Have you ever wondered what The Texas Chain Saw Massacre would have looked like if it had been directed by David Lynch. Yeah? Me too. Well, I think it would’ve looked something like Home Sick, a warped little flick from writer/producer E. L. Katz and director Adam Wingard.
Katz has given us an unusual, though compelling, story. A seriously disturbed man carrying a suitcase full of razor blades crashes a party in small-town Alabama. He asks the guests for the name of someone they hate. For each name he receives, he slashes his forearm with a razor blade. Then, singing a jaunty song, he leaves. Soon, the people whose names he collected are murdered in extremely gruesome ways. It’s up to the party guests to figure it all out and stop the killer, if possible.
This is a seriously weird film, and I mean that as high praise. Filmed in 16mm, Home Sick feels like a total throwback to the grindhouse era. While Robert Rodriguez used all kinds of CGI in his recent ‘70s homage, Planet Terror, Wingard has gone completely old school using all practical effects, courtesy of Jonathan Thornton—and they look amazing. In the digital age, it’s so nice to see someone taking the time and effort to do it this way. And let me tell you, there are a lot of great effects here. This is one of the goriest flicks I’ve seen in a while. If you like to see splatter, this is the movie for you. But that’s not all this film is. There are a few striking visuals that are, dare I say, unexpectedly beautiful.
For such a low-budget affair, Home Sick has a surprising number of horror veterans in its cast. Bill Moseley’s one scene as the creepy Mr. Suitcase effectively sets the tone for all that follows. As rowdy party girl Candice, Tiffany Shepis once again does wonderful work. I’m constantly amazed at her ability to take a one-note character and invest it with emotion and nuance. Usually the best thing about the pictures she appears in, here Shepis once again proves she is more than just eye candy. Also appearing is Rob Zombie fave Tom Towles. Towles swings for the fences as Uncle Johnny, a paranoid chili chef/survivalist who believes guns are a man’s best friend. The cast is rounded out by unknowns, each of whose performance feels like it comes from a wholly different film. Normally, this would be a very bad thing. But somehow, it just adds to this movie’s dreamy, surrealistic atmosphere.
With Home Sick, Wingard and Katz have given us what feels like a very personal labor of love. Though it was filmed in 2003, this flick didn’t make it to DVD until last year and the filmmakers have since moved on to bigger and better things. But thank god they were able to leave us this odd gem of a film. If you’re anxious to see something twisted and original—and who isn’t?—check out Home Sick. I bet you haven’t seen anything quite like it before. And in today’s horror market, how often can you say that?
~Theron Neel
