Fans of Kevin Smith's work may debate what movies of his are the best. Some say "Mallrats" some say "Chasing Amy" but I feel the majority are in the "Clerks." camp. One of the most screamingly funny films of all time that speaks about a lost generation. The intelligent, under-appreciated faux scholars of the Quick Stop and RST Video are archetypes of the modern man. Dante the lost. Randal the outspoken.

Each of us have those tendencies in us. We all, at some point, have felt lost in the modern world. Yearning for the days past. The days lost. Wishing that high school was a full time gig. For many people it was the peak of their lives. Working a dead end job. Working a job that you keep because it's easy. There is no pressure and best of all no expectations. Dante Hicks is one person. Nothing special. Not especially handsome or intelligent. But he is searching for his way in life. We drop in on a day where his life changes. We drop in on his, what may very well be, his defining moments. His ex-girlfriend is getting married. His current girlfriend reveals sexual exploits that he'd rather not have heard. All this and his best friend, Randal, stirring the pot.

Randal, he supposes that he knows it all. He has it all figured out but merely it's a cover for the frightened and lost boy that he is. No ambition. No future. And no strings.

Clerks. is a modern classic that struck at a time when the age bracket didn't have a voice. We needed an outlet and Kevin Smith struck a chord in all of us.

I've grown with Smith's movies. I see progression throughout his films. Clerks. was the beginning.


Clerks. is one of those kinds of movies that doesn't need fancy camera work, the biggest actors, a huge budget, or even color. Clerks. is a very simple idea of one day at a job.

The main character is Dante Hicks, a college drop-out who gets a phone call from his boss, saying he has to work on his day off. This is just one of the many things that makes Dante's day at work more and more unbearable. His day starts off with an activist who enters the Quick Stop Convenience Store, and complains about the health problems smoking causes to the other customers, in one of the most funniest moments of the film.

The other main character is Randal Graves, a true slacker in the sense. He likes to come to work, usually about a half hour late, order Adult movies in front of a three year old, back talk to customers, watch Star Wars and talk about the innocent people dying on the almost finished Death Star in Return of the Jedi, or lock up the video store and talk to Dante.

The other characters, Veronica, who is Dante's girlfriend, who always bugs him about going back to college. Caitleen Bree, who is still secretly loved by Dante, even after she cheated on him 81/2 times, and who is marrying an Asian Design Major. And Jay and Silent Bob, who are another pair of slackers who deal drugs, brag about there Russian friend/cousin, and on the occasion, dance.

The movie is the kind of comedy that relies on delivery of lines rather than action. It uses a kind of gross out humor, that one describes, and never shows, which leaves more the imagination.

Clerks. is something everyone can relate to. It's about a job the main characters hate, and do everything they can to fight the boredom of the long hours of a job, even if its playing Hockey on the roof or going to a wake.

Clerks. is a comedy for those who appreciate good dialogue and superb characters.

10/10.


What can be said about this movie that has not already been said? I love this movie. In fact it is my favorite movie. Kevin Smith is a genius. He did this this perfectly the minute it hits the 37 scene it is complete gold. Randel is one of the funniest characters ever. And in this movie we are introduced to View Askews most memorable characters Jay and Silent Bob. This is a fantastic movie one of the greatest independent movies ever. And the premiere of a great comic mind writer/directer Kevin Smith. I have yet to find a person that disagrees with me. I highly recommend this movie. Everyone should see it. 9/10 amazing movie.


Clerks is a rare thing indeed a low budget (about $25,000) indie comedy that's actually funny, not in an intellectual gentle way i.e. Garden State but in a gut wrenching laugh out loud way. Made with amateur actors in many roles performances are pretty good although the odd line is fluffed this only adds to its charm. The plot is difficult to explain as its just about two guys in a convenience store and one weird day, the script is sharp with plenty of humour but clearly has something to say no matter how muddled. Jay & Silent Bob make their first appearance here but its Randall and supporting characters that have the best lines. The best way to describe this film is a slacker comedy it's perfect to watch with your mates and pizza. The only negatives I can think of are the film is a bit rough but c'mon what do you expect for 25k and anyone adverse to bad language should avoid this!! Rough, rude, ridiculous and seriously funny 8/10


Back in 94 when Kevin Smith made Clerks, he had a brilliant plan. To make a series of movies that we're connected, not as per usual with a concurrent story, but with stories that took place with people who either live in, or have lived in or around Red Bank, NJ. Clerks is the one that starts it off, and there's not really much to it: A series of dumb or annoying customers, the rudest store clerk EVER (who has the coolest no consequences approach to life) and of course poor Dante, who wasn't even supposed to be there that day. It's not for everyone, but for those that like their comedy as dark and rowdy as possible, it's a sure winner and the story of how they made the movie (Jeff Anderson had for instance never acted before!) doesn't make it less impressive, and knowing the stuff they had to do (like the shudders being closed because they could only film at night, and it was supposed to be day) only makes it more funny. 9/10.


What a fantastic film. Having seen all of Kevin Smith's post Clerks productions, I was relentlessly pestered by my friends to watch this classic and having finally got hold of it, I must say it was a pleasant but not unusual surprise. I didn't really know what to expect other than it is in black and white and scripted by our beloved producer but what a hilarious film it turned out to be.

The dialogue is typical Kevin Smith work, evident in his later films such as dogma and chasing amy, and might I add work that I thoroughly enjoy. The film was shot on a budget so don't expect anything fancy. No real big names although by now you should have heard of some of the actors.

It will appear that this film is more appealing to Kevin Smith fans and not really for the faint hearted movie viewers who prefer clichés and typical dialogue (including them awful one liners). Oh no no no, this is one fast talking, twisted and very entertaining movie, but one that can only be appreciated when one can lower his/her inhibitions.

Give it a shot, it's something different and if it's your cup of tea then you should love this movie, but if not then come back to it at a later date, you may actually appreciate this film at some point in your life!


The '1990's gave us some real bad music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, boy bands. The 90's did have one redeeming value. The movies. Clerks is one of them. Shoestring budget, Kevin Smith mortgaged his life to make this film. in fact, almost as much was spent on the three minute Soul Asylum video then was spent on Clerks. I laughed so hard at Clerks, i lost breath twice. I've worked retail. Dante and more so Randal say almost everything that a retail clerk would want to say. They get away with it as well. Kevin Smith proved himself a genius. Raunchy humor, endless sight gags, and the best use of a small cast i've ever seen. Something to offend everyone, and that's what makes this room so great. Another thing that makes so film so great was that it spawned sequels without them being true sequels. It was a series of movies that all tied in with each other. Even having the same actors play other roles. Not something that main stream Hollywood had done. Clerks made Hollywood take notice, and for awhile, they stayed away from the cookie cutter approach to making movies. No movie as important as Clerks had been made in a great while. If you haven't seen clerks, you don't know what you're missing. Best movie of the 90's. enough said.


This film is genius. 11 years on this film is still the best Kevin Smith has done. I have countless examples of how universal this film is. Over the years I have found one constant. If you don't get it, you ARE clinically stupid. NO-ONE I have ever given this film to who likes it is stupid. I mean ALL races, ages & sexes. NOT one specific group, NOT geniuses, all types unified by the fact they're intelligent WITH passion & have a heart, because that's what Kevin Smith gets to, your heart. The dialogue, given in moments of calm, sucks you in because of its surrealism, its ability to provoke thought, its reflection of your own experience, and then hits you with some of the most laugh out loud, wet your pants, surreal comedy moments that you just don't expect and have ever seen. You care about the characters& recognise yourself in different ones. Above all the film doesn't make many absolute judgements. A few universal truths, which if are unrecognised mean you need to stop living with mummy&daddy and grow up, but mostly a lot of differing perspectives. The judgement is left to YOU because Smith doesn't patronise you as Hollywood does, you're treated as if your intelligence is respected and present, which is as acutely as I can put it as to why you ARE a pricking moron if you don't get it. If you are the elite of people who finds because of this film you are in the minority, you will then realise how many TRULY stupid people there are in the world. Any critic who slams a Kevin Smith film, well, you can forever ignore any review they give. Pity them, they ARE stupid. If you want to sort out which of your friends are idiots watch this film with them. And if YOU don't get it, well, the kindest I can put it is maybe you NEED to live some more, open your mind and heart a LOT more, then watch it again. PLEASE trust me, when you get it you will be justified in feeling a little smug for you will be stupid no-more.


I love Clerks. I love how whiny Dante is, and I love how Randal cares about no one and nothing. This is the introduction to the world of Kevin Smith. Clerks is the first movie of five (the other four go in order: Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) and fixates itself around Quick Stop store clerk Dante having to go in on his day off. This proves to be one of the worst days of his life. Things start off with a cigarette revolt and don't get any better from there. I like how Kevin Smith makes the movie around one big line repeated by Dante: "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" It's just cool to see how one persons life can be ripped to pieces when: your boss lies to you, your ex-girlfriend is "getting married" your best friend shows up late for work as usual, and you have to come in on your day off, among an array of other things I don't want to spoil. Clerks is filled with witty humor and memorable characters and great dialouge. If you like this movie you're bound to become a fan of Kevin Smith's work. Especially Jay and Silent Bob.


Kevin Smith's "Clerks" is probably one of the last true independent films we will ever see. A joe-schmo convenience store clerk from New Jersey pulls together about $30,000 and films a movie with the limited resources he can acquire. "Clerks" is one of the funniest movies I have seen. I think I like it so much because it isn't just slapstick, but a mix of intelligence with d*ck-n-fart jokes. It'll have you laughing at some things that you never would have expected. The hilarious performances in this movie aren't even from real actors of the time, but friends and family of Smith. Assuming you aren't easily offended (and even if you are), I highly recommend checking out this movie if you haven't already. Even if you aren't a fan of the film, you still have to respect the achievements he has made, going from store clerk to successful filmmaker with this one little black and white gem.


