire and a mysterious killer watching behind some trees and then coming in for the kill with an axe but trust me it lacked inspiration big time by how the turnout was throughout everything here in which was an amateurish attack sequence.
A sharp discussion with Jim talking to Ted in their firetruck office on having a good time in which this seemed to draw me in wondering as to what is going to happen here.
Then the two of them try to get it on with two women at a barn as this seemed to look like a fun moment but yet there's a bit of a triteful moment with Jim fornicating with one of them which seemed to be more of the drawing card to the story as well they hear a scream from outside which doesn't sound convincing either for a horror flick. Yet there is a neat brief camera shot on Dr. Chambers with clippers but it was very fast and doesn't explain itself at all.
Later on in the story the two of them are at a bar as Jim tries to get it on with someone downstairs while someone picks a fight with Ted in which the fighting sequences needed a bit more convincing but yet was well focused by what everyone was going in this scene as it seemed to show some mediocre adrenaline by what everyone was doing here.
More lame moments though such as a situation with someone taking a long shower which this was too focused on this woman's body but this is of course a hint that she's going to get killed since this was a slashing tradition and in comes a mysterious fireman ready to do her in which didn't look very terrorising.
What seemed fun to watch though was when both Jim and Ted sneaks into one of their co-workers property to find anything that can lead to the killings and almost gets caught with a nice powerful motive by the resident trying to fire his weapon in the dark. Yet this doesn't save the flick from bombing.
Yet a well focused moment when both Jim and Ted are being questioned by a good cop bad cop treatment with two detectives and Jim not taking any crap from them as I seemed to like this person's attitude for trying to make a stand to the law. Yet the camera takes looked quite bad as you can tell they were different types used as the picture looked different each time it focused on one of these people. Very amatuerishly done.
Then there's a well drawn in situation with Jim talking to Dr. Chambers on what to do with the moments occuring as this seemed to work in quite well and looking dramatic.
Then Jim goes to the home of his supposed ex girlfriend Barbara and when she answers the door she smacks him across the face with a punching sound effect as this was pretty lame for sound effects as well as this moment looking too obvious to top it all off.
However when they both discuss stuff the romance between them looked fairly decent as well as an overly long sex scene with close ups on all of this and a time waster it was in which they needed to cut it a bit shorter. That a trashy b-film for you folks.
Nice moment when Barbara goes outside when she hears something and tries to search what's out there which is a nice dark chilling moment in a slasher flick as I must sayt this is my favourite scene but then it falls flat again when the killer with the axe chases after her and she screams running away which was a total ripoff on a scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and when I say a ripoff it isn't effective at all and amateurish at it's worst.
Then in the story later on Jim reveals on who the killer is when he is nearly pushed off a cliff as this also looked amateurish and not suspenseful as it was supposed to have been. A real disappointment to what goes on here.
Then the final moments when Jim confronts the killer as well as the detectives in a storage room with the struggling moments which were supposed to look intense and strongly done in but these moments fail big time and couldn't wait till this flick was over and at the end it just doesn't make sense as to what Jim does since there's no explanation to it whatsoever.
Bottom line is that this is an amateurish flick and unaffective too. In many spots like mentioned it doesn't explain certain situations as well as this was supposed to be based on a true story but I took that comment with a grain of salt as I had a feeling it was far from that. Probably the makers put this on to grab your attention and getting anyone to watch it. If you haven't seen this one you're not missing out much on this at all. Made on a cheap video camera too with poor audio.

The acting is very average some of it is poor but not as bad as what you'd expect in which filmmaker Jim O'Rear (Jim) of course plays the leading role and seemed to show some spunk and enthusiasm into whatever he did here. Also shows off a convincingly sarcastic as well as a no nonsense type of attitude as well. Yet he makes himself out as a sex object and he is far from that didn't have the right looks or appeal to be a chick magnet. Sorry dude.
(Ted) was the other filmmaker portraying the co-star in this flick in which he had the right seriousness for what he portrayed and the right looks too. Seemed to do okay as being a bit mysterious as well as doing an okay job with battling against others using his martial arts but I do mean just okay. Later on when he acts crazy or demented he bombs big time and was completely annoying. He needed serious lessons. Couldn't get into this no matter how hard he tried.
(Nick) seemed to make his supporting role worthy as a dickhead employee who likes to cause trouble in which he for sure came across as someone who pisses you off with his cocky behavior. He does it with style by making out by being unlikeable. Also had the right looks for this part which was another good pointer for him.
(Lyles) did his part as the head detective with perfect charisma by getting to the point with stuff as well as coming across by acting tough and demanding when he questions someone. I really liked by what he did here in which he knew on how to get to the point with stuff and having a no bullshit attitude too.
(Detective Thomas) seemed powerful as the assistant as he has a good masculine presence to his part and showing a great seriousness and emotionless attitude just acting solid by what he was talking about along with coming off as perfectly strong when pointing a gun at someone else along with other situations like that.
Gunnar Hansen (Dr. Chambers) was very stale during the beginning of his role while acting disturbed or crazy when he is torturing someone in which he just couldn't get into this at all. However seemed to do okay later on while talking seriously to someone else in a different scene but he was never a great character actor to begin with.
Debbie Rochon (Barbara) shows a good attitude during the beginning of her performance as well as really getting into her romantic side too as well as going out at night to check on something showing a nice concern. However, after that she falls flat big time with her screaming and frightened attitude. When I say bad I mean bad as she shows no energy within this whatsoever. I'm surprised as she often does a good job in everything that I saw her in.

Plenty of skin in this flick
Woman is nude top to bottom while fornicating in a barn
Another one barebreasted while taking a shower
A make out scene in a bar with one taking off her top
Woman topless while tied up and tortured
More breasts reveled during a romantic lustful sequence
Of course other lustful scenes with topless women getting it on especially near the end of the film

Fellows hand is chopped off but the effects look phony
Different bloody stabbings and impalings
Guts are blown out of someone after a firehose is in his mouth and the water goes off

The composing done by Jason Solowsky sounded pretty amateurish 70 percent of the time as there was synthesizer playing which tried to sound like classical music but it was awfully done. However the rest of the percentage comes intot he matter later on which there was some good music for a romantic lustful scene with it sounding just right and sounded fairly strong. Also another moment with this music when someone goes out at night after hearing something as this was fairly effective but that was about it folks.