Save Yourself (2015)

the audience applauded

Fantastic!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Here we go again, a jaunt in the country to a house of horrors, only this time it is five attractive young women with no male companions. One of them disappears at once. Will she be found, more to the point, how many if any of them will survive?The house is owned by a man and his wife who oscillate between English and German. The girl upstairs is their daughter, who is obviously not cut from the same cloth as them, and the man in the car is their son, who most definitely is. So what are they doing? The man of the house is murdering people, all young girls apparently, by the score, this time though in the name of a supposed greater good instead of sadism. It is clear he is a follower of Nazi eugenics or some such, an intelligent speculation is that he is the grandson of a Nazi scientist who managed to escape after the Second World War.This film would have earned 3 points at best but for the shocking revelation towards the end.

Five women who make indie horror films travel from one film festival to a festival in LA. In spite of the success, directer Crystal Lacroix (Tristan Risk) is unhappy. In LA her film is being shown at 11 PM being bumped from prime time by one of the "ankle bites" who shot their feature on a cell phone camera. En route to where they are going, they make a pit stop and Crystal disappears from the group. Eventually they all end up at a remote home as captives being experimented upon by the German speaking occupants.It wasn't hard to figure out what they were doing before it was revealed. The only question is "the final girl (s)" as all these captive films normally end up the same way. This film was okay in a crowded genre. It attempts to distinguish itself by mentioning the MK Ultra experiments and comparing it to Mengele style stuff in one quick line.

SAVE YOURSELF, which I had the pleasure of watching during its screening at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival, is directed by Ryan M. Andrews' (Sick: Survive the Night) and follows a group of five female actresses making their journey to Los Angeles to attend the screening of their horror film. Unfortunately, the horror comes to life when they cross paths with a maniacal scientist who is in the mood to experiment. As the director, Crystal Lacroix, played by the ever alluring Tristan Risk (American Mary) who calls the shots drives, the other four actresses; Kim played by Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare), Sasha, played by Tianna Nori (The Demolisher), Lizzie, played by Caleigh Le Grand (Late Night Double Feature) and Dawn, played Lara Mrkoci (Paranormal Witness) sleep.After driving for a long while, Crystal pulls into a rest stop to take a break and have a smoke; however, it may have been her last. At the break of dawn, the four ladies wake up with no sign of Crystal. Emotions begin to run high as the ladies find themselves in a secluded and seemingly abandoned rest stop with no cell service and not a human in sight. Their years of acting in horror films came in handy as they decide to stick together and start to look for Crystal. As they explore the area, they come across a suburban estate with a farm occupied by Chris, played by Ry Barrett (The Demolisher) and Chris' wife, Astrid, played by Elma Begovic (Bite). At first, they are relieved, believing they found someone who can help them, provide access to a phone and the police, however, they all realize they are in far more trouble.I am certain that many of you are jumping to conclusions on what could possibly go wrong when 5 females encounter a scientist in a secluded area. Let me tell you, a lot goes wrong but Andrews presents it in the most right way possible. Andrews takes a relatively simple story and elevates it to a level that many viewers did not suspect, throwing in a twist and a few turns. The viewer is given a chance to get to know, or at least get an idea of the dynamics between the 5 women. As a viewer, you are introduced to the characters and their idiosyncrasies very early on. As a result, the viewer is invested in determining the possible fates or downfalls of each character. Andrews' script combined with such a talented ensemble cast allows the viewer to take a lot in, in a short period of time yet, continue to keep the viewer guessing or attempting to put the puzzle pieces together.The shining star in this day-time nightmare flick is Tristan Risk. We have seen Risk portray many interesting characters, mostly strong characters and Save Yourself is no exception. Although Risks' character starts off vulnerable, and insecure about her age, Risk shows that there is far more to her character than meets the eye and gives a multi-layered performance.If you are in the mood for a fun horror flick, with a twist, and an ensemble cast go see SAVE YOURSELF.