I had watched this movie Kisses And Caroms and was soooo reminded of Clerks that I had to re-watch Clerks. And Clerks still is great today. It was interesting to compare it to Kisses And Caroms, both were first features, both are one location, both are about 2 guys, but Kisses and Caroms has hot naked women in it. I suspected that these clerks guys had something to do with it, but I'm told no.

Anyway, I watched an old copy on Laser Disc, but a buddy told me about the new improved DVD. I guess I'll be watching that soon.

I loved the movies crude and simple humor. It was a nice trip down memory lane. I kept thinking oh yeah, this is where this happens. Then, I'd laugh. I also heard they're making a part 2. That seems to be odd, but hey Terminator 2 was made years after part 1, so I guess they can pull it off, it'll be interesting to see how they do it.

I did think the opening dragged on a bit this time. It seemed to take forever to get behind the counter. And that whiny "I have a game at 2" bit was forced in the opening call. I thought I remembered Jay and Silent Bob in more of it, but I guess not. Maybe the new DVD has more then the Laser Disc had.


In 1994 Kevin Smith had his debut film as a director in Clerks. The story focuses on the two workers Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) who works at the convienate store next to the movie rental store with Randal Graves (Anderson). Randal is a smart ass who says what's on his mind and then you've got small minded Dante who is mostly quiet and angry inside but to scared to let out his anger. While on the job they meet w shoppers and the birth of the best duos Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith). Jay is a pot head looking for two things in life, drugs and the ladies Silent Bob hardly talks at all but when he does it's normally heart warming and inspirational. Too bad the movie isn't. Wait screw that who needs heart warming when you got Randal, snowballing, Randal, Jay and Silent Bob, and of course Randal. Clerks is filled with unique dialog and tons of originality from an excellent director. Smith can only do better. My final rating 8/10.


Clerks is a very unique movie in itself this is the very first B&W movie I could sit through. I love Kevin in this movie but Randall is the best. Dante makes the movie seriously hilarious. Big pat on the back you started something Keep it going. Love the Peter and Fart jokes. I look for all of Kevin's movies. Though he claims to be a crappy actor and director I wouldn't know how to function without my Sunday ritual of non stop view askew Movies. I have all except Drawing Flies. Sorry Kevin that one was a little out there for me. I look forward to seeing more and more each year. Jersey girl was great Affleck did a great job and so did the little girl. Look forwards to seeing more of Matt daemon and Affleck and more Randall/Dante. Heard there's a Clerks 2 coming Looking for it.


*possible spoilers*

Kevin Smith debut film is brilliant because it works on so many different levels. From budget limitations resulting in running gags -the closed shutters "explaining" the darkness on the store setting where in fact they could only shoot at night- to a series of funny customers episodes and even, well "romantic" story lines, the movie is based on a great script and works through the acting skills of its cast, especially Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson.

In the end it's not just a great comedy, it actually manages to deliver something that can be called "a message", when, after main character Dante has survived possibly the worst day in his life, he has to admit that it wasn't all just bad luck but also a broad hint that he could/should change his life as a clerk.


This low budget, tacky, often crude...but absolutely hilarious movie is exactly what a lot of big-budget films miss - a clever, witty script. It will have extra appeal to anyone (like me) who has been a shop Clerk and has had to endure stupid customer questions like "are you closed?"! Warning, the acting can be annoying on watching it again so it is better to look at it as adding to the clerks questionable character. I have the soundtrack, mainly for the great version of "Go your own way". It also makes me chuckle at the sound clips from the movie. Smith's labour of love definitely made an impression on me - it was shown on Sky movies during an independent movie slot (used to be every Sunday night I think). This movie made me pay out hard-earned cash, mainly for that slot. Also, I seen Dogma in NYC the day it was released..there was a great atmosphere, almost like a big sporting event so obviously Smith's films have done extremely well from these humble beginnings. I think Smith may have decided to make his later movies more mainstream. However, they all share an interesting slice of life, his view askew. It's good to see a new release of this title, it is very hard to find. More Kevin Smith and Smith-esquire movies please!


Dante and Randal are perfectly contrasted men, each one being the perfect antithesis of the other. Dante's glass is obviously half empty, while Randal's is constantly being refilled. I love to see these two characters interact, no matter what they're talking about. Smith's short film, "The Flying Car", shown on The Tonight Show (a few years back) is a perfect example of the character's wonderful chemistry.

Also, the man who played the old Jewish man (Al Berkowitz) was by far my favorite actor. I wish I could see him in some other role.

Many have accused this film of being unnesessarily profane and disgusting, but I feel that intermittent f-bombs and terms like "jizz-mopper" are crucial elements of the character's identity, and quite frankly are words our society DOES use. Art imitates life, as they say.

This is Kevin Smith's funniest and finest story. The directing/photography leaves something to be desired, but as a green filmmaker myself, I appreciate Smith sticking his neck out and doing something like this. It gives me hope for my own films.


WEEK OF THE KILLER is definitely a more satisfying title for this film, it is at least an honest title as well. It's a shame that those marketing this film to help it gain a profit opted for the title CANNIBAL MAN (as here in the U.S.), and its trailer trying to make it look more horrific than it really is, with chipper sounding narration in a "nice weather we're having" tone!!

That is a shame because it's useless to try and lure in horror/gore hounds for a film that's basically a nice moody drama that will leave one with a saddened, downbeat mood rather than thrills. The "Cannibal Man" title is silly particularly because there really isn't any cannibalism in the film. The closest thing to that is found to be a coincidence and even upsets the main character when he realizes what was in his soup.

Though I'd rather have seen it in the original language with subtitles, I'm still happy Anchor Bay has rescued it and released it on DVD for folks like me who enjoy obscure films.

The story is basically about a slaughterhouse worker who accidentally starts a downward spiral of killing and madness in his life, unable to cope with what he's done and finding it's just easier to off the people who get too close to his secret. The wide, open landscapes of yet to be developed land and the minimal score add amazing scope to the loneliness Marcos (Vicente Parra) feels, and mirrors the loneliness of his newfound friend that lives in the high-rise literally next door to his little house. Even the swimming scene had a quiet beauty to it. Considering the time and politics for 1971 in that area, there's more to this story than just a man not able to cope with his murderous actions.

The neighbor's sexuality is handled in a rather refreshingly basic manner, not being stereotypically gay nor lecherous. It's also great how throughout the film, we wonder if he really knows more about what Marcos is doing than we can guess, with lines like "You better bury them," is he talking about Marcos' memories or the bodies starting to add up in Marcos' bedroom? Their interactions are always fascinating, and were very much highpoints of the film. It was wonderful to see a scene like the swimming scene with these two men; somehow I get the feeling that if this film were to have been made today, the powers that be in Hollywood would have tried to work that scene with two women.

An increasing depressing tone sets in up through to the end, but some nice dialogues keep the story in check and moving despite the slower tone of the film. The violence works in context to the situations, rather than seeming gratuitous to satisfy those who feel they need to see that in order to enjoy a film. For me, I was far more disturbed by the first minute of the film, seeing the animal slaughtered. It was difficult getting through that. The sexual element is surprisingly minimal, not as much nudity as you'd think a film of this storyline would have, but since it's not really an exploitive film, having less breasts to gawk at works in its favor. Like many films of that European source and time, having no end credits leaves the viewer in a more affected mood with the film's rather abrupt ending.

LA SEMANA DEL ASESINO is great viewing for fans of drama, but horror seekers should stay clear. It's good to see other people commenting about the film's interesting qualities instead of reading comments that they felt ripped off that it wasn't about cannibals or full of tense scary scenes. It's pure drama, and I'm glad some people are managing to get around the unfortunate marketing ploys this film was given and see how worthwhile it really is! Indeed a nice discovery.


I finally watched this overlooked Spanish film and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, much more than I expected. I rarely heard anything from it and the reason I saw it was because I'm collecting VHS tapes released by Anchor Bay during the late 1990s and CANNIBAL MAN was part of those horror films. It's a horror film but the horror aspects are not what makes it work. It's more the tone, the actors and the whole look which are all excellent and unique. In fact, the horror elements are at times pretty weak and unconvincing and anyone watching it as a horror film will probably be disappointed. The killings or the repetitive reasons for the man in question to kill are not always convincing but that's because the film is totally symbolic of the time it was made. When you view CANNIBAL MAN as that, the film becomes unique and almost brilliant. I won't describe anything about the film itself. I'll just leave it up to you to see and decide.

The closest thing I can compare it to is APARTMENT ZERO, which I now believe was probably , eh, "inspired" by CANNIBAL MAN. The ending is a bit murky but the better for it. It gives me something to think about. Well worth watching for fans of quirky cinema.


La Semana del Asesino which apparently translates into English as The Week of the Murderer, or the misleading & exploitative title of Cannibal Man as it's commonly known amongst English speaking audiences, starts in a slaughter house run by a company called 'Flory', we witness various cows having their throats slit, bleeding all over the shop & other gory establishing shots. We are introduced to one of the workers, Marcos (Vincente Parra) who has a crap job picking all the guts up & generally has a crap life living in an old house in one of the oldest districts in town. One night while out with his girlfriend Paula Marcos becomes involved in a fight with a taxi driver & ends up accidentally killing him. The next day Paula says they should go to the police & confess, an idea that Marcos is not keen on saying that the police will never believe them because he is poor & cannot afford an expensive lawyer. Paula says she will go to the police on her own at which point Marcos strangles her. Racked with guilt Marcos confesses all to his Brother Steve who also says he must tell the police, in no time whatsoever Marcos beats Steve to death with a wrench. Marcos continues to kill to keep his secret & has dug himself into a hole from which he sees only one escape, to dispose of the evidence at the slaughterhouse...

