The Victim (2011 film)
| The Victim | |
|---|---|
Film poster, North America | |
| Directed by | Michael Biehn |
| Written by | Michael Biehn Reed Lackey |
| Produced by | Jennifer Blanc Lucien Flynn Lorna Paul Travis Romero |
| Starring | Michael Biehn Jennifer Blanc Ryan Honey Denny Kirkwood Danielle Harris |
| Cinematography | Eric Curtis |
| Edited by | Vance Crofoot |
| Music by | Jeehun Hwang |
Production company | Anchor Bay |
| Distributed by | BlancBiehn Productions |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000 |
The Victim is a 2011 American horror film directed, written and starring Michael Biehn,[1] produced by and co-starring Jennifer Blanc. Thought to be a financial success due to Biehn's effort selling out theaters across the nation, neither he or producer Jennifer Blanc know final sales figures, due to open litigation with the film's investors.[2]
The film was produced and shot in less than two weeks[1] in Los Angeles in 2010. Most of the principal photography took place in the Topanga Canyon, close to Malibu, California.
Plot summary
Annie's (Jennifer Blanc) life is in jeopardy after she's witnessed the horrific rape and murder of her closest friend. Fleeing from two attackers (Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood) she stumbles across Kyle (Michael Biehn), a recluse living in the middle of the woods. Kyle finds the stillness of the woods comforting. The ruggedly handsome loner stays far from civilization - that is - until a single knock on his door throws his solitary life into chaos.
Cast
- Michael Biehn as Kyle Limato
- Jennifer Blanc as Annie
- Ryan Honey as Harrison
- Danielle Harris as Mary
- Denny Kirkwood as Coogan
Reception
Alan Cerny of Ain't It Cool News characterized The Victim as "a fun sleazy grindhouse film", in which Biehn was lauded for both giving a good performance and getting good performances out of his actors. Though Cerny stated that Biehn's directing effort exhibited imperfections such as a driving montage scene that he felt was too long, he appreciated that Biehn understood the genre in which he was working, commenting, "Biehn has a clear path to what he's shooting for, and for much of the film's running time, he gets it", and "It's a specific genre with a specific style, and working from that, Biehn gets way more right than he does wrong."[3]
The New York Times wrote, "Directing his own screenplay, Mr. Biehn (working from a story by Reed Lackey) pays more attention to genitals than spatial coherence, unaware that labeling a film grind house doesn’t excuse soap-opera emoting and laughable dialogue. Wait, what am I saying? Of course it does."[1] The film has a 35% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews.
References
- ^ a b c Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 23, 2012). "Wayward Women, Menacing Men and a Cabin in the Woods 'The Victim,' Grind House Film Directed by Michael Biehn". The New York Times.
- ^ Borys, Kit (January 6, 2012). "Anchor Bay Picks Up Michael Biehn's Directorial Debut". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Cerny, Alan (September 18, 2011). "Nordling Says Michael Biehn's THE VICTIM Is A Fun Sleazy Grindhouse Film!". Ain't It Cool News.