I Spit On Your Grave

     Finally leaking to the internet in recent days is Steven R. Monroe's 2010 remake of the 1978 cult classic I Spit On Your Grave. It's what I would consider one of the most well-known of all shock films, so if you're taking the time to read this blog you've probably already seen it and I can skip a synopsis. The first thing I had heard about the remake was Roger Ebert being equally as disgusted by this version as he was in 1978, which was a solid start. The obvious modernization from then to now took away from the depravity initially for me, but became less of a nuisance as time went on. My biggest complaint is its repeated need to take a turn towards every other American horror movie; there were a few too many unnecessary scenes of sheds full of potential murder weapons, tacky "jumpy" scenes and high pitched sound effects for my taste. The male characters could have been cast better, namely Johnny's character in the new version not standing out like Eron Tabor did in the role. Matthew's character is completely overacted at times, and the difference in his reluctance from the original to the remake takes a lot away. The setting was spot on, matching the original in the eeriness and seclusion of   Jennifer's vacation lakehouse. Enough pointless analysis, the real point of a rape revenge film is, well, rape and revenge. The plot strays quite a bit   from the original, including a seemingly earlier introduction to the men's brutality. The gang rape scene is far less graphic as Jennifer blacks out, and her revenge on the men is all different in the remake, certainly more of a Hostel/Saw feel to the deaths than something realistic, though Johnny's death ends in a similar fate but with a little more personal feel to losing his manhood. Overall, I'd consider the remake worth watching, but it was far from memorable. It adds characters, adds/subtracts substance at will, and seems to be a bit of a desperate attempt. It's certainly better than those miserable Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes, but I'm still waiting on a Hollywood remake that will finally win me over.