Originally gaining some notoriety in the UK (& presumably elsewhere) where it was banned as a 'Video Nasty' in the early 80's this Spanish production was co-written & directed by Eloy de la Iglesia & is a surprisingly good character study of a serial killer & one mans descent into madness through fear & panic. The script by Iglesia, Anthony Fos & Robert Oliver isn't perfect by any means, it starts off really well with the bodies piling up thick & fast but slows considerably towards the end which is odd as it's usually the other way around. La Semana del Asesino concentrates on Marcos & his thoughts & feelings, what makes him commit murder & the situation he has created that he can't seem to escape, no mention of the police investigation is ever made if indeed there was one. I was impressed with the ending, it's certainly not what I was expecting & was maybe a little low key for some but I thought it worked & worked well. The film moves along at a fair pace but does drag a bit in places which would probably put me off watching it again anytime soon. Director Iglesia also manages to throw in a bit of satire amongst the blood, of which there is a fair amount but the title Cannibal Man is so misleading it's untrue. In fact there is not one single instance of cannibalism in the entire film although we are treated to some decent gore even if it doesn't reach the heights of some other splatter filled Euro horror, there is an effective slit throat, someone has their head bashed in, someone gets his face split down the middle with a meat clever & there are various gory sequences inside the slaughterhouse & all that entails. Technically La Semana del Asesino is basic but professional enough, Iglesia films it in real locations which add to it's grittiness & credibility while at the same time giving the film a nice atmosphere throughout, the cinematography is OK, the music forgettable while the special effect's aren't going to impress too many people these days they are good enough. The acting by Parra is very strong & I was both engaged & gripped by his character, no one else gets that much screen time but they all do a fine job none-the-less. As long as you can get over the misleading title & not go into La Semana del Asesino expecting an all out cannibal gore fest like Cannibal Holocaust (1980) or Cannibal Ferox (1981) then you may just be rewarded with an intelligent & satisfying drama/thriller/horror! Personally I definitely think it's well worth a watch, surprisingly good.


Eloy de la Iglesia's "Cannibal Man" is an exceptional study of sociopathic isolation that also comments on the gulf between how the rich and poor were treated by the authorities in Spain in '72. Vicente Parra is Marcus, a slaughterhouse worker who accidentally kills a taxi driver. Convinced that the police will not believe his account of the incident, he refuses to turn himself in. His girlfriend has other ideas and wants him to go to the police (her social status is higher than his). When she refuses to understand his position, he is left with little option but to kill her. Thus begins a chain of bloody murders as Marcus is threatened with exposure by his friends, family members, and colleagues. Eusebio Poncola, who starred in the brilliant Spanish detective series, "The Adventures of Pepe Carvahlo", plays Nestor, a wealthy local who introduces himself to Marcus. Though subtly conveyed by Iglesia, Nestor's interest in Marcus extends beyond friendship. A surreal pool scene, in which the men become entangled in the water, perfectly communicates unspoken ambitions. It turns out that the affluent Nestor is, ironically, Marcus's only potential ally in his descent into depression and madness, but his offer of help may come too late. Similar in tone to "Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer", this is a well written, thinking man's thriller that doesn't blush at its atrocities. The film is full of magnificent, clever details. For example, Marcus is slow to rid himself of the corpses piling up in his bedroom, so the place has started to reek. Iglesias conveys the situation with wonderful black humor by showing us packs of dogs loitering at his front door for a taste of the rotten meat inside. Every night Marcus arrives home, he has to scream at the dogs as they swarm about like flies. During one of the murder scenes, the director intercuts a game of soccer going on outside. Much more than a standard horror flick, this touches on the perils of becoming more successful than your friends and the consequences of tough decisions. We sympathize with Marcus's situation, even though his actions are illegal. Putting a cherry on top of the cake is a minimalist score and creepy, electronic sound effects. Unfortunately, most versions available (including the one I saw) are dubbed. I'd kill to see this in its original language.


Even though there's only a hint of (accidental) cannibalism in this misleadingly titled effort, CANNIBAL MAN is an underrated psycho-thriller/character study well worth checking out. Vicente Parra stars as Marcos, a disturbed slaughterhouse worker who lives in a small one bedroom house with his usually-absent brother. With his sanity barely in check as it is (notice the loud, ticking clock sound a la REPULSION, an obvious influence), Marcos finally snaps when a lecherous taxi driver attacks him and his girlfriend Paola (Emma Cohen). After fatally clubbing the man with a rock, Marcos and Paola can't agree on what to do and during an argument about whether to go to the cops or not, Marcos ends up strangling her to death, sticking her under the bed and closing the door (out of sight... out of mind). His brother rolls into town, Marcos confesses to the murder and his brother also tries to talk him into turning himself in and is immediately clubbed over the head with a wrench. More people will show up to the house (the brother's fiancée, her father, a sluttish, lonely waitress from a café down the street...) looking for missing loved ones and none are ever heard from again. The bodies, all kept in the bedroom, are beginning to stink and all the neighborhood dogs aren't the only ones to notice. Marcos decides to dispose of the corpses a little at a time by chopping them up with a meat cleaver, sticking them into a small bag and taking them to work with him, where they're mixed in with the meat. He stocks up on perfume and air fresheners in the meantime. And all the while, he's befriended by a peculiar young man named Nestor (Eusebio Poncela) who lives on the 13th floor of an upscale high-rise apartment right down the road and keeps an eye on what's going on around him with a pair of binoculars. It's this aspect of the film, the subplot about Nestor and Marcos, very different but social outcasts all the same, and their ability to relate to one another, that gives this film an extra spark of originality and much needed subtext.

Though there are some gruesome scenes at the slaughterhouse where real cows are butchered and some fairly bloody murder scenes, the climax is surprisingly non-gory, mature and believable and the director seldom dwells on the blood-and-guts aspect of his film, but more on the psychological profile. The production values are pretty good, the English dubbing is tolerable and the acting (particularly the two male leads) is competent, if not excellent, throughout, plus there are even a couple of black comic suspense scenes worthy of Hitchcock, particularly one with some neighborhood bullies playing keep-away with Marcos' bag.

Originally titled LA SEMANA DEL ASESINO (THE WEEK OF THE KILLER), but released in the US as APARTMENT ON THE 13TH FLOOR (with an exploitation ad campaign reminiscent of Last House on the Left). Supposedly banned in many countries upon release, the version I saw from claims to be uncut and uncensored. Director De La Iglesia also made several other horror films, including GLASS CEILING (1971). Too bad they're so hard to track down.


Dour, moody, petulant, very masculine and unsociable loner abattoir worker Marcos (a fine, low-key, creepily nonchalant performance by Vincente Parra) and his peevish, unhappy girlfriend (the lovely Emma Cohen) take a ride in a taxi one fateful night. The irritable cab driver tosses them out when they start making out in the back of his taxi. Marcos and the cabbie have an altercation which results in the cabbie being killed. Marcos' girlfriend wants to tell the cops. Marcos, who's distrustful of authority due to his lowly working class social status, throttles his girlfriend in a fit of pique. Pretty soon Marcos becomes extremely paranoid and begins to kill every last person who suspects him of being a homicidal maniac (Marcos even whacks his own brother with a wrench). Marcos strikes up an uneasy friendship with an earnest, but suspicious gay neighbor. Things get even more tense. Meanwhile, Marcos chops up the corpses residing in his spartan, squalid rathole abode and disposes of the body parts by incinerating them in the slaughterhouse furnace.

A grave, gruesome, exceedingly unnerving and disconcerting depiction of how severe self-loathing and one's miserably meager station in life can feasibly drive you murderously around the bend (Marcos registers strongly as a hauntingly sullen and scarily twisted proletarian anti-hero), this dark, stark, deeply disturbing and harrowingly plausible psychological horror portrait of everyday gratuitous violence, repressed sexuality (there's an edgy air of homo-eroticism apparent in the relationship between Marcos and his meddlesome neighbor), and seething, volatile little guy angst makes for a very queasy and unsettling viewing experience. The late, great Eloy de la Iglesia's taut, austere, fiercely humorless and deliberate direction, ably assisted by Raul Artigot's grainy, gloriously unadorned no-frills cinematography, Fernando G. Morcillo's spare, spooky, nerve-jangling score, occasional outbursts of hideously graphic and genuinely shocking violence, gradual pacing, an unsparingly solemn tone, and properly subdued naturalistic acting from the uniformly solid cast, creates a frightfully squirmy and sweaty suffocating gloom-doom atmosphere which ultimately delivers one hell of a potent and lingering kick-you-in-the-gut wallop. Anchor Bay's typically up-to-par DVD offers a nice widescreen presentation with the trailer as the sole extra.


I would have to agree with the previous comment regarding THE CANNIBAL MAN. It's an excellent film in the vein of DERANGED (1974), HENRY and CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KILLER, though it predates all three.

THE CANNIBAL MAN took a couple viewings to really come together and I think part of the problem was the English dubbing. Anchor Bay's recent release has superb picture quality, but unfortunately they didn't include the original language track with subs as they did with TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD.

Regardless, the acting is well-done - Vincente Parra plays a particularly relatable man, one with whom the viewer can sympathize. In accordance with the film's original title, WEEK OF THE KILLER, Parra takes the part of the titular role, slowly spiraling downward into insanity while dispatching one victim for each day of the week. Along the way, there are some interesting twists and turns as well as some restrained, well-used scenes of violence and gore.

There are also some truly surreal scenes, such as the swimming pool sequence and the tense denouement. And, as with any Spanish horror film, nearly all the women are gorgeous. All in all, this is a must-see for genre fans, but be warned, THE CANNIBAL MAN is a subtle film, not one that will immediately jump out at you.


"Cannibal Man" by Eloy de la Iglesia is a notorious Spanish shocker about slaughterhouse worker named Marcos.He works in a canning plant attached to the local slaughterhouse.One night,he kills a taxi driver in self defense and then strangles his girlfriend,the only witness to the crime.Desperate with fear,he murders several other people."Cannibal Man" is a slow-paced Spanish shocker that contains some graphic gore.The film is also extremely stylish and the atmosphere of decay and frustration is simply overwhelming.It certainly gained some notoriety as a former video nasty in the UK,but it's nowhere nearly as explicit as for example Lucio Fulci's gorefests.However the most interesting fact is that Eloy de la Iglesia was one of the major directors to push Spanish censorship boundaries with this film and a number of powerful gay-oriented films like "El Diputado" or "Los Placeres Ocultos".So if you are a fan of Spanish horror give it a try.8 out of 10.


