American Mary (2012)

   

Co-Produced, Written & Directed by: Jen & Sylvia Soska

Starring:

Katharine Isabelle .... Mary Mason
Antonio Cupo .... Billy Barker
Tristan Risk .... Beatress Johnson
David Lovgren .... Dr. Grant
Paula Lindberg .... Ruby Realgirl
Clay St. Thomas .... Dr. Walsh
John Emmet Tracy .... Detective Dolor
Twan Holliday .... Lance Delgreggo

Release Dates: Film4 FrightFest: August 27, 2012 (UK); Fantastic Fest: September 20, 2012; Grimm Up North Film Festival: October 3, 2012 (UK); Sitges Film Festival: October 4, 2012; Screamfest Horror Film Festival: October 13, 2012; MOTELx Lisbon International Horror Film Festival: October 16, 2012 (Portugal); Toronto After Dark Film Festival: October 18, 2012; Samain du Cinema Fantastique: October 26, 2012; Horrorthon Festival Dublin: October 27, 2012; Monster Fest: November 9, 2012 (Australia)

 

 

Rating:

 

A medical student named Mary Mason (Katherine Isabelle) is flat broke plus is having a rough time seeing eye to eye with her college instructor Dr. Walsh (Clay St. Thomas) but however encounters a strange and mysterious woman named Beatress Johnson (Tristan Risk) who helps her solve her problems by doing strange surgeries on other clients illegally as well as seeking revenge on Dr. Walsh himself making her become more and more insane as to what to do with others who get in her way.

 

We spot some nice close up shots on a turkey with someone practising surgery on which looked pretty gruesome and well shot too.
There's also a moment with the lead character Mary Mason in a college course with her cell phone on as well as the instructor Dr. Walsh giving her heck for it using profanity towards her as this looked sharply dysfunctional and psycholigally done reminding you of one of those types you don't see eye to eye with for having a closed minded attitude.
We spot a corny discussion that involves Mary with Beatress Johnson introducing herself and telling her what she wants her to do due to her training on doing surgery as this looked very lame to watch which I was thinking to myself that I was in trouble if it was gonna be as bad as this.
There's some good close up shots with Mary about to do surgery on some breasts which looked carefully done and well focused here.
There's also some dysfunctional moments at a bar with the main employer Billy Barker showing Mary on a situation where we spot a little S&M with someone being mamed by a group of people as this looked intense and genuinely twisted for sure.
We also spot a nice hallucination sequence with Mary spilling bloody mary all over her on a strip stage which was done in a perfect slow fashion here.
Also have a bizarre moment when Mary is at a staff party along with Mary dealing with Dr. Wlash again getting aggressive towards her which also looked nasty as well as a background situation on some woman that looked like she was having surgery or being raped plus a good situation with Mary slowly getting drugged which grabs your attention for sure. Also it gets even stronger and more intense when we spot a scene where he rapes her with good camera shots on this as the stroy starts to really get going here and making it look more watchable too.
Plus there's a perfect twisted and artsy look with Billy Barker tying Dr. Walsh up as well as having an object pull open his jaw in which this almost was done in a good twisted fashion like you'd spot in A Clockwork Orange as well as them injecting needles into him which looked unpleasant and can make you squirm a bit while continuing to watch all of this with perfect camera shots looking down on this moment.
A real attention grabber that we spot here is when we spot two gotchic twins entering the bar and a stripper tries to kiss one of them and they bite her as this looked unnormal and greatly twisted as well as some perfect dark conversations with them talking to Mary on what they want with good camera shots on both of them and the dark accents these twins had which really shines off perfectly well into the scene almost done in a mafia type of fashion too.
Also great twisted close up shots on Mary doing her work on them which doesn't look pleasant on what we find out here which also can make you cringe and squirm but for fans who love horror violence will really get a rouse out of this.
Plus we have a perfect dark scene with what we spot the remains of Dr. Walsh on hooks as this looked pretty gross and very psychological on him being tortured as to what we also spot in this moment as well with good cringing shots on him as well as a good situation on a policeman trying to save him while knocking her down as this gives you the chills totally and having a feeling that she won't be down for long and things really look perfectly brutal and intense on what she does to this officer too. This was also perfectly well done and powerful looking.
A nice strong situation with Detective Dolor talking to Mary on the disappearance of someone as well as showing her evidence on the case as this looked realisiticly done here.
A perfect dark situation with someone watching inside a washroom door breathing heavily on Mary as well as a nice forceful situation on her dragging who's watching her out and about to use some devices on her which also looked perfectly intense and making you watch carefully as to wondering whether or not she will succeed to do something to her.
A nice strong situation with Detective Dolor talking to Mary on the disappearance of someone as well as showing her evidence on the case as this looked realisiticly done here.
More great and powerful twisted moments when we spot Billy beating up one of his goons in a plastic bag as you really wonder as to why this is all happening here.
Bottom line is that this seemed to pay a tribute to Hostel but done in a nicer fashion here as at first it looked like a terrible film like what we'd spot in a Ryan Nicholson flick but it gets alot better. Made on a good budget for an indie flick too.

