Medium Raw (2010)

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

My boyfriend and I watch a movie nearly every night before we go to bed, and we generally like to watch scary movies for some reason. We looked through Netflix and found Medium Raw, which looked interesting enough, judging from the description.We turned on the movie and watched it from beginning to end (unlike most reviewers on here, I'm guessing.) We liked it, for the most part. Sure, there are plot holes, it wasn't scary (except for a few 'disturbing moments' involving the cannibal, etc), the two main actors were awful, and there were like 5 different plot lines.That's one thing that really bugged me, the movie seemed like it was being pulled in so many different directions; if I hadn't of read the description I probably would've been lost.In the beginning, Johnny (a cop) is trying to find the 'Wolf' serial killer who killed his sister when he was a child, which he witnessed. His wife works in a mental institution as a doctor, and once the Wolf killer is caught, he is sent to the mental institution where Johnny comes to visit him for revenge. Then, a system mishap causes the system in the building to crash, turning out all the lights and unlocking all the inmates, which turns the night into a fight for survival.I think the movie could have been great given a different budget, director, cleaner writing, better actors, etc. The idea was good, and the premise was scary. When the system was showing 'system error: unlocking doors" I was genuinely scared. There were so many 'oh sh*t!' moments in this movie, but I walked away unscared and forgot about this movie like ten minutes after the credits rolled.The 'twist' at the ending was also extremely predictable. I called what was going to happen about 20 minutes into the movie. However, I'll leave that for *you* to find out for yourself :-)Like a lot of the reviews on this board, I'm not going to say that this is 'the worst movie ever made,' because it wasn't. I enjoyed it for what it was. A lot of people sit down at movies and expect it to be the next 'Scream' or 'Friday the 13th,' but with this (a movie rated a 3 on netflix) I just took it for what it was and enjoyed it. Be open minded. Forget about plot lines and things that bother you. It will make your experience with this movie more fulfilling.5/10

Not a good comedy....yes I know it's a horror movie, but it was so bad I did get a couple laughs.The Doctor with the hooker boots channeling her best Basic Instinct cooch shot to a seemingly lesbian cannibal psych ward patient who wants to lick her. Yup, you read correctly.Great idea to bring your granddaughter to work the same day that the kid serial killer arrives and let her watch him get wheeled in with restraints. Better yet, let the kid serial killer see her and peak his interest.How does someone get stuck to a butcher block via knife in hand and remain unable to escape with the other free hand??? Yes this was hooker boots Doctor. Got her degree from Phoenix University."Are you the Woodcutter?" - the movie tag-line. Erroneously attributed to the Red Riding Wolf theme, but in reality refers to the challenge presented to the viewer...Can you cut through these wooden lifeless performances and find some enjoyment.Davis, Davies and McNab were fair and the only reason I gave this a shot.

2/10. 1 for the intro scene and one for the costume maker who did a good job (even if it went to waste)."In the small town of Garden, 14 young girls were taken from their homes never to be heard from again. They will forever be remembered as the Red Riding Hood Victims because of a message that was left at each crime scene... ARE YOU THE WOODCUTTER?".When I read this I was intrigued. Thinking it might be an interesting take on a werewolf horror meets crime thriller. Or even simply a good crime thriller. Sadly after the first scene, which is the best scene, things quickly go downhill. The two kids in this first scene are without a doubt the best actors in the entire film.After the interesting premise and decent opening scene things quickly fall apart in all departments from direction and writing to acting, largely because of the the common denominator: Andrew Cymek. The plot which had real potential suddenly veers away from the numerous good possibilities and heads for the absurd. By the end the only enjoyment I had was laughing aloud at the acting in the last 10 minutes of the movie by Andrew Cymek, who's listed so many times in the credits that he's even listed once as "Andy" Cymek, possibly to make it seems like someone else worked on this film.It's worth noting "The Wolf's" costume is also interesting but far too much of the film is spent with the "villian" out of the suit. I have to wonder why they even bothered making the suit at all. Andrew Cymek should have saved that money for some acting classes.

Look from reading most of the reviews out their on the Internet one may drop the gun and think that this movie will turn out to be one of the worst movies ever. In all honesty it's nowhere near that level. All the movie is, is just a slasher thriller with a goofy sounding premise and quite surprisingly an affective one. From what I've seen in other reviews, they say that the acting is the biggest atrocity that's ever hit cinema. I can already name like 50 other movies with worst acting then this one. Sure sometimes the acting gets really hammy but really based on the dozens of other hammy horror films out their this shouldn't be close to an "Atrocity of acting." Editing wise it makes some rather weird turns but it's still smooth and unlike other bad movies I can tell what's going on. If your into shutting your brain off and just watch a thriller slasher flick then I think you can handle Medium Raw. I sure enjoyed it and going in I was already on the other side of my argument right now. So, definitely give it a watch sometime.