Cherry Falls

Plot synopsis:
In the woods outside of Cherry Falls, Virginia, a teenage couple, Rod Harper (Jesse Bradford) and Stacy Twelfmann (Bre Blair) are getting romantic in a car when a black-haired female appears and murders them both. Meanwhile, in town, teenager Jody Marken (Brittany Murphy), the daughter of the local sheriff, is with her boyfriend, Kenny (Gabriel Mann), who thinks it is time to go "see other people." Jody goes back home to find her father, Brent (Michael Biehn), upset that she is out past her curfew. Brent and his deputies begin to investigate the murders the next day. They see that the killer carved the word "virgin" into both victims. At school, Brent sees English teacher Mr. Marliston (Jay Mohr), who urges him to divulge more details of the murder to students and the town so as to eliminate the possibility of secrets.
Annette Duwald, also a virgin, is killed in the same fashion of the last night's events. Concerned for the town's safety, Brent holds a meeting at the high school to tell parents the nature of the crimes. No students are invited, but Jody and her friend Timmy, who stayed after school, witness the meeting. Timmy asks to borrow Jody's cell phone, and goes into the stairwell to make a call. Jody goes downstairs to find him, and discovers his dead body in a locker room. She is confronted by the killer who attacks her, but she manages to escape. At the police station, Jody describes the killer to an officer, who draws a composite. Brent confides with an old friend, Tom Sisler, (the current high school principal) that the suspect looks like "Lora Lee Sherman." The two are both visibly nervous, and Jody listens in on their conversation.
Later at school, Jody and Kenny reconcile, and later Jody learns from her mother about the tale of Lora Lee. Twenty-five years ago, Lora Lee was a high school loner. She claimed that four popular boys at school, including Brent and the high school principal, raped her one night. Her cries fell on deaf ears and she left the city for the rural outskirts, where she was rarely seen or heard from again. After Jody discovers the truth, disappointed with the hypocrisy of her parents, she visits Kenny at his house. They talk, and Jody being upset with her parents, tries to pressure sex on Kenny. He refuses, pushing her away.
After catching news of the killer's targeting of virgins, the high school students in town congregate at an abandoned hunting lodge to indulge in a mass orgy. Brent goes to the school to meet Sisler only to find the principal dead in his office with the words "virgin not" carved into his forehead. Before Brent can react he is knocked out by the killer. Jody, who has refused to attend the orgy with Kenny, is out riding her bike when she cycles by Mr. Marliston's house and witnesses him dragging a heavy trunk inside. Suspicious, Jody sneaks into the house and opens the trunk. She recoils as she finds the beaten and bloody body of her unconscious father inside, before she too is knocked unconscious. At the orgy, Kenny is about to have sex with a girl when he has second thoughts and leaves to find Jody. He drives around trying to find her but is puzzled to see her bicycle outside of Marliston's house.
Downstairs in his house, Marliston puts on a wig and makeup to "become" Lora Lee Sherman. Marliston reveals that he is Lora Lee Sherman's illegitimate son, and asks Brent to retell the story of what happened that night 25 years ago. Brent reveals that the four boys, including himself, did indeed rape Lora Lee. Marliston says his mother became an abusive "psycho" after the rape and that one of the rapists is his father; there is an implication that Brent is in fact Marliston's biological father. By frightening virgins, Marliston anticipated a large high school orgy, which would thereby rob all the wealthy parents of their precious children's virginity.
Kenny enters the house and frees Jody as Brent fights with Marliston, who manages to brutally kill him. Jody and Kenny flee to the orgy with Marliston in furious pursuit, killing a deputy en route. He bursts inside wielding an axe and mass panic erupts. After wildly stabbing panicking students and then trying to escape, Marliston fights both Jody and Kenny, with Kenny being severely wounded during the melee. Eventually, Marliston is pushed off a balcony by Jody and impaled on fence posts. At first he seems to be dead, before reviving briefly only to be promptly shot dead by Deputy Sheriff Mina, who unloads two pistols into him. The next day, Jody and her mother head away from the police station. As they leave, Jody sees someone resembling Lora Lee Sherman disappear behind a moving bus. The film ends with a shot of the waterfalls outside town turning red.

Tags: revenge, murder, violence, flashback

Review:
It suffered several cuts to attain an R-Rating losing most of its planned edginess.The story is set in the small town of Cherry Falls, where suddenly, a mysterious figure begins to kill the virgins in town.
Sheriff Brent Marken (Michael Biehn) is specially concerned about the case not only because he knows that his beloved daughter Jody (Brittany Murphy) is virgin, but also because the case brings back memories of a dark event in Cherry Falls past.