Contrary to what it's title suggests, Cannibal Man has nothing to do with cannibals or people being eaten; it's more a story about insanity in the mould of the 80's classic Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, only the blame is deflected onto society rather than the character himself. Despite not being about cannibals, the movie features more than enough blood and the opening scene, which takes place in an abattoir, will adequately set most audience members up for what is to follow. What follows is a rampage of violence, as our character slips deeper into insanity and kills the people around him. It all starts with the (sort of) accidental death of a taxi driver. After that, our hero kills his girlfriend for fear that she might tell the police, and follows that murder up with his brother's, his brother's girlfriend's etc etc. This chain of murders could become rather dull, but the relaxed tone of the film and the way that we always focus on the escapades of the central character throughout his decent into insanity ensures that the film never turns into a riotous slash-fest.

Aside from the fact that Franco was in power, I really don't know anything about Spain at the time that this was made. Cannibal Man reflects life in the country at the time, but to be honest; whatever social study there is really gets lost under the murders and putrid atmosphere of the film. Rather than looking for social comments, I recommend viewing this film more as a look at insanity, as it can be enjoyed much easier that way. If looked at as an insight into insanity; Cannibal Man is a rather potent film, which shows insanity doesn't have to be something that a murderer is born with. The atmosphere that director Eloy de la Iglesia has created is fabulous. The film feels rotten, like a slab of meat left out at the abattoir, and this helps to ensure that we always view our central character's plight with disgust and regret, rather than simply enjoying the killings. Many of the murders in the film are standard stuff, with the exception of one great one that sees a thrown hatchet lodged in some poor guy's face! On the whole, despite the homoerotic tone towards the end; Cannibal Man is cleverer than it looks and even if viewed without intelligence - the film can be enjoyed.


Here a pretty cool little Spanish exploitation flick from the 70s that definitely exercises the old saying "two wrongs don't make a right". Or in this dude's case it's "six wrongs" that comprise his whole downfall, turning him from a mild-mannered, poverty stricken butcher to a full-fledged serial killer. It all begins when he and his chick hail a taxi, start busying it up in the backseat, annoying the driver. When things get ugly between them after the couple is kicked out of the cab, the drive starts wailing on the girlfriend, which results in a "heroic" rescue, leaving one very dead driver... So she's now freakin' over what happened and when she threatens to go to the police, homeboy strangles her and keeps her body in his bedroom. Soon, the guy's brother returns from a trip, finds the body and is bashed with a monkey wrench... Brother's girlfriend shows up looking for him, finds the TWO bodies and has her throat slit. You get the idea... Witnesses come along quicker than this guy can murder them and it's stressing him out. He also develops a strange, suggestively homosexual friendship with a nearby dog-walker and bumps uglies with the saucy waitress of the local diner... Both of these acquaintances are desperately shielded from his sadistic rampage - sort in the vain of those old sitcoms. Keep the guest out of the secret room! Apparently, a half dozen bodies stashed in a room in your rundown hovel for an unspecified amount of time will lead to some 'funk' not all find too pleasant... What do you do about that? Well, this guy hacks 'em up and dumps 'em off at work... The slaughterhouse... "The Cannibal Man" is entertaining enough, though not all that gory or stocked with T & A, yet it moves along briskly, has a nice solid story with good pacing, and establishes the characters well. Recommended!


This was one of the infamous video nasties that was banned in Britain. It was released there in 1993 with just 3 seconds cut.

I am not a Spanish expert, but Week of the Killer is a more accurate translation of the Spanish title: La semana del asesino.

Vicente Parra is Marcos, who works in a slaughterhouse. If you don't like scenes of animal slaughter, be warned. He gets into an argument one night with a cabbie (Goyo Lebrero) and hits him with a rock, killing him. His girlfriend Paula (Emma Cohen) wants him to go to the police, but he has other plans. Now, he has two bodies under his bed. At least he had one last night of fun with the luscious Barcelona beauty.

He tells his brother Nestor (Eusebio Poncela), who sings the same song as Paula, and now there are three. That apartment is going to be stinking soon! Nestor's fiancée (Lola Herrera) comes looking for him and unfortunately for her, she finds him. The kills are getting more and more bloody. He seems to be enjoying it now, even if he is becoming anxious.

The future father-in-law shows up looking for his daughter. I imagine this kill is the 3 seconds they cut from the British release. That room is getting rather full and flies are buzzing.

I remember that old Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time, where he snuck Cadillac parts out of the plant in his lunch pail. Well Marcos decides to smuggle in a bagful at a time to the plant and mix it with the beef in the hamburger machine. He better get hustling as the neighborhood dogs are gathering at his door, and he will go broke buying air freshener and cologne.

Rosa (Vicky Lagos) is hot for Marcos, and so is Estaban (Charly Bravo). One dies and the other lives, even after Marcos discovers his secret is no longer secret.

Again, it is a misnomer to call this Cannibal Man, and I hated to have to watch a dubbed version, but Vicente Parra and Charly Bravo did an excellent job, while Emma Cohen was a real delight in this neo noir Spanish thriller.


A butcher was just having a date with his girlfriend until he cause some problems with a Taxi driver then he kills him and his girlfriend, he is going over the brink of insanity. He now goes on a killing spree creating some serious crimes and stuffing some parts of the bodies into the meat factory where it can be processed into what we eat.

Despite the title "Cannibal Man", it's not really about the man being a cannibal but it's really a psychological horror drama and a character study about a man who's been driven to the edge of his insanity. There is some shocking graphic murders which made this movie banned in other countries, the film is a sick and twisted look at a psychopath's mind with good acting and is very dark.

Also recommended: "Maniac" ( 1980), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Series & 2003 remake", "Caligula", "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", "High Tension", "American Psycho", "Driller Killer", "The New York Ripper", "Wolf Creek", "Eaten Alive! ( 1980)", "Cannibal Ferox", and "Jungle Holocaust" ( a.k.a. Last Cannibal World).


I still haven't quite figured out what really to think of this filmBy no means it's a mind-blowing thriller or even a memorable eurohorror entry. The film moves by slow and carefuland the plot-development is too tame to keep your solid attention. Heck, even the sex-sequence is shot in a dreadfully tedious way. Yet, do not underestimate this production too much and  whatever you do  don't be misled by the title that has a traitorous splatter ring to it! Even though `Cannibal Man' does contain a couple of nasty butchering sequences, it merely is drama and an alarming social portrait. Marcos is a simple man, living on the edge of poverty. He works in a slaughterhouse and has a younger girlfriend. After a night out, Marcus gets into a fight with an unfriendly cabdriver. He accidentally kills him leaves the place of the crime. The girl wants Marcus to confess what he did to the police but Marcus doesn't want this and sees no other option than to kill her too, before she talks. Later, he kills his brother for not being supportive about it, then his sister-in-law for becoming suspicious etc etc etc You get the picture: Marcus descents further and further into madness!

I guess the controversial value is the most remarkable thing about `Cannibal Man'. Director Eloy de la Iglesia (not-so) subtly criticizes society's lack of communication, solidarity and the entire authority & justice system! Bearing in mind the film was made during the reign of the Spanish dictator Franco, this was a risky operation to say the least.


As a kid, I never understood WHY anyone would watch this very crappy show. It was pretty stupid and I always wanted Spridle and Jim-Jim to get in some sort of fatal accident (they were THAT annoying).

Now, almost 40 years later, I have a new attitude about the cartoon. While I still think it was complete crap, this is only in regard to the American version of the show. That's because I was reading a book about anime and found out that the shows we watched growing up were completely different from those originally shown in Japan. You see, the idiots in charge of syndicating the series thought it was too violent so they cut this out of the episodes. That's bad enough, but what else they did is beyond belief--they actually chopped the episodes apart and spliced them together to create shows that were NOTHING like the originals! For example, one episode might be made up of parts of episodes 3, 6, 18 and 27! As a result, I really don't know if the original show really was bad--it might have been brilliant. But who can tell considering all we have to watch is this Americanized mess!?


it would be a shame if one has yet to watch speed racer, be it dubbed or subbed (i prefer the dubbed version (which is rare) because it was funny...in a good way). what's great about speed racer is that you're never too old to watch it. go red and yellow!! i first saw this when i was around seven and enjoyed hearing the catchy opening. it disappeared for some time then i saw it again a couple of months ago (i'm 19). imagine the feeling of nostalgia surging in, singing "here he comes, here comes speed racer! he's a demon on wheels~~~" over and over again. anyway, the concept of the mach 5 spawned so many 'ultra-multi-function-special-cars' but none were able to surpass its genius in construction. the other cars just seemed too much. and it wasn't just the races or battling different bosses that made it interesting for me. it was racer-x's mystery persona and how the world of speed racer pretty much 'happened' to revolve around it. they did some tweaking to some story lines from the manga, but it all turned out pretty well. though i can't remember if the show actually revealed how racer-x looked like, in the manga, they did.


When it comes to being serious, this film is frivolous with it. Of all stupid comedies I have ever seen, this one takes the Lombardi Trophy. It a smattering of silliness, sageness, and suaveness and all of these elements are harmonious with one another. "Mallrats" is Kevin Smith's least serious film but one of the most hilarious. I recommend this movie to all fans of stupid comedy because it is not your average stupid comedy (like Dude, Where's My Car or Dumb and Dumber).

