Movie Nerd may come across as a bit highbrow every now and then (OK, maybe not), but the truth is there is nothing I enjoy more than settling down on my sofa to take in a slice of first-class schlock.
Which is why the Horror Channel is a true godsend, as the bosses there seem intent on littering the TV schedules with as much Z-grade nonsense as they can lay their grubby mits on.
Enter Dearly Devoted, or Devil In The Flesh as it is also known, which has the added bonus of starring Rose McGowan, an actress I admit up front I do have a soft spot for.
Whether it is her ‘dark side’, or her appearances in the likes of Scream and Planet Terror I am not sure, but I have always kept an eye on what she is up to ( the fact she is pleasing on the eye has nothing to do with it!).
So, when way back in 1998 this Poison Ivy wanabe rumbled along, straight to video of course, it was must-see material.
McGowan plays Debbie Strand, a troubled teenager who suffers psychological and physical abuse at the hands of her parents.
After her folks ‘mysteriously’ die in a fire, Strand is packed off to stay with her elderly relative and restart her life.
This is never likely to work of course, and within weeks she is seducing schoolteachers, offing family pets and causing all sorts of havoc.
The ‘drama’ heats up as a couple of bungling detectives get on the case, determined to track down Strand and uncover her dubious past and the film builds to a climax that is bizarrely low-key after the hysterical build-up that comes before it.
With cheap production values, incredibly corny dialogue, wild switches in tone (including attempted rape to wisecracking comedy in the same scene) and shoddy effects work this is pure B-movie trash. In other words, this nerd loved it .
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article