Meanwhile, the local teenagers organize a huge party to have sex and stop being potential victims.Written by Ken Selden, the story mixes dark comedy with the horror genre pretty much in the vein of Scream, using a clever twist to the genre cliché of the virginal survivors.
 sending the youths in the local village sex mad  - in order to save their life, obviously!!.As bad as it sounds, its not all bad, especially when the absolutely delicious Brittany Murphy is the lead role as the daughter of the local sheriff (Michael Biehn) who is investigating these grisly murders  and guess what, she's a virgin!!.
The final twist is pretty good, although if you really think about, the killers motive for hating all virgins isn't really that convincing, Fun though if you take it for what it is, enjoyable rubbish!!.
Shamefully neglected horror thriller is probably the best slasher film to follow in the footsteps of Scream (1996), too bad it ended up being a television movie!In the seemingly innocent town of Cherry Falls, Virginia, someone is murdering high school students who just happen to be virgins!Clever premise, being a twist on the classic slasher convention of sex=death, pays off in this dark and splendidly suspenseful shocker.
The supporting cast is also good, most notably Candy Clark as Murphy's slightly odd mother.Cherry Falls is a film that really got the shaft on its releasing, as it's far superior to a number of the theatrically released slasher-by-the-numbers flicks that where out around the time.
While the towns' teenagers prepare for a sex party to protect themselves, the sheriff's daughter, Jody Marken, follows a clue that may unmask the killer and her motives.One of the spate of  `knowing' teenage slasher movies, Cherry Falls got some publicity from it's twist on the usual horror cliché that `sex = death'.
The film is quite enjoyable and has the odd tense moment, but quickly falls into line with every other horror cliché in the book  right down to the big twist over the killer's identity and, true to Scream, it's a big leap!The film is a little modern ironic but doesn't get much mileage out of it.
I knew it was clever to do things like this, but the film gets no mileage out of the wider ideals (AIDS etc) and quickly falls into being a standard teen horror movie complete with shadows, twisty end and so on.
For that thought: I was not totally disappointed, but because I had that thought the movie was also enjoyable in some weird ways.The story is about a killer who is slashing virgins from a local high school.
The basic idea seems OK, A Murderer is killing all the teenage virgins, so all the teenagers decide to have a virginity losing party (a bit stupid but could have been a good laugh) sadly it isn't, It takes itself far too seriously for a plot as ridiculous as this one.The rear of the DVD Cover reviews it as American Pie Meets Scream, this could not be further from the truth, both the aforementioned movies are both Fresh and well made.
Cherry Falls simply is neither and the twist at the end is telegraphed so obviously you would have to be dead to not see it coming.There is a little entertainment value to this film, it is certainly not the worst movie of its kind, but if you want a good Teen Horror, go for Scream, I know what you did last Summer, Wrong turn, Jeepers Creepers or even Cabin Fever.
Really; the plot is predictable, the acting except Jay Mohr and Michael Biehn is wooden, and then there are plenty of mistakes made by no less than Geoffrey Wright.The movie has difficulties to decide which sort of film it should be.
But the one who watches it because he wants to be frightened, doesn't get what he wants, nor the one who wants to laugh nor the one who wants to see hot scenes nor the one who wants to see gore gets what he wants.So nobody gets what he wants and everybody will come out of the theaters still 'hungry'.And then there are many scenes that really look cheap, and it certainly isn't a question of budget.I hope Geoffrey Wright's next movie proves that 'Cherry Falls' was only a wrong step of his and not that 'Romper Stomper' was a lucky achievement..
The Plot In the small town of Cherry Falls a psycho killer is killing virgin teenagers and when the high school students find this out they decide to go all out and have an orgy but will that save them.A slasher movie with an interesting but stupid twist instead of the virgins being the safe one the killer is offing them instead.
Coming out in the trend of the slasher come back of the late nineties through to the naughty's, Cherry Falls follows in that vibe showing at that of the start of a new millennium the year 2000 the makers takes a twist on all of those clichéd slasher movies and offers something slightly different.I loved the small town vibe with its odd characters and its skeletons in the closet.
But sadly this is just the same as all the other slasher movies and the whodunit storyline wasn't that hard to figure out and the death scenes were mostly offscreen which was such a slap in the face but despite these flaws Cherry Falls in an OK above average slasher.The acting, Brittany Murphy looks and feels like a real teenager with charisma to boot, It's always a pleasure to see Michael Biehn (Brent) in a good movie, I love the man and hope he keeps on taking good roles like this one, Biehn is fantastic ages like a fine wine, Gabriel Mann (Kenny)?
looks old and can't act, Jay Mohr (Leonard) does fine in his small role as the likable and understanding hip teacher, Candy Clark (Mandy) gives an odd but very interesting performance and Jesse Bradford a great actor as always and he should be on the a-list by now and get better movie parts than victim #1, he should have had a bigger role he would have been better as the boyfriend part.All in all Cherry Falls is an OK entry to the Slasher genre with a modern twist story line helped along with slick acting.
