Ever since The Undertaker's brother, Kane, was introduced to the WWE, I've been a fan of the big lug. I'm not just a fan of Kane; I'm a fan of Glen Jacobs, the man who has played Kane for thirteen years now. I gained more respect for him when I found out that he was a soft-spoken Libertarian. Not because of his political beliefs, but because I realized how good of an actor he was when I saw him out of character. He's no monster outside of the ring. So I wanted to check out See No Evil, a slasher that I managed to sidestep. It's pretty good/bad.
The plot concerns Jacob Goodnight, a maniac who stalks troubled youths in a dilapidated hotel. That's the plot we're given. This is a matter-of-fact genre cheapie. There are barely any subplots, and the film wastes no time getting straight to the action. Stylistically, See No Evil is formidable. Director Gregory Dark is up to the challenge, infusing the imagery with quick cuts and transversal camera angles. Everything has a "music video" look to it. This is forgivable, seeing as how Dark has helmed music videos in the past. And porn.
The polished visuals are countered by pitiful acting. I hated the cast, I hated the characters, and I hated the dialogue. Basically, I hated every person in front of the camera aside from Mr. Jacobs (who is credited as Kane for some fucking reason). I hated what they did, I hated what they said, I hated...well, you get the point. God, I enjoyed the death sequences. The gore is plentiful. After dispatching one of the many idiots at his disposal, our villain wrenches their eyeballs out with his bare hands. Gnarly.
I could see the twist ending coming from light years away, but in all honesty, it didn't sour the viewing experience. I actually dug See No Evil. It has a one-track mind like any featherweight slasher should, and as much as I reviled the "actors" in attendance, I would choose this flick over Hollywood's latest remake any day. Still, I can't give it any more than two-and-a-half Z'Dar's. My rating scale is relative, and I have a reputation to think about, y'know. Wait. No, I don't.
Not awful, but it really feels like work for hire for Dark, who in addition to his excellent porn films like the 'New Wave Hookers' series and 'The Devil in Miss Jones' parts 3-5 has made better mainstream films than this. 'Dead Man Walking' starring Jefferey Coombs and Wings Hauser being my favorite.
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