Steel Trap

Plot synopsis:
With a million dollars cash in the vault, Jim Osborne (Joseph Cotten), an assistant bank manager in Los Angeles, is tempted to steal from his own bank and flee the country. Doing research at the library, he learns that Brazil has no extradition treaty with the United States. If he steals the money at close of business on a Friday, he will have time to travel to Brazil before the theft is even discovered. But the season when the bank opens on Saturdays is about to begin, so he must take action the same week or else wait for months.
He tells his wife Laurie (Teresa Wright) that the bank is sending him to Rio de Janeiro on business and he wants her and their daughter to travel with him. It is a great opportunity for his career, he says, and he has been given it in preference to the person who would normally be sent, so he cautions her not to talk to anyone about it. Laurie is delighted with the news, but insists their daughter stay at home with Laurie's mother. Jim decides he can send for her after Laurie knows they are staying in Rio.
With his inside knowledge and trusted position, the theft from the bank vault is simple enough, but the travel logistics are difficult. Flights are full, passports and visas are needed on a rush basis, and the Osbornes face a series of delays and miss a connection at New Orleans. At this point an airline employee, made suspicious by Jim's urgent manner and very heavy baggage, tips off a customs officer to check whether he is illegally exporting gold, and the money is revealed.
Unreported large cash transactions are legal in 1952, but the customs man knows it is not at all normal for a bank to send only a single employee with so much cash. Though he suspects some wrongdoing, he cannot reach Jim's boss by telephone before the Osbornes' flight is called, and there is no customs violation, so he lets them go. However, they are on standby and the flight is already full. They will not be able to reach Rio on Sunday. Now fearing arrest, Jim checks into a hotel using a false name. Laurie overhears this, realizes the truth, and confronts him. When he admits what he has done, she wants no part in it; she flies back to Los Angeles.
Within hours Jim realizes that his wife and daughter are far more important to him than his dreams of wealth. Fortunately, it may still be possible to save the situation. Laurie was too upset to tell anyone why she had suddenly returned, and Jim has used his own money for their travel expenses, so the bank's money is intact. After phoning his wife, Jim flies back and just manages to replace the money before it is missed.

Tags: murder

Review:
If you're looking for a horror movie that is just simple and a bit "mindless", then Steel Trap may just be for you.
Its starts off interesting with the use of children nursery rhymes to try to add a scary element to the movie, but then half way in, decides to forget about it.
It tries to draw you in by making you believe it's going to be a unique horror film, but ends up being another slasher movie.
It seemed like the writers were trying too hard to make the characters sound "American" with the overuse of profanity and the poor choice of dialog.
This did hurt the movie towards the end of the film, when things were being resolved, as all the pieces of the puzzle didn't add up well enough for me.
The movie even tries to hint itself at the ending and the killer, but as stated before, the lack of story development hurt the film's chance to give you that "oh my gosh" ending it was trying to go for.
Not overcomplicated, nothing too confusing thrown at you, honestly, Steel Trap is good if you just want a B or C rated horror movie to throw in the DVD player on a night you don't have anything better to do.
Some directors seem to think that this is the easiest genre out there, and that anyone can make a horror movie, but nothing could be further from the truth.Steel Trap is yet another really poor attempt at making a buck of other peoples original ideas.
At first, I thought this would be something of a Saw type of movie, but it is more like a straight forward slasher.
It's really not that difficult to attract say the police or fire department to a skyscraper in the middle of a large city.If you're bored out of your skull, I suppose this movie is better than staring at the wall or re-arranging your sock drawer, but if you've got anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, better to do, I suggest you do that instead of watching Steel Trap..
A bad horror movie.
