Studio: Warner Bros.

Starring: Bostin Christopher, Kevin Pollak, Daniel Stern, Illeana Douglas, Jere Burns, Ashley Johnson, Jared Kusnitz
Directed By: Tony Krantz

Running Time: 100 minutes
Ratings: Canada - 18A, USA - NR, UK - 15

Back Cover

From Raw Feed comes a star-powered (Daniel Stern, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Pollak), darkly comedic chiller directed by Tony Krantz (24) from a script by Thomas Schnauz (The X-Files) and Erik Jendressen (Band Of Brothers) that combines the best traditions of slasher/revenge pics with the sitcom world of white-picket-fence America hone haywire. Sometime pizza guy and full-time psycho, Otis thinks he’s a wicked dude… until he meets the Lawsons, hos latest victim’s happy suburban family. The Lawsons aren’t happy anymore… and they have a truckload of power tools.

Movie

Well… I must say that I wasn’t expecting this!

From all of the critical reviews that I had read about this film prior to being assigned this title for review, it was clear to me that I was in for a painful 100 minutes. Now, let me retype that sentence with proper accentuation applied to the important part… From all of the critical reviews that I had read about this film prior to being assigned this title for review, it was clear to me that I was in for a painful 100 minutes. Now that I have seen it, I say to hell with everyone else trashing this brilliant piece of independent filmmaking!

The best thing about Otis is the fact that everyone involved with it knew to not take the subject matter too seriously. And that is the one reason that I instantly felt that I was in for some kind of treat. I just wasn’t certain how much of a treat it would turn out to be. From the casting to the writing to the performances to the direction, this film makes for some good old classic fun. In the footsteps of Very Bad Things (surprisingly also starring Daniel Stern in a similar characterization), Otis brings an element of comedy to an otherwise taboo subject matter. In doing so, it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable while, at the same time, enticing laughter. In my mind, that has to be one of the most difficult things to do in Hollywood. The successful creation of dark comedy walks a very fine line between “corny” and “distasteful” cinema. Very few films to my recollection have managed this task successfully. Director Tony Krantz obviously knew what he was doing in this regard. With films of this nature it is always a combination of dialogue, situational irony, and performance that comprise the storytelling dynamic. As such, he was smart to avoid using any tricky camera techniques and just filled the frame with the most basic of images, allowing for the most important elements of the story to do their work unimpeded.

Ok, so the dialogue itself may not be ”milk jettisoned through the nostrils” funny. I will admit that straight up. However, the delivery of the dialogue from the cast brings many giggles and several belly laughs to the surface. Daniel Stern, Illeana Douglas, and Jared Kusnitz are particularly adept in this department. Jere Burns as Agent Hotchkiss is portrayed with a little too much eccentricity, but it is always great to see Kirk Morris (sexoholic from TV’s Dear John) in action again. Ashley Johnson gives an exceptional performance as a victim with the intelligence to try and decipher what her captor is in need of. Her character is obviously able to manipulate certain situations in order to keep herself from excessive harm. Not only does Ashley manage this performance with grace, but also with a beauty and innocence that captivates the sympathies of the viewer. As for Bostin Christopher, his portrayal of the sociopath/psychopath antagonist of the film is perfectly in sync with the intentions of the plot. He is neither overpowering in his creepiness, nor is he too weak to be believable. He hits the right cords at the right moments to make him interesting without stealing focus. I believe that this is mainly thanks to the participation of, and his interaction with, Kevin Pollak as his older brother. The role of the older brother does a large part in molding an understanding of Otis’ character. Kevin Pollak comes on strong as a “no nonsense” sibling who has come to rely on a short temperament when trying to get his brother to grow up. It is a role that is far more important subtextually than initially perceived. And, Kevin Pollak hit the nail right on the head! It’s too bad that he… well… hopefully you can finish that sentence yourselves by watching this gem.

I don’t care what others may have to say about this film. I was able to thoroughly enjoy it as a meaningless romp through rarely uncharted cinematic seas. I give the entire cast and crew a hefty pat on the back for their efforts in bringing this delight to the screen.

Crave Factor - 8

Extras

This is the biggest disappointment about this release. I really want to hear a commentary from Tony Krantz. I’d also love to see some interviews with the cast as to what brought them to wanting to get involved with the project. But, alas, there is NOTHING in the way of extra features included on this disc.

Crave Factor - N/A

Video

2.4:1 Widescreen / VC-1

The video quality of this transfer is very impressive in every area accept for clarity. The colours are great. The full spectrum of colour is represented with precision throughout the entire presentation. Also, the black levels are very good for a project of this nature. There is no artifacting or debris noticeable during playback either. Where this video presentation suffers most is in the softness of its image. However, I was given to the notion that the film was designed with this in mind. In the same way Superman: The Movie was created with a soft glow to the overall image to keep the story feeling like something otherworldly, Otis gives the same impression which helps subconsciously disassociate the viewer from the harsh plot points about to ensue. Thus, I won’t punish this transfer since it was an intentional artistic decision.

Crave Factor - 8

Audio

Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / Dolby Digital 5.1

Both audio tracks on this release are pretty equal in my books. The TrueHD offers a bit more oomph in the area of the film’s musical soundtrack as it seemed to be the only time when the subwoofer lit up. Otherwise, both tracks offer mediocre dynamics when it comes to their ranges. The treble sounds a tad bit muted and the bass seems to be lacking outside of the scenes involving music playback. My subwoofer and satellites barely felt an opportunity to impress me with this track. So, bottom line on this release is that either track will yield a very similar experience. Lacklustre, but sufficient.

Crave Factor - 6

Conclusion

Otis may not rate highly on the Blu-ray charts as the video is not perfect, but well above average. Also, the audio isn’t going to blow your speakers off the walls/shelves/stands. Also working against this release is a complete lack of extra features to help delve deeper into the intentions of the cast and crew. Where this title does merit attention is in the film itself. I still can’t get over the fact that it has received such an immense unapproval rating amidst the online community of official critics. This is the type of film that strays from convention and has a bit of fun doing it. Isn’t that what all of the professional reviewers always complain about? “Too conventional”, “too predictable”, “takes itself too seriously” are what I always read about the blockbuster films that take the public by storm. This film flies in the face of all that. If not on Blu-ray, this title is still definitely worth adding to your collection.