The acting is fairly okay as lead actress Katharine Isabelle (Mary Mason) really strutted her stuff big time in this one unlike most of her work that she performed in by taking the bull by it's horns here. She does well with her calm behavior as well as getting stern whenever she needed to showing off some nice energy within all of this. Also does a nice job while freaking out and acting intense when she gets raped in a scene which seemed pretty noticeable by showing her versatality. Plus was great by acting crazy and vicious in many other segements of the film lunging out while acting violent or killing someone just using all her might which was perfectly performed as well. There's a good moment when she acts like she's suffocating by dragging her body near the end of her performance as she also brought this to life fairly well too.
Antonio Cupo
(Billy Barker) also strutted his stuff pretty well by acting like a pimp type owner of his sleazy strip joint in which he does a nice job with his stern behavior as well as showing good aggressions along with acting perfectly dominating too. He for sure shows great energy whenever he acted violent bringing out some terrific intensity within all of this and leaping into action. Plus does a nice job acting disturbed and frightehend in other situations as he offers a perfect versatality within all of this.
Tristan Risk
(Beatress Johnson) was terribly annoying in her performance and her looks were freaky too but not in a horror way either here. She was way too over the top with her shrilly type of speaking and seemed too melodramatic whenever she spoke. I just found that watching her was peer torture to me. Not a good choice I must say.
David Lovgren
(Dr. Grant) seemed to act sharp and to the point as well as having a good anxious type of behavior and coming across fairly eccentric. He showed off some good strange vibes with his energy making him believeably strange wth his words. Was good by talking fast too.
Paula Lindberg
(Ruby Realgirl) was also another one who came across strange with her words and actions in which she has a good look to her appeal as well near the end of her performance does a great job acting intense and frightened just letting everything out.
Clay St. Thomas
(Dr. Walsh) was the most attention grabber in the flick as he comes across perfectly with his closedminded attitude and making himself a convincing prick especially with his foul language. Shows a good sharp aggressive attitude as well. Plus was highly energetic with his intensity when he pursues to rape someone which he drives this in perfectly as well. Also shows a nice change to his personality when he is tortured and shows a great crying and painful attitude throughout all of this and make it so realistic too.
John Emmet Tracy
(Detective Dolor) did a nice job as he made his role perfectly believeable as well as showing a good seriousness to his role as well as having a nice frim attitude to it all especially with his speaking and getting to the point with stuff as well as getting in your face type of attitude when a seriouess situation arises. He brought everything in strongly here.
Twan Holliday
(Lance Delgreggo) had the perfect big guy looks for playing a goon and bouncer in the film and seemed to know what he was doing with his blocking by acting forceful which was all he needed to do. Also was good and clear within his speaking which he adds some nice energy there too.

Many topless dancers are featured at a strip joint in different parts of the film.
A woman's breasts are revealed while about to perform some surgery on them.

Nipples from a breast are sliced.
A person is mamed on a table in a lounger with one eye gouged out as well as his body sliced and bloodied.
A side of someone's neck is cut open.
Someone's arm is sawed off as well as the top of their forehead sliced open.
A couple of bloody stabbings are revealed.

The music which has some violin and piano orchestra for the beginning was not my tea as it goes into the song "Ave Maria" in which it sounded too typically done. Yet later on in the film we do have some great screeching sounds and high pitched violing sliding for certain parts of the movie like a rape scene and so fourth. Also hear some low sounds as well as different light piano playing too. There's more violin classical music which seemed to sound fairly okay as well and it seemed to have a mainstream feel to it all. The composing was put together by Peter Allen.