All of TVGuide.com Videos Only

Cut

2000, Movie, R, 82 mins

Cut: Review

A clever premise distinguishes this horror comedy, which straddles a fence between outright parody and satire-with-chills. In 1985, production was halted on the Australian gore movie "Hot Blooded," about a crazed killer named Scar Man, because someone bumped off the director with a prop from the film. Attempts to finish the troubled property have led to additional homicides. Undaunted, a group of film students enlist the expertise of their cinema studies teacher, Professor Lossman (Geoff Revell), who was an assistant on the original shoot. Against his advice, they obtain the rights from the producer's widow and re-open this celluloid Pandora's box. In a bit of stunt casting, they persuade Hollywood has-been Vanessa Turnbull (Molly Ringwald) to return to the screen in the role of her original character's mother. Spearheaded by producer Hester Ryan (Sarah Kants) and director Raffy Carruthers (Jessica Napier), the revived production commences at its original eerie location. Then a mad killer eliminates the actor playing Scar Man and takes over the role, with deadly consequences. Overnight, the cast and crew starts succumbing to the "Hot Blooded" curse. As Scar Man sharpens his weapon, we learn why Raffy fought so hard to revive this doomed project: She views its completion a a homage to her late mother, "Hot Blooded"'s slain director. Can Raffy complete her tribute without forfeiting her co-workers' lives to the real Scar Man, who seems to have supernatural powers? This energetic fright flick exceeds expectations, mostly on the strength of its nifty film-within-a-film premise. And though the novelty value eventually wears off, the film manages to keep its footing, thanks to its unusual nemesis and Ringwald's bouncy performance as an unflappable diva. leave a comment --Robert Pardi