I think that a filmmaker who decides to make a slasher flick has two choices : having a lot of faith on the screenplay and to trust that he found a new perspective for making that formula interesting or making a completely mercenary film which is full of clichés for finally making a cheap movie.The crappy film Steel Trap belongs to the second style.The slasher films became popular thanks to Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th and,since of that,we have seen hundred of movies with similar structures,characters and story.The details change,so every slasher movie tries to be different by using a curious location or a new mask,just to mention two examples.I do not pretend to find a lot of originality on slasher films but what I pretend to find is even the minimum effort for giving the known formula a special element,making it interesting and entertaining.Steel Trap could have chosen that difficult point but,instead of risking,director and co-screenwriter Luis Cámara and co-screenwriter Gabrielle Galanter wasted that opportunity so Steel Trap is a tedious experience with an extremely weak screenplay,repulsive characters,a boring and generic killer without any personality and a forced and arbitrary ending.I usually do not like to criticize an independent film from my favourite genre but,even on some incompetent works (like Return to Sleepaway Camp),I appreciate some energy and enthusiasm which on some way compensate some fails of the movie.But Steel Trap does not even have that.Plus,to add more negative things,Cámara's direction is completely insipid.In other words,it seems nobody involved on this movie was really interested on it.The characters are so repulsive that I was glad when the killer started to kill them.Steel Trap is a very crappy film.This is one of that movies in which I feel I really lost the time with it and that's the worst sin a movie can make.If you wanna see a very good modern slasher flick,I recommend you the Norwegian movie Fritt Vilt.Skip Steel Trap,a very bad horror film..
Ten years after his first short director Luis Camera made his first effort to make a full feature in the horror genre.
Another thing that tears it down is for example one being stabbed by a knife but after a few moments he talks again like nothing is going on.Due the gore added it is still watchable but it do has some stupid situations.Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5.
During a New Year's Eve party in a closed office building, the successful chef Kathy King (Georgia Mackenzie) and the guests Wade (Mark Wilson), Robert (Pascal Langdale), his fiancée Nicole (Julia Ballard), Melanie (Annabelle Wallis) and Adam (Adam Rayner) are invited to a VIP party on another floor by a mysterious guest.
Sooner they learn that they are trapped and without any way out from the floor and their host is killing them, one by one."Steel Trap" is another stupid and absurd slasher, with awful and aggressive dialogs – most of the women are called "bitch" or "slut" without any reaction; non-likable characters; unbelievable situations in an abandoned building where all the floors are neat and operable; excessive use of clichés; and a lame, ridiculous and absurd conclusion.
Good movie for New Year's Eve!.
In any case, if you need a horror movie for New Year's Eve, you could do worse than this one.
It is generally enjoyable, and actually stays truer to the New Year's Eve theme throughout the movie than Bloody New Year (1987) which got kind of Christmas-y in the middle.
Anyway..The movie opens on a New Year's Eve party complete with a rock performance of Auld Lang Syne on top of an abandoned office building.
As they split off to solve riddles, the killer starts picking them off in twisted ways.The production values are good, and personally I think the acting is not bad.
The characters go nuts rather quickly, and the "guy you now hate" is clearly reaching to make you hate him, going off about everything that is too stupid to go off about.But overall the movie is enjoyable.
this was a pretty lame horror movie in my opinion.the kills are pretty tame,even weak.i'd say it was a Saw rip off,but it doesn't even come close to that film.it's not nearly as clever.none of the actors seem to be putting fort any effort.the dialogue is pretty lame too,in my mind at least.for most of the running time,this thing is trying to be a serious horror film,but it abruptly changes tone at the end and becomes a black comedy.ironically,the ending is the only part of the movie that works,for me anyway.i expected it to take the usual route most horror/slasher flicks take,but it didn't so kudos to the filmmakers for that at least.still,that does little to save the movie.for me Steel Trap is a 4/10.
This is the second part of my little review series: Movies that are way better than you expect."Steel trap" seems at first sight to be another ordinary psychological thriller or slasher movie in the shadows of the great "The cube", "Mind Hunters" and "Saw".
