“Hole in the Wall”
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Eli, a local boy, has been spying on a brutish man through a hole in his barn wall. When Eli gets caught, the brute initiates him through a series of short stories and demonstrates for him the secret hell that awaits, if you know where to look.
This collection of indie exploitation-horror shorts, with an introduction warning the viewer of the atrocities about to be witnessed, are designed to push the audience to their limit – and maybe just a little past.
Right away I was drawn in by the talent of the two primary characters of the “wrap around” story, “The Plainfield Chopper”. Fierce looking and intense, Greg Johnson as The Chopper; and unabashedly eager, nearly gleeful, Draven Wagner as Eli. Each story manages to captivate the audience in a aura of shock, disgust, and, in places, dark, irreverent, humor. From the psychotic, vulgar, serial killer hunting the streets of Madison, to the beautiful nightmare of illicit drug use, the resurrection of one of Wisconsin’s most notorious evil-doers through a dentist’s chair, to a warped and twisted love story, this film is, in a word, depraved and left me asking if I really saw what I think I just saw.
As much as I appreciate the style, I feel that the segues between the wrap around story and some the shorts were a little too abrupt. I admit, that may have been because of the intensity of the short stories involved, and over-stimulation may be the intention of the film makers.
Overall the music was very effective, however in one of the shorts, I think it was “Last Dance,” the pitch hit a level that just set my teeth on edge. This may have intentional to further set a dissonant ambiance, which I can understand and accept. It’s just a technique of which I am not particularly a fan.
This is not a film for everyone, nor is it intended to be. I found it to be successful, as the intention was to shock. If you are a fan of the exploitation genre, this is worth the effort to find when it becomes available or if it is screening at a festival near you.
