I've always been a fan of 70's exploitation films, especially revenge movies like 'The Last House on the Left' and 'I Spit on your Grave'. Since Tarantino & Rodriguez brought back 'Grindhouse' to the masses in 2007, we've been blessed with a ton of movies that have paid homage to many of my favorite low-budget films of the past. Jim Haggerty's 'From The Inside' does just that. Although not shot in the usual gritty retro style, it still manages to capture some of the feel of those old school drive-in classics.
One of the films strong points has got to be the writing. The story begins with our leading lady, Tally (Amanda Ladd). A bored young woman stuck in a miserable loveless marriage to a pathetic slob ...but a rich slob. One night, their house (in the middle of nowhere) gets broken into by a couple thugs and they kill Tally's husband. Before the thugs figure out what to do with the body, a young couple with car trouble comes knocking at the door. I know, it sounds like a simple plot. Well it starts that way, then the story takes a few unexpected turns. Since giving away the plot twists would ruin the movie i'll stop right there.
Another plus was the camerawork. Not only were there some pretty good looking angle shots, it's also nice to watch a low-budget film where you can actually see the actors during the night scenes. The audio, on the other hand, was a real problem. Like with a lot of indie films, I had to watch the entire movie with remote in hand. There's nothing worse than pumping the volume up in order to hear the dialog, then getting hit with a 'ScReAm!' loud enough to wake up the neighbors. I don't make movies, but for the life of me I can't figure out why this happens so often.
The acting was what you would come to expect from a lower budget film of this type. Although I did have a little problem with the actors movements. I don't know if they were being directed to over exaggerate or what, but they all seemed to be really 'hamming' it up. There was way too much arm movements during conversations and any time they had to run or fight it seemed very mechanical. At times, even normal walking and turning didn't seem natural.
Overall, I'd say 'From The Inside' is pretty fun flick, especially for you indie horror fans out there. It's far from perfect, but definitely a big step up from Jim Haggerty's first film, 2000's 'The Slasher' and has got me curious to go back and check out what I might have missed.
My Rating: 4 / 10
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