I expected a movie of a quality comparable to "House of 9" or "Nine dead" but I was rather wrong.The movie starts with the introduction to some stereotypical and rather ordinary characters and I was already close to judge the lack of originality of this movie.
The killing methods turned out to be rather original, the atmosphere was sinister and gripping and the whole story attached me more to the characters.
The great thing is that there are many wrong clues and also some right ones and I happened to analyze the behaviour of each candidate and had to change my mind and opinion many times.The third and last great surprise is without a doubt the twist in the end of the movie that I didn't really see coming.
This ending really rated this movie way up beyond the average slasher flick.To keep it short, this is a rather original and gripping movie of a more and more popular genre and the rating average in here is definitely way too low.
The movie is entertaining and an ideal choice for any horror movie night with your mates and you will keep guessing and expecting until the very end..
Now coming from someone who is very much into the horror genre and can usually find some shining moments in the worst of the worst gore or scare flicks, I really can't think of one nice thing to say about this one except for - It was so bad I laughed a few times...
But not in the way a Troma movie is so bad it made you laugh.
No, no, no, Steel Trap was just really bad.
At a upscale New Years party on the top of an abandoned high rise, several extremely annoying individuals are invited down a few floors to where the "real party is at".
There are no inventive deaths, no well built suspense, no likable characters, atrocious acting - good and evil, and worst of all the dialouge is so forced it will embarrass you to no end..
Five people are lured away from a New Years' Eve party on the rooftop of an abandoned building, with the promise of a more interesting party just a few floors below.
Our protagonists often spend their time sniping at each other in this ultimately lame survival thriller.Very annoying characters populate this hackneyed, nondescript story, which can't work up any surprises that are worth a damn.
Some members of the horror audience may be expecting something more along the lines of a "Saw" sequel, but in truth, while the movie is somewhat sadistic it's never overly gory.
bad acting, predictable, nothing to waste your time on.
NOthing to do with the movie and technically there is NO steel trap so inaccurate title also.
Steel Trap starts New Years Eve at a glitzy flash high profile media party held in an abandoned skyscraper, five of the guest's get cryptic text messages on their phones which goad them into taking the elevator to a lower floor where another even more interesting sounding is being held.
As the groups number decreases as various people are killed off the survivors try to figure out who is behind the clues & deadly traps & find a safe way out...Tellingly also known as Jigsaw: Tower of Death this German production was co-written & directed by Luis Cámara & shot under the title The Condemned this is a fairly decent if average Saw (2004) rip-off with a bunch of character's running around some enclosed location being killed off by various traps set-up by some mysterious villain.
For what it is Steel Trap isn't too bad actually, I mean it's not brilliant but it's watchable.
One thing that stands out here is how unlikable the character's are & it's quite satisfying to see them killed off.
The reasons behind the killer & their motives are alright, there's nothing profound or deep here & the twists & revelations won't amaze you but they work well enough & I do like the fact that the villain is seen to win & I liked that their main motive was just plain revenge & that killing the other character's off just felt good.
The death's could have used a bit more gore & imagination while the traps themselves aren't that clever while the whole set-up is rather complicated & for everything to happen the way it does took some planning.
At 88 odd minutes the pace is alright although by the end scene after scene of people running around exactly the same looking corridors does tend to get tiresome although the final twist just about makes the effort worth it.The film starts off quite gory with a severed pigs head & a guy who has his lips sewn shut & then hung upside down & his throat is cut but then the other kills aren't quite as good with blood splatter but little graphic violence, a woman has an axe banged into her head, there's a cool slit throat & a ripped out heart.
The film looks pretty good & is competent, there's none of that shaky hand-held crap & no fast quick editing either which always helps.Apparently shot in Cologne in Germany I assume this is meant to be set in the US as all the character's speak English & things like mobile phones, exit signs & messages are all written in English.
