XII (2008)

Cast: Steven Brand, Michael Leydon Campbell and Jeremy Fitzgerald

Writers: Michael A. Nickles, Tennyson E. Stead

Director: Michael A. Nickles

Before watching this film, I never seen anything or heard anything about it. The friend that gave me the film just gave me a smile and I figured why the hell not. Even more so the fact he never gave me a synopsis, which leads me to wonder if he's ever seen the film or not. This films seems to have really slipped under my nose cause during 2008, i hit conventions, premieres and so on. I got to view some of the greatest sequels, films that would be remakes and of course a lot of great indie horror from talent which still are very underrated. But i never heard or seen this film. I do of course understand the amount of films released in a year span and can not expect to see every thing, but a little buzz would have sufficed, especially since I thought this was something released maybe last year or the year before. It still being recent, I still would've expected some word especially since the box details it to be shocking and so on. I could think one of two thinks, complete over selling or completely true. So here are my thoughts and counts on "XII".

The plot is about a man who is accused for having sexual relations with a minor and is sent to prison for five years. After being released he decides to exact his revenge on each specific member of the jury and collect their faces. The film centers on 2 Texas waitresses who were coincidentally members of the jury and are also best friends, sub plots somewhere one the lines with one of the girls ex boyfriends who also was part of the jury and certain doings of the killer.

The kills are nothing really special, whereas you don't really see much of anything. You get about three or four solid death scenes and everything is left to the imagination or just not worth while. The killers mask is a la homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in which I think most of the film is, he drives a pick up truck, he skins the faces of his victims, wears a dead skin mask and takes them to an undisclosed area which is full of his victims.

The film isn't completely terrible, it's just another example of a pretty good concept executed terribly. But understanding filmmaking and distribution and such it may not be so much the directors fault. It can be a flip of a coin and I tend not to under mind too many indie film directors cause of so. Though the posters are way to over hyping the film cause it really isn't shocking. The idea is pretty cool and they could have really worked it so many angles and probably can even pull a sequel off from it. Then again you can make anything into a sequel with the right ideas. The acting was here and there and there were just some of the actors who tried too hard and it was kind of funny to watch really.

Overall, I don't think I'd really recommend the film. Its tolerable yes but it hardly lives up to it's over hyped expectations. I didn't hate the movie, but I didn't really get into it either and I may or may not see it again. It was barely memorable and I only saw the film a night ago. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel, if that were to happen I'd check it out just to see where they go with it. I saw the film with a complete open mind and did like two of the death scenes, But it was not enough to save this film from getting two and a half skinned faces out of five.

2.5/5