When the students discover this they decide to throw a party that will take them off the list of possible victims.Smart, funny, stylish slasher film is also enhanced by a great performance by Brittany Murphy and plenty of scares and excitment.
"Cherry Falls" tries to mix slasher flick with teen sex comedy and it fails miserably.The town of Cherry Falls has a psycho killer,who is knocking off the town's teenagers.He chooses his victims among the town's virgin population.I have to admit that such premise is certainly interesting.However the script is bland and predictable,the acting is weak and there is no suspense.The are some violent set-pieces,unfortunately almost all of the gore wound up on the cutting room floor.It's perfectly clear that "Cherry Falls" owes a lot to Italian giallos,but there is no convincing mystery here.The pace of the film is slow with a lot of boring stretches where nothing happens.The lack of gore is also very disappointing.So if you like teen slasher movies you can give it a look.I prefer slasher films from late 70's or early 80's which are better than most of the crap being churned out today.3 out of 10..
The slasher genre never got a tune up quite like it did with Cherry Falls, a tongue in cheek satire that while hilariously high concept and silly, can actually be pretty frightening, especially during it's intense climax.
Jody (Brittany Murphy), a high school student, finds herself at the center of it all with her sheriff father (Michael Biehn) investigating the case.I recall catching "Cherry Falls" on television one summer back in the early 2000s when it showed on the USA Network.
Where teen sexuality has always been a peripheral trope of the genre, "Cherry Falls" makes it its primary focus, subverting the "dead, oversexed teenagers" to "dead virgins." The writing here is witty and clever, and the film is macabre and unnerving while still maintaining a playful edge to it.Director Geoffrey Wright employs some flashy cinematography at times—there is a lot of flaring, jumpy hyper-edits and dramatic stylistics that show the film's age— but there is also a timeless capturing of small-town high school culture that gives the film a strong atmosphere that makes it an especially enjoyable watch.
Jay Mohr and Michael Biehn are also great here, with minor performances from Jesse Bradford and DJ Qualls, whose careers were still in infant stages.Unfortunately, "Cherry Falls" was relegated to television and home video after rumored battles with the MPAA which left the film cut to shreds and quickly sold out for TV distribution.
Well, although it already has a few years he had never even heard of this film teen horror, but when I saw the name of the sadly now deceased Brittany Murphy, actress who always had and still has for me a special magnetism finally decided checking out.The film begins well enough, with the murder of a couple, a classic in the genre, about to lose her virginity, and maintains an interest and atmosphere more or less to half of the film, which unfortunately has started to deflate both attention and pace to reach a climax pretty weak in my opinion.It has some qualities like atmosphere and made some suspense, the presence of Murphy and Michael Biehn, a scene of self-defense when they practice exercises and left me a little confused when it is stretched over it, I know your but I noticed something odd about the pose and expression of both, finally, they may be my imagination, anyway both do a proper performance before the cameras, the inevitable air that gives the film Scream, and generally an acceptable development of the plot, although this is losing strength as it moves ,.But that can not cover the fact that she has a history caught by the hair, with very few murders and gore if not almost nothing for my taste, a murderer who causes anything but fear and a really weak climax, ¨ the course Hymen Holocaust, which is more light than I've seen in a horror film, and I have seen few precisely.A film that seems to promise something strong and distinct but falls just into something acceptable and entertaining in which the filmmakers never really get to dive into the pool despite playing with an idea and concepts with which if could have echo, remaining as in So a suggestive in some points but routine and predictable in the rest slasher..
Not Bad. In the small town of Cherry Falls a masked murderer is killing off the virgins of the local high school.The cast was decent if not quite A-list: Jay Mohr as a teacher, a post-Clueless Brittany Murphy as the female lead (and sheriff's daughter), and genre favorite Michael Biehn.AllMovie gave it a favorable review, writing, "Of all the teen slasher flicks that premiered after the wildly successful Scream series (Urban Legend, etc.), Cherry Falls will possibly go down as one of the most creative, but sadly unseen ones in the bunch." Although reviews were generally mixed or negative, Entertainment Weekly gave a shockingly positive one (grading the film as A-).
I think "Cherry Falls" is the kind of horror film that people enjoy because it is actually more funny than scary..
