Now available on DVD
Cast:
Henry Thomas as Aaron
Kelli Garner as Linda
Directed by: Bruce Dickson
Review:
For horror fans there is almost nothing as satisfying and purely enjoyable as being surprised by a movie you knew nothing about. Such is the case with Red Velvet, which a few weeks ago this writer had never heard of. Jarringly funny and undeniably odd, it is a great little gem that should please any fan of the genre.
The first few minutes play out in familiar, inauspicious fashion. A shy, nerdy guy named Aaron (Henry Thomas) follows the beautiful Linda (Kelli Garner) from their apartment building to a nearby laundromat. You just wait for them to meet cute and, despite the odds and their differences, fall head over heels for each other. But then, something wonderfully unexpected happens. While Aaron does indeed desire Linda, he has an unusual way of showing it. He reveals personal information about her and her loser boyfriend, insulting each of them in the process. Linda is stunned, and rightfully so. Soon they are going at it, with hilarious results.
The more Aaron denigrates her, the more intrigued Linda becomes. Who in the hell is this guy and what is his deal? Just when it seems like sheâs had enough, Aaron says something outrageous and she can’t help herself but reply. Their banter catches the viewer off guard and causes one to sit up and pay attention.
Aaron informs Linda that he is a storyteller. He doesn’t reveal much more than that. She wants to hear a story. The one he tells ends up being tame and disappointing. Not ready to give up, he promises her something more edgy and disturbing. Using details about a birthday party at an isolated cabin she never made it to, Aaron weaves a slasher story featuring a masked killer in a painterâs jumpsuit offing all of Linda’s friends.
Played more for laughs than scares, Aaron’s tale is absurd and gore-filled. The killer uses various instruments to slaughter the hapless victims, including a saw that graphically splits one unlucky party-goer in two.
While the pseudo-slasher parts of Red Velvet aren’t quite as entertaining as the initial back and forth between Aaron and Linda, it is amusing enough to hold oneâs interest. Director Bruce Dickson does an effective job cutting back and forth between the two stories, never allowing either one to overstay its welcome. The further Aaron gets into his story, the more curious we become about where his time with Linda is heading. Does she actually like this guy? Thomas and Garner create slightly offbeat, very appealing characters and give really superb performances.
The movie does lose a little steam near the end, and the conclusion is fairly telegraphed and a little bit of a letdown after the abundant ingenuity showed prior to that point. It would have been nice if the wrap up was as surprising and fun as everything that preceded it. Itâs a minor quibble though. Red Velvet is a blast; it is a deliciously warped and often hysterically funny horror-comedy that hopefully finds a much-deserved audience on DVD and cable.