Here are my reasons (spoilers): (1) The soliloquy given by Jason Lee in the first two minutes of the film is one of the funniest yet sickest stories of all time. I couldn't contain my laughter if I died trying. I taken with the movie from then on. (2) Speaking of Jason Lee, this man is the inheritor of the title of "smart-a** comedian" from Chevy Chase. As I heard Lee rant, I was easily reminded of Chevy Chase but with a more caustic and angry visage. If Lee finds the right comedic roles from here on out, he could be remembered as a comedic legend. He also had the best performance in the film. (3) The silliness of "Mallrats" is done in exquisite fashion. The characters of Jay and Silent Bob provide the needed stupidity to Jason's Lee intelligent ranting and hilarity. I love the scenes where these boys try to turn the stage into rubble while trying to take out the head security guard. That is a recipe for multiple laughs. (4) The suaveness of "Mallrats" comes in with the tackling of some very adult issues in a really lighthearted fashion. The aspect of a fifteen-year old female doing every man in the neighborhood for research on a manuscript detailing their shortcomings is pretty heavy and almost sadistic stuff. The film pulls some interesting punches on the issues of sexual inadequacy, drug use, youth and authority, parenting, slacking and so on without falling into preachiness. If "Mallrats" had gone had tried to be serious while trying to also be slapstick, it was have fallen even further away from critics and the masses alike. (5) Kevin Smith has a knack for smart and realistic dialogue. He must be an expert eavesdropper because he had to do some sort of research to hone his wordsmithing ability. It doesn't matter if that thought is correct or not because the dialogue rules either way. I have heard people quote this movie word for word and to me, it means the writer did something right. (6) Ethan Suplee's battle with the Magic Eye poster is a jewel among all comedic sequences ever made. I really loved it when he just lashed out at those who could see the sailboat while he couldn't. Even pure, raw desperation can make for hilarious moments. (7) Ben Affleck did well as the smarmy, annoying shop manager who goes after Shannen Doherty. His pre-JLO work is among his best stuff. (8) Every town that has a 'good mall' must have a 'dirt mall' and that set of scenes really hit home for me. I worked for nine months in a 'dirt mall' and it was fun. It was one hundred times cleaner than the 'dirt mall' in the film but everybody else shopped at the big mall on the south end of the city I work and play in. It made me feel nostalgic. (9) I loved the denouement of the film. That set of sequences shows that a master hand is at work. (10) That master hand belongs to Kevin Smith and he is very talented at creating films. Even at his least serious, he can make something that will make you feel good and not stupid at the same time. The true stupid comedies always make you feel this way. Ten reasons give a score of ten.

Overall, "Mallrats" is a stupid comedy to be reckoned with. It is silly like "Happy Gilmore", sage like "Rushmore", and suave like "Raising Arizona". It is rare to find a comedy that balances all three of these traits perfectly and "Mallrats" succeeds immensely. It is all right to keep your brain on here and it is also all right to turn your brain off as well because this is entertainment as it's finest. Here ends my rant!


I loved this movie so much that i now own it and every other Kevin Smith flick. This movie does not have as much laughs as "Clerks" but certainly makes me laugh a great deal. Kevin Smith is a genius writer and director and it's just a shame that the Jay & Bob flicks are done. But anybody who wants to see a funny movie, i recommend Mallrats. This was the first Jay & Bob flick that i saw and it made a great impression on me. Brodie is the best and funniest character in the Jay & Bob series. I give this flick thumbs up. 7.5/10


Mallrats, the story of two friends who coincidentally both lose their girlfriends retreat to their local mall to work out their love lives and get back together with their girlfriends. This had the potential to be Kevin Smith's best work in my opinion, but many factors held him back. First of all the main goal of Universal was for this film was to be a hard R film with a teen audience in mind. They were calling it a "Smart Porkys", because it had that snappy humor, but it had tits in it to attract teenage males. Director/Writer Kevin Smith and Producer Scott Mosier wanted to make a studio film in hopes of making lots of money to fund more independent films. Neither goal was really met, this film tanked at the box-office. It grossed only 3 million in total; meaning this film lost money with a total cost of 6 million. This film had high hopes, all tests were good, but why was it such a dud? Well I blame it on several factors, First of all Jim Jacks; the executive producer ruined this film. Kevin Smith may not be the greatest director, but he is a great writer, the two set each other off making Kevin a solid filmmaker, but Jim Jacks was always holding him back by forcing Kevin to cut down on the vulgar dialog as well as graphic scenes. One scene was known as the "cum in the hair" joke that was later made famous in 'There's Something About Mary', but many people at universal including Jim Jacks were holding Kevin back from making the movie he wanted. If you know Kevin's work, you will notice this is his only film where the word "cock" is never used. It's just tossed around in "Clerks' and common in his 3 other films. It's that raw, real humor and language that many fans like about his writing. Jim Jacks stressed that "Potty Mouth" (yes those were his words) be cut down. Even though there is nudity, and they want that R rating, they still had to cut back on the f***s and other rude language, but that's not what really held this film back. Gramercy Pictures, who were in charge of promoting this film, really did a poor job on making this movie known. They used the tag line "Starring Shannon Doherty and Jason Lee, someone you hate, and someone you've never even heard of." That really doesn't help promote the film in anyway. Then they asked Kevin and Scott to think of a good poster, now Kevin and Scott didn't think of "hey what would make people want to check out our movie?" they wanted "what would look cool on my wall?" The comic book cover poster is cool, but doesn't say much for the film, and it was the only poster made for the film. Some idiots were thrown off by it. Oh well. Also, the casting for this film was just okay, I was happy with Jason Lee as Brodie, perfect job on that, but Jeremy London as T.S.? Jeremy London is not that good of an actor, and just doesn't seem right for the part. Then Claire Forlani as Brandy was okay, but I could hear that British accent coming out at times. And then Shannon Doherty as Rene, first of all she really didn't seem thrilled to be in this movie, she never hung around the set, she would take off when she was done working. Plus lots of people (the public) didn't like her at the time; she had a reputation as a wild one. I think Kevin should have gone with his instinct and used Joey Lauren Adams. I think she would have been perfect for that part. They just barely got Jason Mewes to play Jay. Universal didn't want jay to play jay, they wanted Seth Green or Breckin Meyer, but even they realized that Jay should be Jay, Jay is based on the way Jason Mewes really is. I do think that Affleck was good as an asshole, but he probably could have played T.S. better than London. Renee Humphrey as Trish was good, they almost cast Jennifer Love Hewitt instead, but she seems too cute and innocent to play that part. Kevin Smith claims he could have made this film (probably better) with less money. I mean look at how good 'Chasing Amy' is with a quarter million dollar budget. Smith said that six million was just too much. He hates losing money for people, if this movie was done with just a million dollars, it would have been just as good. I agree. Also, (now this is where I get a bit picky) the original opening of this film was cut, and for good reason, it sucked, it was not funny at all, nor was it even somewhat realistic. If you watch closely, some dialog in this film is dubbed over and doesn't match the actor's mouth. This is because almost all references to that cut opening had to be cut, but it was too late to reshoot and in some instances, not possible to cut out of a scene. This film was not a total disaster. I believe it did pay for itself and probably profit when you include video rental where it was more popular than in theaters. Now when you take all of this into consideration, you see how great this film could have been. Despite all of its flaws, Mallrats is still one of my favorite films, and definitely my favorite comedy. I suggest you check it out if you liked Kevin's other work or even if you haven't, this one is probably the one that is most unlike his others. I still give it a 10/10, but it could have been an 11.

P.S. Check out the commentary on the DVD if you know about Kevin Smith and View Askew well, it's very funny to an askewniverse fan.


Yes, Jason Mewes. He practically brings the whole movie together along with Kevin Smith. They kinda add the funniness to the movie. What can I say? They're Jay and Silent Bob, they have to be funny. This has to be one of my favorite movies definitely, considering the fact that I am a teenager and enjoy movies like this. I also like the fact that it takes place in a mall, considering I am a shopaholic and go to the mall every week.Good job Kevin.


"MALLRATS" is one of the greatest comedy's of all time! It's up there.. along with "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" and others.. I've seen all Kevin Smith's films and I believe the best two are "STRIKE BACK" and "MALLRATS".... I can't wait til the next Jay & Silent Bob flick... I hope it has Jason Lee in it! The guys terrific... This movie is hilarious.. Genius diologue! Kevin Smith is a genius. He's unique. Everybody should see Mallrats.. Only an idiot wouldn't like this movie.

****/**** 4 out of 4 stars, baby!


What can I say about this movie. It's got everything...drama, comedy, action, romance, and even a little grossness to it's plot. Where else can you see one man break up with his girlfriend, go to the mall, help destroy a friend's ex girlfriend's father's television game show, stinkpalm a couple people, find a couple hooligans to help you along the way and have time to have sex in an elevator? NOWHERE...that's why this movie has it all. Character development is a big big part of movies and this one has development of 2 memorable characters who we would see in a later film..."Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back". Kevin Smith excels as director (and actor as Silent Bob). This movie also launched the career of Jason Lee who played the comic loving, video game playing, mallrat of a crazy fool Brodie Bruce. Lee has gone on to star in such films in Stealing Harvard, A Guy Thing, Dogma, and Almost Famous. The movie makes you laugh uncontrollably in parts where you KNOW something funny is going to happen yet still laugh because it's outrageous. I highly reccomend this flick to all who are looking for a great comedy that's got it all.


This movie has the best dialouge of any movie I've ever seen. It's a simple portrayal of 2 guys, both having been dumped by their respective girlfreinds, who decide to spend a day at the local mall. While one (Jeremy London) is trying to win his girl back, the other (Jason Lee) is pretending like he is okay about his breakup. The storyline is good, but what makes this movie is the dialouge. Brodie is a smartass and feeds likes like "Most of the time I'm just talking through my ass. Or sticking my hand in it.", while T.S. is a romantic loser who says things like " You should see yourself right now - a grown man with his hand down his pants." And with a great cast (Stan Lee, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams) this makes the movie so much more awesome than it already is. It really is a treat to see this.


Disturbia tells the story of a teenage boy named Kale who is sentenced to three months house arrest after punching a teacher in the face for making a comment about his recently deceased father. When his mother takes away his TV and his computer, he resorts to spying on the houses surrounding him. Things begin to get frightening when he begins to suspect one of his neighbours is a serial killer. He gets his friends involved with his impromptu investigation, and soon the neighbour realizes he's being watched...And he's not too happy about it. Disturbia is loosely based off the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear Window, but it is still a film all in itself, and it is the best thriller I've seen in a while.

