Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

redeemingtheuneven Having been reasonably impressed with other Raw Feed films, I was keen to check out 'Otis.' It has a promising, quite original storyline that should make for good entertainment in any horror fan's eyes. But I was rather disappointed.The acting was good for the most part. Ashley Johnson and Bostin Christopher both nailed their leading roles, and Jere Burns as the left-of-field agent was an awesome injection. Illeana Douglas, on the other hand, er. She stood out amongst the pack as a let down, and even though this is a genre that doesn't get by on its acting merits, I had a problem with her performance.In terms of soundtrack, I thought the licensed music used throughout was great (ie (Don't Fear) the Reaper), and so too were the few softer, touching pieces. Everything else felt out of place or too dramatic, and in a couple instances, music ruined entire scenes for me (much like Douglas' acting).I can't rate this movie much above average, and that's coming from somebody who isn't a Horror cynic. Masses complain about modern-day horror flicks being unoriginal or just plain stupid and I never see the value in that. I know there are some bad ones out there, but they do get unfairly bashed on for the most part. So yeah, I'm not anti-slasher or anti-psycho material. 'Otis' just wasn't done right in places, whether that blame be laid down on the script or whatnot. It has its share of bright glimpses, don't get me wrong, but it also has its share of dull, cringe-worthy "you idiot" moments, where I just have to put my fist down.

bob_meg Otis is possibly the most ineptly made "professional" film I've seen in at least a decade. Its incompetence is infuriating.It has absolutely no idea what it wants to achieve or what it wants to elicit. If it's a comedy, it's not funny. If it's a horror movie, it's not horrifying. if it's a commentary on vigilante-ism and the pop culture appeal of serial killing and kidnappers, it's not pithy, clever, or inventive.As other reviewers have pointed out, the script is achingly bad. How Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas (and Kevin Pollak!) were persuaded to lend their names to this pile of stinking dung is mystifying.This is not satire. Satire needs to be played out with at least a shred of parody and there is no parody in this script. It's too badly written to comment on anything except how badly it's written.Please Tony Krantz, take the massive well-deserved theatrical rejection this film received seriously. Keep the day job. We beg you.

keyser_soze_08 This movie has a lot of references to Last House on the Left that I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt of paying homage rather than ripping it off.A girl is kidnap, beaten and tortured and then the parents get revenge. Last House on the Left 2 girls get kidnapped and killed and one set of parents get revenge. Even the 'no bra' comment by the dad is in both.In Last House on the Left, the parents get dressed up in medical gear before they're about to torture one of the killers (turns out to be a dream of the killers) in Otis, they actually dress up in medical clothes. The dad is a doctor in LHotL, and the mom's a nurse in Otis.Law enforcement in both movies are portrayed as bumbling idiots. And the song selections play a big role too.So with all of this, it has to be homage since it's not too subtle. And I'm sure the director probably has mentioned it. But I'm not going to take a bunch of points off for this.Otis does a good job of making the main villain seem creepy but lovable at the same time, which I'm sure was the point. The acting was pretty decent, mostly well known actors. My biggest complaint is a the brother. He annoyed the crap out of me. I wondered if he had any clue what he was referencing when he kept choosing a different weapon or when he says the line "the horror. the horror". The acting had a good mix comedic moments sprinkled in the mix.The biggest thing that stuck out to me was the song choices for certain scenes. The opening scene with the Shocking Blue's Venus and the dance scene with BoC's Don't Fear the Reaper were great, made it memorable.This was a horror-comedy, I wasn't expecting it to be some masterpiece. So with that mind frame, I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

gavin6942 Otis Broth loves pizza, Froot Loops and Kim. And Kim. And Kim. Multiple times now he has tried to make a girl love him by chaining her up in his basement and calling her Kim. His latest victim, Riley Lawson (played by Ashley Johnson, perhaps best remembered from "Growing Pains" or "What Women Want") isn't ready to die like the others. And her family doesn't trust the police, preferring to take matters into their own hands.I keep seeing the quotation comparing "Otis" to "Juno" and I don't know what to make of that. I really liked "Juno" and I really liked "Otis". But I don't know that they have all that much in common. The tone is completely different, the humor is different, Otis doesn't talk like he lives next door to Pacey Witter or Josephine Potter. I would love to know the reasoning behind this claim, as it seems a bit of a stretch. I see it as a darkly humorous take on other horror films -- but "Juno"? "Otis" has a rocking soundtrack (best of the 1970s), a dark humor that many will not appreciate, and takes on horror motifs of today. Want a girl imprisoned in a basement (like Jack Ketchum's "Girl Next Door")? Want torture ("Saw")? You'll get it, but without all the rape and gore. All of the torture takes place off-screen. Or, at least, almost all of it. Your imagination might leave you feeling grossed out, but the film doesn't cross the boundary. How do you balance rape, torture and humor? I don't know, but the makers of this film came as close as anyone probably ever will.The actors were great. Bostin Christopher (Otis) couldn't have been cast better. Ashley Johnson (Riley) is both sexy and yet girl-next-doorish, alternating one scene to the next. Daniel Stern (Mr. Lawson) is a welcome addition, although one wonders where all the extra weight and gray hair came from. Are you getting older, Stern? Has Kevin McAllister worn you down? It's understandable.The special features on the disc are decent. The obligatory audio commentary appears, which I'm always a big fan of. There's an alternate ending (which is even more grim than the standard finish, though not as satisfying). And there's an "Otis Broth Joint" (thanks, Spike Lee) called "Suite 16" that seems ready-made for placing on YouTube as a promotion, but is worth at least one watch (it's short).Of the horror movies I've seen this year -- and it's quickly approaching 100 -- this ranks in the top three, alongside Ryan Harper's "Circulation" and Ryan Nicholson's "Gutterballs". If you see only one horror film this summer, I suggest "Otis". Warner Brothers and Raw Feed make a compelling case that horror can be fresh and new no matter how stale the genre seems to be getting with each passing day. How this skipped theaters and went straight-to-video is a modern mystery.