Leeches! (2003)

There is a swim team at Lakecrest College as everyone is determined to win the race as one of them is a steroid drug pusher named Stevo (Matthew Twinning) to just get that and become stronger for their races.
They also party out near a campus lake as a bunch of harmless leeches seems to cling on to their bodies and drinks their steroid-rich blood causing them to grow a much bigger size.
One of the team members named Tony (Stephen Sowan) becomes a victim to these leeches as some people thought that he died from taking too much steroids apart from being drunk.
However, these leeches are attacking more and more people through bushes and others areas at the campus as they are also pitted by an evil coach named Foster (Tony Carroccio) as he has murdered their campus doctor and can strike at any time to kill his students as well.

There's a real lame beginning that involves the character Jason getting ready to practise a swimming lap and of course the camera takes focus alot on his body and him preparing himself as this was a waste of time and an excuse to kill time too as well as focusing on the gay market too on a jock. Plus we have a moment on him feeling something sticky on the climbing ladder as well as something terrifying that's supposed to happen in the water before waking up from a nightmare but this all looked way too off.
There's the students partying out near a pond by a pier in the daylight as this looked rather amusing to watch as well as everyone being full of life in which this makes you wanting to join the fun as well as a few of them getting out of the pond and spotting leeches a bit bigger on their back with lame slow motion shots on them walking back to the school changing room. Again this looked rather lame to watch.
We spot a well focused shot on someone taking a shower as well as bigger leeches crawling out of an area and attacking this person as well as one of these slimy things crawling down his throat as this looked rather cheesy and corny to watch. It wasn't too suspenseful as it was intended to be.
Another close shot on another jock sleeping in his calvin klein underwear with a leech closely creeping up on him and then when he wakes up a bunch of them attack him as there's flashes on lighting and quick camera shots as this was supposed to draw you in for the horror. Still looked rather cheesy.
A nice strong moment with Stevo trying to push steroids on Jason and he declines as well as a near fighting about to happen when there's a dispute going on as this also looked quite effective to watch.
A favourite scene of mine in the film is when Tony is hammered going near the pier at the pond and just acting out of it by swimming in the water as this looked convincingly dark in a nice low budget horror fashion in which this gives you a sinking feeling that something terrifying is going to happen to him and it looked entertaining for any horror fan to watch this happening.
A nice powerful moment on the Coach Foster being aggressive with his students on what happened in which makes the moments truly unpleasant when seeing all the interactions occuring.
There's also a situation with a woman teacher going to her car and tryin g to see what's underneath her vehicle as the settings looked good and still but it doesn't make you watch in terror like it was supposed to have been and then we have a mysterious kiler strangling her in her car with barbwire in which this makes you wonder as to how this comes into the story.
We spot a bunch of the students grieving on the death of Tony but this looked a little low on energy and not getting into the moments. In other words it was roughly done.
A lame moment between Jason and Casey getting into a romantic kinky situation with him being blindfolded and tied up as well as realising he's out of condomns and has to find more which is a good excuse of course to leave the room for a sec before the leeches come in to attack this dude. This was another corny moment to watch but good camera shots.
Many nice takes ona breathing larva of the leeches in a basement of the dorm with smoke as well as spotting it blowing into a bubbly form as this looked gross to watch.
Perfect discussion between Stevo and Coach Foster revealing a dark secret he has and trying to cover up in which this adds a nice touch to the plot on what is all happening here.
We spot a nice shot on both Spencer and Sarah and then a corpse near them but the shocking moments on them was too over the top but yet does well when they try and put a stop to the madness.
Good moments on the struggling situations with Stevo, Sarah and Spencer against Coach Foster especially an okay battle with Spencer constantly assaulting Foster with a metal pipe as this almost reminds me a cheesy version in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Also some good shots on Stevo in the pool with the leeches when a certain electrcity occurs to try and kill these slimy creatures.
Bottom line: What do you get out of a DeCoteau flick these days... Yes lots of pretty faced jocks undressing and taking showers. Yet there's more... We have some phony looking giant leeches that don't look scary at all like they're supposed to but yet some of it is laughable so a bit of entertainment there. But like most DeCoteau flicks this plot is extremely weak and pointless. Watch it for a laugh otherwise avoid it.

The acting was quite bad and uninspired but however lead actor Matthew Twinning (Stevo) seemed to pull off his steroid pushing part quite well with his sleazy attitude. Does a convincing job with his near violent and aggressive attitude. Was convincing by being manipulative as well as nearly obnoxious as well as showing a convincing arrogance too. Comes across as one of those macho cocky types and was passable with his looks as well. I found him to be the best in the cast but at times he's a bit rough when acting anxious and other small areas too. But not awful.
Josh Henderson (Jason) wasn't too shabby as someone who tries to stay out of trouble in which he reacts okay when steroids are trying to be pushed onto him and having a good uncomfortable attitude on it all. Seemed to try hard to do his best in his role and didn't bomb. He is however a little mediocre by what he did in the flick.
Stacey Nelson (Casey) seemed to show off a good outgoing type of behavior into her part of the film as well as have the pretty faced looks. Draws in well to whatever she did as well as doing a passable job with her lines. She was one of the better performers in the film. Nothing overly spectacular though.
Alexandra Westmore (Sarah) was another one who grabbed your attention having the cute girl next door looks and the virgin type of horror film actress of a type. When she reacts to being upset or scared at first she seemed to show good energy but she doesn't cut it and a little over the top. She lacks in many spots and needed improvements on her characteristics.
Michael Lutz (Spencer) was somewhat miscast as a scientific geek in the film since he had too much of a macho presence to his role but at times seemed to show a good brainy type of attitude and acting clever by what he does. Yet his energy drops when acting anxious while the terrors start to occur. He didn't seem to study all of what he had to do to pull this role off.
Supporting actor Tony Carroccio (Coach Foster) does well with his evil aggressions as a coach at the school. Also shows a good obnoxious and dysfunctional behavior towards his onscreen students. He showed off a perfect sterness too by what he had to say. However when he acts disturbed quarter way through his role he was awfully wooden and seemed to have a tough time relating to what he was saying.
Maya Parish (Angela) you could tell trying to pull off her role as someone whom is upset or devastated by her onscreen boyfriends death but was stiff by doing so. However she was an attention grabber by all that she did here by acting like a basketcase. I will give her credit for working hard on her role.
Stephen Sowan (Tony) had a smaller role in this flick but seemed somehwhat effective by what he does. DOes well giving in to steroids and showing off some good energy into the moment of things. Also does a good job by acting hammered near the pond as well as doing a nice job freaking out when attacked by leeches.

There are bloody marks on people.

There's some cheesy sytnthesizer playing along with some techno type sounds but yet there are some good heavy metal guitar riffs, screechy sound effects and dark music too which tries to make every scene seem creepy but of course the story is way too corny which was all composed by John Massari. Plus some decent classical orchestra playing with screechy violin music as well as some strong plucking leaving a nice vibe for the certain plots used here. Good deep trombone playing as well as airy type sounds as this was smoothly done with the odd bell sounds too having an echoey effect. However there's overly played heartbeats as this was starting to drive me crazy.