What makes this movie better than most horror movies that are released today is that is doesn't rely on excessive gore and gross out tactics to frighten you. It relies on mood and suspense, and that works so much better. As the film went on, the tension got so high that I was literally on the edge of my seat rubbing my hands together because I was so anxious to see what was going to happen next. I actually felt the adrenaline rush that the characters in the film must have been feeling when they were snooping around in the neighbour's garage. The movie has a realistic feel of how creepy it would be to have a serial killer living across the street from you and you had no way to prove it. Everything in this movie is done well. The writing, the directing, the way it all pans out. I was actually shocked when I left the theatre over how good this movie really was.

The acting was very good from everybody involved. Shia LaBeouf has come a long way from Even Stevens. Something tells me that he has a nice career ahead of him. David Morse is perfectly sinister as the neighbour. He's just one of those actors that you might not know who he is to hear his name, but he pops up here and there and you always say, "Cool, it's that guy." Overall, this was an amazing thriller, and I'm glad I went to see it because I really wasn't expecting that much. It leads me to wonder why Hollywood continues to pump out absolute garbage like the Saw trilogy, Hostel, and Dead Silence when they could be making movies like this instead.

8/10


Disturbia is one of the best PG13 thrillers that I've seen in a long time. After all the other rated PG13 thrillers that have come out in the past six years or so, DJ Caruso, who directed, proves that it has always been possible to make a good suspenseful thriller these days without all the gore.

Shia Labeouf plays Kale Brecht. After witnessing the death of his father in a car accident, he becomes sullen and withdrawn. This leads to him being put under house arrest after he punches out an unsympathetic teacher. Imprisoned in his own house, and unable to go beyond 100 yards, he finds himself turning into a peeping tom and spying on all the neighbors. One of them is the attractive new girl in town named Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and another may be a killer named Mr. Turner (David Morse). With the help of the new girl Ashley, his friend Ronnie (a great comedic turn by Aaron Yoo), Kale goes about investigating Mr. Turner to see if he is the killer or not. The three teenagers use cell phones and the internet as well as video cameras in the investigation, and DJ Caruso shows some of his sly wit by using these same devices in the film to not only investigate the spooky neighbor, but also to create some humor to go along with everything else.

The plot is a familiar one. That would be because the great Alfred Hitchcock used it first with his famous suspense thriller Rear Window. Yes Disturbia is a blatant rip-off of that movie, but it is done with skill, and the acting by all, including Carrie Anne Moss as Kale's mother, was very good. All the characters are likable, and David Morse's turn as the creepy Mr. Turner was well done as well.

Disturbia may not be a great movie, but it is definitely one of the best PG13 thrillers in years. It outshines such horror thrillers as Cursed and Pulse, as well as the recent horror thriller The Messengers. Disturbia also once again proves that you don't need a bunch of gore to make an effective horror thriller. Horror directors take note.


I saw the advanced screening of the movie last night in Hollywood. My friends and I went expecting something decent, but our expectations are never high with thriller/ suspense films. The movie started out strong; immediately you could get a sense of what it would be about, and how entertaining it would be. Throughout the movie, there were very little moments where you weren't in suspense. There were perfect moments in the film where you feel like, it could end right now, and you wouldn't feel cheated at all. The movie was well-written, no confusing plot, no unnecessary scenes, good comedic moments. It does a perfect job of making you slightly nervous and anxious at the same time. This isn't a horror flick, but I'd say it gave e more of a fright then a lot of horror movies. ( P.S. I'm not saying it's scary, I my point to be made was I was more nervous in his movie than in movies like 'Dead Silence' that were actually supposed to scare me ) I gave this a 9 out of 10 because it was entertaining; point blank. I'd recommend going to see this!!!


Disturbia star Shia LaBeouf appears to have a great future ahead of him. In the past few years, amidst forgettable roles in I, Robot, and Constantine, he contributed strong performances in films like A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and now in the thriller Disturbia. Although it is basically a remake of Hitchcock's Rear Window, Disturbia is unique in that it mixes elements of teen comedy, romance, drama, and gripping suspense in an entertaining way. Not to say the film is perfect, as it definitely isn't, but it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do and then some.

All of the acting is decent and believable, with standout performances by the aforementioned LaBeouf as Kale, and David Morse, as the suspected villain, Mr. Turner. Serving as great comic relief is Kale's friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) while the new girl next door, Ashley (Sarah Roemer), provides a romantic interest. Also notable is The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss as Kale's mother who is great as always, yet underused.

Kale gets put on house arrest after punching his Spanish teacher in class. It's his third run in with the law since his father died in a car accident a year earlier. Under house arrest, he begins to learn the secrets of everyone surrounding him through the use of binoculars and video cameras. His most important realization in his voyeurism is that his somewhat reclusive neighbor shares many suspicious similarities to a wanted serial killer whom the police have not yet identified.

It's generally difficult to create such suspense under the restrictions of a PG-13 rating (do not watch this at the theater between 7-9 PM to avoid the loud middle school crowd), but instead of just trying to shock, the film conveys paranoia and fright through the use of mood and mere suggestions of menace. The script could have used another rewrite to further develop the cast of characters, as the only one who is fleshed out at all is LaBeouf's.

LaBeouf, who turns twenty-one in June, is looking to join Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling as one of the few great actors under the age of thirty if he keeps turning in strong performances in interesting projects. His star is certainly rising with Transformers due this summer and the fourth Indiana Jones film in the summer of 2008.

We have to realize that even though there is so much that makes Disturbia unique, at heart it is a very commercial effort. The twists are quite obvious, many characters are underdeveloped, and there's product placement everywhere (which is realistic nonetheless). However, at a brisk 104 minutes, it would be a lie to say the movie wasn't extremely satisfying, and an undeniably entertaining film.


This movie was extremely well paced -- there was very good character development without excessive dialog. The story is exciting and thrilling: a modernized Rear Window. The acting was very solid, and every actor, major or minor, sold their part. Shia LeBeouf was a likable protagonist, Carrie-Anne Moss did a great job in her role as the mother, and David Morse played an exceedingly ominous and creepy neighbor. The climax is very suspenseful, although it did contain a few minor lapses in rational behavior by both the heroes and the villain, but I suppose that could be written off as desperation. Overall, it was refreshing to see a well-paced thriller with great suspense, humor, and character development.


Apparently... in Disturbialand, all adults are idiots. As a teenager, you can point out direct evidence of a murder and the adults will simply laugh at you. Your mother will insist on going over to the murderer's house and apologizing for you. The murderer will suddenly and stupidly (after years of calculated planning of all his murders) start attacking all of his neighbors.

What could have been a decent homage to Hitch, is instead, a direct descendant of John Hughes. There's the misunderstood (but extremely perfect) lead, who lives in a perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, and who has a crush on the perfect member of the opposite sex. Amazingly, he has the perfectly funny Asian sidekick and he's a perfect outsider at the perfect teen party (he's so perfect that he can't attend!), and he has the perfectly, ever absent parents (a dead father and mysteriously disinterested mother).

They should have made Molly Ringwald the killer. That would have made perfect sense.


Are you serious? I wonder why this stupid movie has made even a penny. This movie would have been a thousand times better without the stupid teenage lust fest. It was not my turn to pick the movie, and I had no curiosity to see "Rear Window Jr." and boy I wish I listened to the inner voice!

There seems to be an alarming trend that I call "through the eyes of a teenage boy vision" You think from the way the director ordered so many shots of the teenage girl, that he had some crush on her! How about making a suspenseful movie that appeals to everyone, and not just males who have just exited puberty? Great job alienating your "broad" audience.

WAAAAAY too many shots of the "hot" girl next door doing Yoga, slow-mo swimming, sun bathing, and your teenage angsty stuff. I like Shia, he was great in "Holes", I even liked his cameo in "I, Robot." Poor David Morse, he's a tremendous actor, but given NOTHING to do here. What a waste of Carrie Ann Moss! There are a couple of "shock" moments, but they appear and leave in the first 5 minutes of the film, after that, the teenage love puppy story sprinkled with tepid moments of "tension". This is a predictable, silly, unrealistic and awful movie. To quote another IMDb user.."why would someone who was so calculated and precise just start sloppily and obviously killing neighbor's?" Couldn't wait to leave, Giving a generous 2 stars for my respect of Mr. Morse and Ms. Moss, Shia, shame on you for being in a mess like this, you're much better.


Disturbia may seem like a send up of Rear Window, Fright Night, and a few others(that I forget at the moment) but if you can ignore that for once and see it with an open mind you'll enjoy it(can't guarantee that because we all have different tastes). But all in all Disturbia succeeds, the acting is alright, and good at some moments. The story isn't like-lets all do it and get killed instantly by Mr. killer! It actually thinks before it leaps. It's not all about the gore or blood factor, it actually has some soul into it, though not a lot. It has a few funny scenes and couple of thrilling moments.

Disturbia is a good send up of classic thrillers and some B movies. Props to D.J.(The director), the cast, and Mr. Spielberg for giving us something that isn't entirely predictable like most of the teen horror/thrillers are today.

So again, see it with an open mind, forget everything else. But if you hate it, you hate it.


The first time I saw this preview, the first thought that came into my head was "Oh, my God, how could they rip off Rear Window?", Rear Window is one of my all time favorite movies. But my boyfriend and I had nothing better to do last week and decided to see it, I have to say that actually, it wasn't as bad as I expected, I have to admit that it was a pretty good re-introduction to one of the greatest thrillers of all time. It had a new and fresh feeling with teens and it worked, despite how it seemed a bit more predictable than Rear Window, it still was pretty clever.

Kale has had a rough year, while driving his father back from their father/son fishing trip, they get into a horrible fatal car accident, the Father dies, but Kale is alive trying to deal with the guilt of what happened. But a teacher pushes him too far in his high school Spanish class and he hits the teacher, putting him on house arrest, he cannot leave outside his property. But he's in luck when a hot young girl moves next door, they quickly develop a peeping tom type of relationship, they spy on the neighbors, but when they see the neighbor across the street on a date, but the date "never leaves the house" and they want to prove him as a cold hearted murderer, but is he? You'll have to see this movie to find out.