Whilst not having a lot of gore, although I must confess I don't watch them for the gore, and fairly tame on the sex aspect I found it to be one of the better slasher flicks ever made, and a good film to boot, better than Scream IMO by a long shot.
The cast is what really did it for me, they brought life to their characters without the overacting of previous slashers, they all looked like high school students not 20-30 somethings trying to play teens like most slashers, or indeed like most TV/Film.Brittany Murphy was outstanding in her role, not the typical lead of a slasher flick in both character and look (for the record, I think she is one of the most stunning young women in film today).All in all I think Cherry Falls should be on everyones DVD shelf, whilst I will keep my eyes open for a directors cut which may never come, the cut down version is a testament to the cast and filmmakers, who knew, that even though it was a slasher flick, the key to it was good characters and good story telling, so even minus most of the gore it stands firmly erect..
Brittany Murphy, not to be rude, is very ugly in the movie, i do not like her look at all, but her acting is good, along with the rest of the cast, the twist at the end, well, you either get it right from the beginning or you are very surprised at the end, I as very surprised, i never guessed it, but whatever, it's an awesome slasher film, definitely worth a rent!.
It doesn't take itself overly seriously, yet still manages to pull off some of the most suspenseful scenes of its genre since Hitchcock.Needless to say, Cherry Falls would not be the same movie without Brittany Murphy.
I really hope Brittany Murphy gets a great carrier because she is a very beautiful and talented young actress.Cherry Falls is an entertaining movie but the plot isn't the greatest.
So teenagers see a reason not to stay virgins, and have a massive orgy party at the end.What sounds like a poor excuse for soft porn is actually quite a decent slasher movie.
The story of a little town, Cherry Falls, whose virgins are being stalked and murdered one by one by a mysterious psychopath who wants revenge for an unpunished crime that took place in the same town years ago.One of the better horror films that came out in late 2000, Cherry Falls is the typical case of a nice movie that doesn't get the recognition it deserves.The film didn't even get a theatrical release and was exhibited on TV by USA Network.Thanks to a really original director who knows how to make pictures, Geoffrey Wright, a cast formed by talented and decent actors and a storyline that really holds the tension and keeps you guessing,this gripping and outstanding thriller can now be appreciated by horror fans on VHS or DVD.Brittany Murphy comes out great as the main character, she is so sweet and beautiful, on her way to become a movie star in the years to come, specially after her incredible performance in Don't Say a Word, so does Michael Biehn and specially Jay Mohr, who is devilishly funny and bitter.Look no further for a great slasher thriller: Cherry Falls is a good choice!.
I liked how all the actors weren't "pretty rich kids with problems."  They were more real than I've seen in a hip horror movie.Cherry Falls had it all for me...thrills, horror, and laughs.
I watched Cherry Falls because Brittany Murphy had a good, leading role.
I am a huge horror fan and also a fan of the recent "teen slasher movies" and Cherry Falls deserves to be up there with the Screams of this world.
There is no justice in the world sometimes."Cherry Falls" is not a cinematic masterpiece in any way, but as a teen slasher film it stands tall as one of the best since the original "Scream".
Brittany Murphy is good in the lead while some characters, her father played by Michael Biehn especially, sometimes feel as if they would rather be acting in Twin Peaks.If you like horror movies, there's nothing new here at all.
I wasn't really sure where the tagline of "American Pie meets Scream" really came into the film, sure it resembled Scream, as a lot of films nowadays do, but it wasn't anything like American Pie.However, the twists and turns of the suspense/slasher story were enjoyable enough, though I would have preferred a different killer, as I think everyone was expecting it.I enjoyed Brittany Maloney's performance a lot and Michael Biehn was his usual excellent self.
Cherry Falls is that movie, and it does its best with a decent script and performances.The plot is simple: a killer stalks a small town, murdering virgin teens.
Say what you feel, put some thought into your writing, not some catchy sound byte.CHERRY FALLS is not like other teen slasher films.
Cherry Falls is a mix of Scream (First Part) and American Pie. It`s a real good slasher film with enough blood in it.The only Problem (that`s why it only gets 9 points) is that it`s to obvious who`s the murderer, but that`s not a problem, trust me.The Plot is good and funny and the best thing is that the kids are not sexbombs like Neve or Electra.
The humour in the movie stems from the plot idea of the killer killing virgins, and obviously this leads to the teens in the film trying to have sex as soon as possible to avoid becoming the next victim.
A killer is killing off the virgins of a small town Cherry Falls.
Sounds like your typical teen slasher movie, but with a lot of horror fans sayign they liked it, i gave it a try.CHERRY FALLS is a major disappointment.