Thinking outside The Box...

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2013)

SEVEN was one of that rare handful of movies that didn't punk out in the end- it followed through, all the way to its bitter end, and was rightfully hailed as a modern masterpiece for having done so. From top to bottom, SEVEN delivered. I happened to be working at a video store (which, for lack of a more appropriate name, I'll call Lackluster) and I heartily recommended SEVEN to those browsing for a weekend's diversion. Alongside me at Lackluster worked a beautiful young blonde who eventually came to like me (naturally). She asked me one evening what I wanted for my upcoming birthday. Being a bit of a wise-ass, I replied that what I really wanted, more than anything, was a human skull to display on my mantle (which I didn't even have). The next thing I knew, she brought a battered cardboard box into Lackluster and laid it before me. "Happy birthday," she said, and walked away. I looked at the box, which was fairly heavy (I hefted it), and I noticed that there were dead WEEDS sticking out of it. I stuck my courage to the sticking place and opened the box. Inside was a human skull. A hole in the top of the skull revealed an empty brain cavity; the INSIDE of the brain cavity was lined with criss-crossing red and blue veins. I politely thanked the girl for such a thoughtful gift and declined it. She left with the box that night and I never saw it again- but, the very next day, a news item caught my attention: a local graveyard had been "vandalized" the night before and "one of the graves had been desecrated." There were no details, but I'd wager that the desecration involved the removal of a corpse's head. Just goes to show you: be careful what you ask for...