So Distubia was a pretty good movie, I would recommend it, although before you see it, I would highly recommend seeing Rear Window, but this was a good updated version that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and will make you ask questions over and over again, those are always the thrillers that are worth seeing.

7/10


I hated this movie! I don't care what kind of star power you have ( if you can even call the kid from "Even Stevens" a star), how much money you have, or how well your movie is made, if the script is bad you have nothing. Disturbia is a stylish, highly-polished thriller. Everything looks good, it is well-directed, well-acted, and has an authentic, modern-suburban feel to it. However, once you get past the impressive first five minutes, the film falls completely flat! Without giving anything away, the movie has absolutely no surprises. In fact, Disturbia is so formulaic that anyone over the age of 10 should be able to predict exactly how the movie ends, including what happens to every single character. The dialogue is cheesy and ridiculous, every character besides the main kid (Kale) is completely one dimensional. By the time anything that is supposed to pass for scary happened I was so bored I didn't care who lived or died. This movie had absolutely no emotional resonance. I watched it alone, late at night, in the dark and was not scared once! I have worked in video retail for almost six years. Maybe I've just seen so many great movies that this one just seems especially bad. It is a mediocre film at best. There are good performances, but the actors really had nothing to work with. David Morse's suspected killer is a complete waste of his talent. I am happy I have a job where I can directly influence what people are renting (at least in one neighborhood of Seattle). I am going to make it my personal mission to keep Disturbia out of as many hands and homes as I possibly can!!!


After the death of his father, Kale (LaBeouf) becomes angry and withdrawn. When he's failed in Spanish, he attacks his teacher, and is placed under house arrest for 3 months. Stripped of his mod cons (iTunes and xBox Live go out the window), he turns his attentions outside, and learns some disturbing truths about his suburban neighbourhood in a sinister take on the voyeuristic aspects of modern life.

After making some loose connections between an ongoing missing persons case and one of his neighbours, Kale enlists his friends to help him find out what's going on. However, Kale is powerless to really influence events; if he leaves his garden, the police show up. It's a tool that works to great effect in terms of creating tension, placing him in the same position as the audience. He can only watch events as they play out outside his window and hope they turn out for the best, as we can only watch events on our screens and (presumably) hope for the same thing.

There are obvious connections to Rear Window, the movie even being dubbed Rear Window for the MTV generation (although aren't we a bit past that now?), but while the original was a masterwork of suspense and doubt, Disturbia disposes of the subtlety and goes straight in for the kill with a surprisingly greasy David Morse and clichés aplenty (blood spatter, dark and stormy nights...).

Of course, it requires some suspension of disbelief (where does an unemployed teen get the money for video home security systems?) but it is nonetheless an enjoyable, well-paced thriller. Good stuff.


I watched this flick because of the acclaimed critics. Well, it was a big mistake, because this film lacks everything that makes a film "viewable". Not good, but just viewable.

There is a good basic idea that could be the base of a great movie, but both the screenwriters and the director failed to attain it. The result is a very boring movie without any surprises. It's just another teen movie, packed with high-tech, trendy stuff ads (such as the XBox360 or the PSP - everything that a modern teenager needs), but beneath the glossy surface there is nothing.

What is wrong with the movie? Well, a lot of things. First of all, it is boring, the prelude is too long when literally nothing happens. The acting is bad. There is no suspense or surprise in the movie, everything is what it seems to be.

I definitely do not recommend this movie for anyone who is older than 14 years old.


What a waste of time. And the one star i gave was for the trailer. It was a very good trailer, full of suspense. And i thought that was worth seeing. And then...i realized this was a teen movie disguised as thriller. I don't know what David Morse is doing in such a movie. He really is scary. But that doesn't make his character believable. Why, if he has secret place where he kills and keeps his victims, would he keep one in the vents and kill without close his curtains? For example, there's more stupid stuff... And the girl, the new neighbor, what a hell does she see in such a loser like Kale? I really thought, as they showed the father being killed, that they were connecting Mr Turner to it, but no. So, the accident/murder was there only to fill time.


I understand that the new movie Disturbia is about a person who is unable to leave his room and must look out the window for entertainment. During his peeping sessions, he finds that his neighbor might be a killer and by doing so, tries to get everyone around him to help find out the truth. That premise, and that premise alone, is the ONLY thing that likens this movie to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece of tension and technical genius, Rear Window. Director D.J. Caruso has taken this script, no credit listed to the writers of that classic, and created a contemporary world around which he can create a cat and mouse chase from the small radius that our protagonist is allowed to travel within having a house arrest anklet affixed to his leg. If the critics are to be believed that this is a ripoff/remake, then every romantic comedy coming down the pipeline is one as well. Boy meets girl, boy must win girl, conflict causes relationship to stay strained, boy ultimately wins girl. Actually since every rom-com follows that exact plot sketch, they are more derivative than Disturbia to Rear Window because Caruso takes a premise, updates it, and makes it his own.

Worried that this might end up as another lame duck attempt from the director, I didn't have too lofty of expectations. I am a fan of Shia LaBeouf, ever since his "Even Stevens" days, and knew he could give it credibility. Fortunately, after the highly disappointing Taking Lives and the ho-hum Two for the Money, it seems Caruso has come back to the form he had with his brilliant debut Salton Sea. Maybe it was the recent work on "The Shield," but we have some nice grit, close-up composition, and stylish camera-work. The realism from Sea is back and Disturbia brings it all to make one of the most entertaining films I've seen this year. We have fantastic humorLaBeouf's delivery and everyman rapport lends to this wellas well as effective scares and edge of your seat suspense. This is a PG-13 movie that knows what it is and rather than titillate with coming as close to the line as possible, stays in check and deals out a healthy dose of mood and emotion rather than blood and sex. I'd even go as far as saying Sarah Roemer's girl-next-door is the most sensual role this year. It is all about her confidence and eyes, her body language makes it work, and you fall for her just as LaBeouf does, whereas the usual R-rated nudity and over the top craziness has been going so far as to numb audiences by doing what every film now does. Credit Caruso for showing restraint for everything and leading us along by uncovering pieces of the story only when we need to know them.

Besides LaBeouf, Roemer, and a funny turn from Aaron Yoo, the main driving force here is David Morse. This gem of a character actor is at the top of his game as the villainous, did he or didn't he, neighborhood serial killer. He is good as the conflicted heavy who does wrong only when the world around him has forced him to, (like in Dancer in the Dark and Down in the Valley), but he is perfect as the all out creepy, sly-smiling force being accused of kidnapping and killing numerous women. Morse was allowed to run free and he took the opportunity and went even further with it. Where many suspense films like this would become laughable eventually, the realism brought out through LaBeouf and Morse keep the audience enthralled and interested in how everything will play out. I was never bored and at times actually wondering what would happen next because I was so caught up. When the climax comes, I actually was surprised thinking it was crazy that they would get us there so early, but I was just so into it that I didn't realize how much time had past.

Disturbia is a genre film and won't be winning any awards any time soon. What it may lack in total originality it more than makes up for in mood and effective thrills. It had everything you could want from a movie without making you have to think too much. Sit down, go for the ride and walk out of the theatre with the knowledge that your time was well spent. D.J. Caruso, thank you for redeeming yourself.


When I first saw this movie I regretted spending my money on the ticket. The plot was so predictable, with villains next door getting away with just about every accusation a young boy could throw at him. Shallow characters taken straight from other movies. No new features I have seen in any character of this movie. It was a simple mix of many different other poor productions. And some time later it struck me!!! I have seen this story before! And where else could I see this not other than... The Simpsons. Season 6, Episode 1: Bart of Darkness. Look it up here on IMDb.COM. This episode of The Simpsons features Bart getting his leg broken leg in a cast, getting a telescope from his sister, starting watching people from Springfield using the gift. Sees no other than Ned Flanders - the next door neighbor doing suspicious things... murder is in the air... This episode was inspired by Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock (1954) later remade by Pei Chan in Hou chuang (1955) and yet another time on TV under the very same title Rear Window (1998) (TV) starring Christopher Reeve. Are there no new ideas in the writers heads? Has everything been already written? Why can't I see Alfred Hitchcocks' name when I type Disturbia in IMDb?? When I first saw Disturbia I regretted spending money on the ticket. Now that I discovered it was a cheap ripoff I think it was just another moneymaker by people who do not care about the art of film making and, what is even worse, they don't care about the viewer... they only think about their pocket.


I don't mind that this takes heavy inspiration from Hitchcock's "Rear Window." I mind that it's nowhere near as good. This movie has severe story problems and a big tech problem, too, at least in the theater where I saw it.

First, as the trailer clearly shows, the lead is a teenager on house arrest. What it doesn't tell you is that he's being punished for his reaction to being sadistically ostracized by a teach in a foreign language class. He punches the teacher once in the face. I personally would have killed the teacher for what he said.

But I walked out because a boom microphone drops down into view about 20 times in the first 35-40 minutes of this film.

In Flagstaff, AZ, we have only one theater, but that doesn't mean we're stupid. Maybe this copy of the film was sent to us by accident. What a disappointment.


I had seen the trailer of the movie and found it appealing. Later I found that it is somewhat similar to Rear Window  the Hitchcock movie and is on the same lines; that made me go and see this movie.

It is the story of a young boy Kale (Shia LaBeouf) who is sentenced to 3 months of house arrest and finds ways to peep through his windows in neighbors' lives  one, the recently moved neighbor girl Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and another middle aged guy Mr.Turner (David Morse) who our young boy and his friend Ronnie (Aaron Yo) suspects as a killer. Is Mr.Turner a killer? Or this is just paranoia of our young gang? The Director D.J.Caruso  who has specialized in crime thrillers in past 4-5 movies, does a very decent job in keeping the audience engrossed in the narrative and unfolds the story slowly and nicely. The movie presents many aspects of drama, and takes us through a ride of varied sub-plots with good interest. There are a couple of minor annoying scenes  like the love aspect (quite unnecessary I thought, but may be required for today's young audiences) and the usual cliché of thriller movies. But overall the movie is entertaining.

