Movie Review: "Dead Hooker In A Trunk"

If you're anywhere near my age, which is, as much as it pains me to admit, less than a month from the big 4-0, then you'll surely remember the always fun classic movies, movies back when movies were cool, that involved a group of people, often friends, who are suddenly, and unwillingly, thrust into a dangerous situation, forced to either deal with what's landed on their proverbial laps, or face the consequences of their failure to act swiftly. These sort of films have always been a favorite of mine.

Now, imagine such a scenario, set in Vancouver, B.C., where a quartet of friends; twin sisters, one of whom is a badass, the other who is a total geek and isn't exactly her sister's closest friend, the badass's junkie friend and the geek's God-fearing goody two-shoes pal, all of whom find their lives suddenly turned upside down, and inside out, after they notice an odd smell emanating from the trunk of the badass's car. Upon inspection of the trunk, the group finds that someone has placed the dead body of a hooker, as well as a buttload of various drugs, inside their trunk. Not knowing who this hooker is, and fearing that the badass and/or junkie may have had something to do with this woman ending up dead concealed inside of their trunk, they come to the only logical conclusion; they need to dump the body! And fast!

Naturally, it doesn't go as smoothly as the group had hoped, and they are constantly hit with a barrage of unforeseen, and quite humorous, situations, each seemingly more insane than the last, all leading them to the discovery of the truth behind how they ended up with a Dead Hooker In A Trunk!

Dead Hooker In A Trunk is the debut film for Twisted Twins Productions, the production company belonging to Jen & Sylvia Soska, who wrote, directed, produced and co-starred in the film.

The cast includes Jen Soska as Geek, Sylvia Soska as Badass, C.J. Wallis as Goody Two-Shoes, and Rikki Gagne as Junkie, as well as appearances by Carlos Gallardo as God, John Tench as Cowboy Pimp, Loyd Bateman as Priest and Tasha Moth as The Hooker.

The Soska Twins are phenomenal in their debut roles. Both possess the acting skills of actresses with decades of acting experience, including comedic timing that comes very natural to both Jen and Sylvia. Anyone who knows anything about acting knows how difficult it can be for an actor or actress to perfect comedic timing, but these lovely ladies (who are extremely easy on the eyes, even when they're covered in blood!) have it down to an art form. Both of the Soskas are destined for greatness, as filmmakers and as actresses. They are just that good!

You may know the name Rikki Gagne from her roles in John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns episode of Masters of Horror, Uwe Boll's Postal and Lost Boys: The Tribe. Gagne is wonderfully believable in the role of Junkie (not that she'd necessarily want to know that she actually seemed like a junkie in the film, but it is a testament to her acting ability.).

And then there's C.J. Wallis who plays Goody Two-Shoes. Wallis, who I couldn't help but notice how much he resembles Edward Norton, both in appearance and in acting style, in this film, is amazing as the total nerd-for-God type, who every now and then forgets his commitment to Christ and goes off on near-psychotic rants about ass-raping another guy as means of punishment! He is hilarious to watch, and truly commands the camera every time he is on screen. His performance reminded me, in a number of ways, of that of Norton in Primal Fear. Goody Two-Shoes is meek, God-fearing, but there's something else there. Something quite dark, buried deep down within, and every now and then, it comes creeping through, just a bit. Just as is the case with Jen & Sylvia, I believe that the future is a very bright one for C.J. Wallis!

Dead Hooker In A Trunk is a funny, and sometimes even touching, buddy / caper style film, with loads of action. But fear not gorehounds, as there is more than enough blood, guts (literally), gore and scenes of torture and sexual perversion to keep you more than satisfied!

Throughout 2010, we've heard a great deal about the need to show support for independent horror. At times, this was being shouted from the rooftops, in an attempt to rally support for films that, whereas they may have indeed been independent in nature, their budget and studio connections were a far cry from that of most independent films. I agree, as horror fans, it is paramount that we support indepenent cinema, and it's films like Dead Hooker In A Trunk that are truly deserving of our support!

Nearly every actor and actress who appeared on screen in this film also served the film in other areas, from camera operators and stunt coordinators to editors and cinematographers. This film is a work of art, and it's a labor of love. Love from fans of horror, and of film in general, who took that love and put it to work, creating a film of their own. And the love and respect that these men and women have for the the genre, as well as for movies as a whole, is very evident throughout the entire film. This is how a movie is supposed to look, sound and feel! There are many filmmakers out there, especially in Hollywood working with billion dollar budgets on films that no true fan of the cinema even cares to see, who could all stand to learn a great deal about the art of filmmaking, and the love that is required when making a movie, from Jen & Sylvia Soska, C.J. Wallis and everyone whose blood, sweat, heart, love and tears went into making Dead Hooker In A Trunk!

Since Examiner.com now inludes the star rating given to each film reviewed atop of the review's page, I've stopped also including it within the review, however, I think that this one is deserving of having it mentioned more than once. That being said, I give Dead Hooker In A Trunk 5 out of 5 stars. Need I explain the reasoning behind this rating? If you've actually read my review, then I'm sure you don't need to be reminded why, but what the hell, here goes: Because it's a well written, superbly acted, brilliantly directed, produced and scored buddy, crime caper, action, comedy horror movie!

I recently did a list of what I see as the top 20 horror films of 2010, and I think it goes without saying that Dead Hooker In A Trunk has, quite deservingly, made this list. Want to know where it came in at? Take a look for yourself by visiting, Top 20 Horror Films of 2010.

For more information on Dead Hooker In A Trunk, Twisted Twins Prodctions, FortyFPS, and other related material, be sure to visit the following pages: