CHAINSAW SALLY (2004)
4 out of 4 STARS
Chainsaw Sally (April Burril) showed the making of a cult icon early in the film's pre-production. She was the lead character in a film named after her who seemed she could stand on her against the likes of Leatherface, Freddy or Michael and everything on Sally's website was amazing. She didn't look like anything or anyone else to come before her. It wasn't long that movie-going people were anxiously waiting for Sally to start her saw in the anticipated film, CHAINSAW SALLY. And when she finally did, people took notice. There is already a large fan base and several online groups dedicated to Sally and the film. Not many low budget independent filmmakers can say that about their creations.
The film tells the story of Sally and her younger brother Ruby who, after witnessing the terrible death of their parents, take to murder and carnage themselves. While the story does seem slim and un-original, the screenplay really makes up for all of that. This isn't your average low budget horror film in regards to filmmaking and script. JimmyO really knew what he wanted and he went for it. This was a labor of love and not just a sort of gimmick to make a quick dollar (but I'm sure it would be nice). And trust me; all of us horror fans are very thankful. Chainsaw Sally is what most horror films have tried to be and failed miserably - a homage to the classic films that have made the horror genre so popular and yet, at the same time, being original, fresh and entertaining.
April Burril (Sally) and Alec Joseph (Ruby) turned in great performances as the two leads. April's moments of going from shy and innocent to outlandish and macabre really stand out. I can't think of any other actress who could have been Chainsaw Sally so perfectly. This was a brave role to take on for any actress and April handled it with mucho enthusiasm and talent. The same can be said for Alec Joseph as Ruby. His character could have easily went way over the top and been very annoying but Alec kept his cool with the part and turned in a great performance. The rest of the actors in the film were good as well but these two really stand out for me.
Overall, JimmyO and the rest of the PlanetX team have given us horror fans a great film. Keep up the good work.
Everyone can go to http://www.chainsawsally.org for the official movie site and Sally's official site.
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