Shia LaBeouf is not a great actor, but does a decent job, so does the Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yo and David Morse.

The camera work is excellent because it shows only that much which would make you eager to peep beyond the camera frame to see what is there  and that keeps you engaged. The music is okay.

Yes, the movie is not close to the classic Rear Window, but I should say that I liked the movie.

(Stars 6.75 out of 10)


This movie is OK if you want to spend a couple of hours trying to outguess the writer or the director.

As a thriller, well, it's sort of silly.

What is incredibly absurd is that someone would actually go into the house of a man thought to be a serial killer. You really have to be extremely stupid or just a terrible character in a poorly written plot.

------------------- Spoiler ahead? -------------- The other absurdity in this flick is that you have a fellow who is killing women right and left and yet...he allows the curtains in his house to be wide open so anyone from outside can look in! Doesn't make sense at all and for me, at least, it killed the film.


Stupid love story destroyed this movie. This movie could have been a hundred times darker without the stupid teeny bopper lust fest. Give my money back and I'll stop complaining. And for god's sake where have all the good actors gone??? I mean this movie was done after the father/son crash. That was by far the most exciting part and I could have left the theater happy. Ankle bracelet for a teenager eh? Not exactly common practice but OK. I just hope they don't try to follow up this movie with some other stupid movie about that kid being more psychologically jacked up. Oh I know they are trying to come up with something just because so many of us wasted money on this pathetic piece of crap they call film.


Disturbia is not a bad movie at all, its just a little too teen-age-ish. And if you ask me it was not very original. The biggest rip off hear was of course "REAR WINDOW" it also took some plot points from "WHEN A STRANGER CALLS"-which if you ask me is a lot better than this film- and also "SAW". But other than that it was very enjoyable and fun. There was plenty of suspense and frightening moments. Humor was also added into the mix which is very nice except the comic relief, Shia's best friend Ronny is a bit annoying at times.

The acting was good and the song choices were nice too- loved "LONLY DAY" by System of a down. So folks if you want a good movie with not a lot of adult actors but a whole lot of suspense go out and rent "DISTURBIA".


Far more compelling than is to be reasonably expected of such teen-friendly PG13 thrillers. Of course, it lacks the wit and finesse of the original 'Rear Window', but in all honesty, 'Disturbia' really isn't trying to be a remake; it just steals the basic premise. The leads are all excellent  David Morse does his quietly chilling thing and LaBeouf really surprises with a far more complex performance than we've come to expect from such genre fodder. Sarah Roehmer is clearly the weakest link, struggling to bring any level of depth or realism to her character.

The screenplay by Christopher Landon is packed with inexplicable and gaping plot holes  why is Kale's mother, a realtor, never at home at night? Where did all the party goers vanish to? Why did the police never check the VIN number on the neighbor's car? But such holes rarely get in the way of Caruso's expert handling of the mounting tension. As is the way with promising horror/thrillers of late, however, (remember 'Vacancy'?), a solid and suspenseful film morphs into a lazy and generic slasher movie in the final act.

For those with an interest in such things, special note should be made of Tom Southwell, who spent the better part of twenty years as an illustrator on such movies as 'Blade Runner', 'Goonies', and 'Mission: Impossible', and here creates a beautifully detailed Craftsman home that acts as the primary location of the much of the action.


SPOILERS CONTAINED THEREIN:

I usually avoid teen themed movies like the plague, but seeing how I heard this movie compared to The 'Burbs with Tom Hanks (only not a comedy) I had to at least check it out. It started off great, building the audiences care for Kale and his father, and then abruptly killing his father. Kale becomes a recluse, and attacks his teacher when the man mentions his father, which I believe was a completely justified action given Kale's strong connection with his father and presence when he was dead... The end of the death scene proved forever and all time Shia's acting skill, because when he sees his dad's dead body his expression conveys the fact that he's dead with no need to show the body at all, that takes skill...

Short hand, Kale spies on people, one particularly hot chick is his focus for a while, but later he turns into a sleuth trying to catch a killer Kale is a nonconformist, that fact likely added to my liking the film...

But the biggest factor was the lack of ANY LAME PLOT TWISTS... This movie stuck to some standard conventions that work, sure the movie has plenty wrong with it, but for once I didn't have to worry about whodunnit or if Kale was actually crazy... straight-forward, and that actually added to the suspense...

So one hot chick and a murder mystery later I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the film, it was very effective...


it was a film that was absolutely perfect with not a mistake in sight!Oh so scary and frightening and hilarious rolled into one!But that goes for the experience at the movies1On DVD it lost that sense of scariness as the film is not knowing who is doing what and not knowing really what is going on.in the movies,you sit in darkness for 2 hours with up to 200 strangers.this added a sense of scariness to the film.that sense was lost on DVD.it still has the odd scare on DVDand is still hilarious but through out the film i felt a sense of loss.but i would still watch it over and over for entertainment value purely but to do with scare i don't think so.it might be different for people who ONLY saw it on DVD but for those in the UK and Ireland where it is still on release,see it in the cinema first.still highly recommended outside of movies though


I just watched this movie seconds ago, I waited for the DVD release so that I'd be able to re-watch it as often as i want.

Disturbia is a "thrill-of-your-life" story about a teenage boy named Kale who lost his dad in a car accident. After a year, he was sentenced to three months house arrest after punching a teacher in the face for making a comment about his recently deceased father. He began spying on his neighbors after days of boredom. All hell broke lose when he began to suspect that his neighbor is a serial killer. He gets his Asian friend and a gorgeous hot babe involved with his investigation, and soon the dirty old man, a.k.a. the suspect, realizes he's being watched... Then.. I don't feel like telling everything here... so watch the movie! This movie is very intriguing, I mean, what if we DO have a killer as a neighbor... Wouldn't that freak you out? This movie is not too scary or hair raising type of thriller but it is a MUST-SEE-MOVIE... I recommend it!!! So enough with the reading... and get a copy of this or whatever... flip it, put it in you player.. boom baby... just let it move you... and in the end... you'll just tell yourself... "What a great movie"


This film has received some very mixed reviews but I've just got back from seeing it and enjoyed it.

It has a gripping opening, is full of tension and suspense, has well developed characters that you actually care for and features some action-packed, nail-biting scenes towards the end. I guess the only thing I can fault with this film is how predictable it is as I knew exactly how it would pan out just from watching the trailer and that is exactly what happened. I don't think it's a bad thing at all though as in an age where horror films are full of twists and turns, it's actually refreshing to see a straight-forward yet effective film that delivers.

Some say that it rips off 'Rear Window' but I personally consider it to be a modernisation of Hitchcock's classic. It should not be forgotten that Hitchcock's film was made in 1954 so modern audiences (unless they're avid Hitchcock fans) will be unaware of it. So is it not a good thing that 'Disturbia' has been made as whenever the film is mentioned, 'Rear Window' also gets mentioned so it sheds light on a great film that modern audiences may not have looked up otherwise..?

Overall, 'Disturbia' is a simple yet effective little thriller.


Having seen no trailers or anything apart from the usual blurb on cinema leaflets I was fully expecting a humorous film when we went to see Disturbia. But what I got was a classic piece of film making that had had suspense, a few twists, a bit of romance, and a dollop of humour.

Kale sees his father die in an horrific way and one in which he himself nearly dies too, but the scars won't heal and he goes off the rails, and when he attacks a school teacher he is placed on house arrest.

Soon with the help of his best friend and new neighbour/love interest they start to investigate one of the neighbours. What unfolds is a string storyline to keep you intrigued to the end.

A great film


This movie not only started off with some intense stuff, but continued on with what I can only describe as pure Hitchcock material. The acting was awesome and the plot was way strong. You see a kid whose gone through a lot of emotional drama that shows hes real held back from his mom and then totally trying to make the best of what can only be described as a hellish situation ( house arrest ) He scouts his neighborhood and finds a psycho path next door, pure gold. I gave it 9 stars because they're some parts where the suspense could have been more so scary. To finish it off, you should def. see this movie for yourself, and if you give it less then 8 stars...well your a idiot!


great film, very tense and at times you don't want to look! very good characters and very well acted. It is really entertaining and is fairly surprising in its intensity towards the end. The way it unashamedly runs the action alongside an old fashioned love story is refreshing, and reminiscent of classic suburban thrillers of the 80s and 90s. The script is also very good and it is not just the fear of the antagonist that creates tension, as the social tension and atmosphere between the two main characters also at times has you cringing. I would recommend going to see this film. It wont change your life but Its great fun, a good ride and will be an hour and a half well spent.


Firstly, Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite movies, however it is important not to compare this to that classic. Remakes are often less impressive than the originals because you know what's coming and because older films relied much more on acting as opposed to present day films which tend to rely on special effects, violence and sex.

That aside, this film was overall a fairly enjoyable film to watch. My one major complaint for this one is that it wrapped up too quickly. By the time we have this guy getting accused of killing people, he's shoving the mother's head into the door and coming to the main character's house and slamming people's heads in with a bat.

I think the film could really have been improved by letting the suspicions and tensions run a little longer. It seemed like we found out that he really was the killer too soon.

Otherwise, I thought this was a fun film to watch mixed with some funny moments. It's worth watching.


Obvious but suspenseful thriller about a teenager (Shia LeBeouf) who is under house arrest after committing a crime and must wear a special ankle bracelet. His boredom eventually leads him to watch his neighbors and make observations about them. Other than a cute girl (Sarah Roemer) who just moved in next door, the teen notices a man (David Morse) who acts rather suspiciously, and might be a serial killer.

But could he be a serial killer, or is the teen's imagination running away with him? Not a typical teenage thriller one might expect, with great performances, realistically suspenseful situations, and a fast pace. Lots of fun, too.

Carl Ellsworth (who penned the script for 2005's "Red Eye") contributed on the screenplay for this film.