The acting is alright from a decent looking cast that features adults rather than annoying teens.Steel Trap is a fairly decent Saw rip-off as some mysterious killer uses various traps to kill off some people trapped inside a building, it's not great or anything but I thought it was alright for what it was & is watchable if nothing else..
It looks like someone wanted to take advantage of the success of slasher/thriller movies like SAW and Battle Royale but just couldn't think of an original idea, so mixed thriller classics, and added some blood.
The characters are all very annoying and the story lacks any kind of suspense.
Very interesting and gripping; the characters are likable and the fear is believable, and whilst I initially thought that the twist was a bit tacky to begin with, the more it carried on the more I was pleased and surprised with how it developed.
A New Years Party on the top of a plush abandoned building.
A group of spoiled success types(..rock singer, newspaper columnist, television exec, celebrity cook, entertainment lawyer, high-maintenance slut)find themselves trapped in the isolated wings of the abandoned building after following a riddle to a properly prepared party by a psycho.
The gore-murders lack bite and slasher fans who watch this genre passionately will find them merely adequte.
This is a rather tedious slasher with a lot of the film showing this group trying to find an exit while bickering with each other.
There's of course a twist(..does the killer have a partner in crime?), but "Steel Trap" is little more than a tired Saw retread set in a building that lacks atmosphere, no matter how often the lights blink on and off.
The killer should be creepy, but he's merely a walking kill-device whose motives for committing these acts is embarrassingly uninspired.
Some slasher fans might get a kick out of who's *really* behind this mind trap, as the film closes with a warped comic tone mimicking cooking shows.
The riddles used in the film are corny instead of witty, leading the characters in a maze of doors and rooms with the killer knowing exactly where to strike almost at all times..
And what is it exactly that everyone here has in common?And how many times has he seen Saw?The first thing to notice in this film, is the abominable acting.
It truly is some of the worst performances i have seen, and each line that is delivered is cringe inducing.The characters are unlikeable people, and the killers outfit looks like something out of doctor who.
The kills are boring, and no real effort has been made to make this film even slightly original.It's as if they have taken the sludge from Saw 2 and tried to make something out of it, and we just get something boring, not even entertaining in the slightest.But the twist at the end is hilariously bad and almost makes up for the preceding 90 minutes.
A select number of people at a New Year's Eve party receive a text message that instructs them to a private party on the 27th floor.
The characters have been hand selected by a slasher in a mask who is stalking the building and floor.
This modern day slasher film has a few interesting plot twists to keep you guessing and interested, such as why has this group been selected to be slaughtered?
Certainly slasher film fans will have the most fun here.
The movies biggest flaw, and it's a common one, is that most of the characters are so obnoxious you want to see them die.
Seven people who are celebrating New Year's Eve in a high-rise office building find themselves being forced by a cunning mysterious psychopath to participate in a deadly game.
Director Luis Camera, who also co-wrote the clever script with Gabrielle Galanter, relates the absorbing story at a snappy pace, builds a good deal of tension, and makes excellent atmospheric use of the claustrophobic setting.
STEEL TRAP is one of these type of movies that appears on obscure horror channels , channels which are so obscure they usually hype up a film like this like it's the latest Hollywood blockbuster .
Having said that I did STEEL TRAP was possibly better than I was expecting , but that's not saying much The story is interesting enough .
A bunch of drug taking , middle class 30 somethings meet at a new years party and find themselves getting invited to a party on another floor , one that promises much fun and excitement only to find that the party guests are now fighting for their lives .
There is some interest in the scenario , despite - or more likely because of - the unoriginality involved STEEL TRAP does have its moments .
There's nods to SAW and CUBE though to be fair the movie doesn't over do the gore too much in order to disguise its short comings However the biggest shortcoming is the ending where a character then explains the motives for the murders committed .
It's a bit like watching MISEREY which is no bad thing in itself these type of having to explain everything is somewhat patronising .
I've also never understood why in these type of movies everyone else gets killed without any explanation except for the last man standing.