Methodic (2007)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

good back-story, and good acting

A Masterpiece!

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

This was something I wanted to check out from the moment I learned of its existence. Chris R. Notarile is undeniably one of the most important additions to the new generation of filmmakers and I have been very much impressed by his numerous small budget short films. It was only recently that I heard of Chris' first attempt at a larger budget movie. I looked it up, gave it a watch, and enjoyed what I saw. "Methodic" is the story of an average young boy like any other named Nicholas Matthews who is consumed by a malevolent entity known as Dollman. After murdering his parents he is found to be not guilty by reason of insanity and is committed to a sanitarium where he resides for the next twenty years. Shortly after being visited by his sister Lana, he escapes. The evil is unleashed and the body count commences. Does this concept ring any bells? It makes perfect sense that John Carpenter is so influential for Chris and any other indie filmmakers, considering how "Halloween" is one of the most successful low budget independent movies ever made. Who would've thought that a William Shatner mask painted white would become so iconic? Every slasher flick owes something to the movie that originated the formula. After Rob Zombie beat Chris in acquiring the rights to remake "Halloween", Chris altered what he had already done: made up his own premise and "Methodic" was born. "Methodic" was given poor reception by many viewers. It was released during the time when Chris' filmmaking standards were still modest and not quite on par with his later works. I'm among those who have said that the story and the characters should have had more development and that some of the acting wasn't top-notch. However, I do believe that the pros outweigh the cons. Niki Rubin and Brandon Slagle were great in their roles and I also admired the character Dan Grant as portrayed by Tony Dadika. Even Mack the Dog delivers a fine performance. But of course the character that steals the show is the Dollman, the world's first basher monster who executes his victims by means of hammers, his fists, a baseball bat, a golf club, and even a frying pan. There's a fascinating concept behind Dollman that makes the character a significant icon, but elaborating any further would be a spoiler for newcomers. The soundtrack too is very well done. It gives you chills and makes everything seem all the more intense. Additionally for lovers of trivia, Charles Cyphers who played Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the original "Halloween" was casted as the police chief. An excellent touch! So is Methodic without flaws? No. But what movie is? Haters have to consider the limited budget and resources at Chris' disposal. Accomplishing any kind of movie under those circumstances is anything but a simple matter. For what it is, Chris gave it his utmost effort and I really feel that he should be applauded for getting "Methodic" made at all. Much as I would've liked to see what Chris R. Notarile would have done with a Halloween remake, I believe that "Methodic" was the perfect opportunity for him to express his own creative ability. It's a familiar, but fresh horror experience with a unique vision and all the elements that fans of the genre can identify. It's debatable whether it holds up or not. As for me, I was invested all the way through and I am without regrets. Chris R. Notarile has taken cues from past errors and his filmmaking standards have since improved a tremendous deal. It's a practice any artist must adopt. At the rate his success is going, I would love to see more "Methodic". The movie has opened many possibilities that I hope to see executed with the high quality and top-notch techniques that Chris is becoming known for.

Watching this, movie, one gets the distinct feeling of watching something else other than what was picked from the online menu. The beginning of the movie has the striking resemblance of that idiotic movie, "Cloverfield," as we see a video camera recording a birthday party. The nine-year old boy, Nathan Matthews, is silent as he draws a picture of a "Dollman." As the movie progressed, it became a "fourth wall" movie instead of a dweeb running around with a camera. That was the good point.The movie progressed, slowly, to where he murders his parents, goes after his younger sister before being stopped by his older sister. Eventually the story leaps twenty years where the kid is now a man living in a mental ward and handcuffed to a wheelchair. His little sister, and former target, wants to "connect" with him. When she does, a series of plot holes big enough for downtown traffic starts to appear.Nathan escapes from the hospital and makes it to his former home (His sibling still live in the same house?). He grabs a sewing machine and makes a Dollman costume (He learned to sew in the mental ward?). Then he steals a set of keys and drives around (He learned to drive in the mental ward?), looking for victims. The cop who originally investigated the case suffers a heart attack on an unrelated case, but learning of Nathan's escape, tells his now-suspended partner to take his gun (he has a gun in the hospital?), and go after Nathan. Later, this same cop has a set of keys around his neck (after suffering a heart attack and going through all that?) If you've seen the first Halloween movie, you've seen this one.The only other part in this movie, which was filler, was the lesbian scene. No point, other than to have a sex scene. Instead of naming it "Methodic" (What method?), this movie should have been named "Dollman," only it would be another monster-named movie like "Candyman", "Mothman", and other "-man" movies.

I was invited to see a private screening of Methodic the other day and WOW, what a cool idea for a movie. I've read what everyone else has posted and I think they're pretty spot on with how the movie was. It's no joke that it starts out as a slow place, but it totally pays off in the end. Chris Notarile and Brandon Slagle wrote the script which was based on a remake script Chris had made for Halloween. And when you watch the film, at first you're thinking to yourself "okay, where is he going with this?" Then about half way in, you think you might have figured it out and are calling how it will end. Yeah, that's when the film takes a crazy left turn and totally throws you off track. What starts out like a Halloween movie completely becomes something entirely different, and it works. The 3rd act is what makes this movie so fun and original. The Dollman is more than meets the eye as is the story. And it really makes you think. So yes, watch this movie. Its worth it.

I was really impressed with this film overall. It left you wanting more and eager to see the sequel after viewing it. The acting and story were superb. The film progressively got better and better as it went along. Now before you say it's similar to Halloween, it is. The director, Chris R. Notarile states that Halloween was an inspiration for this film and originally he was hoping to do a remake of it. Which Rob Zombie beat him to. Anyway, Chris R. Notarile's new horror icon, The Dollman is on a whole other level though and nothing like Michael Myers. But, the Dollman will scare you just as much if not more! Also, the movie is totally original in the sense that it's the world's first "Basher" film, ever! Now that's impressive.The director really got some talented actors for this film which included: Brandon Slagle, Stephen Muzzonigro, Niki Notarile, Charles Cyphers, Tony Dadika, Dan Werzinger, Thomas Daniel, and Christine Allanach. All of who portrayed their characters really well and helped bring the director's vision to life. The lovely Suzi Lorraine and Damien Colletti also portrayed their characters well in their scenes but had smaller roles. Oh, in case you didn't know, Charles Cyphers was Sheriff Brackett in Halloween 1 & 2 so it was great seeing him in this horror film. Wish he was in it even more.I must say though, out of all the actors I was most impressed with newer actor, Stephen Muzzonigro, who played the Nicholas Matthews / Dollman. His looks behind the mask and movement were great. Then when he came out from behind the mask, he was a totally different character! I also thought he could of played detective Colin McDermott really well (based on his performance outside of the mask). Not taking anything away from Brandon Slagle's performance in playing that role.This was the director's first full length film. That in itself is very impressive considering how good this film turned out. Looking forward to seeing more of his work or the sequel. Methodic's ending definitely leads it into a great sequel where it will answer more questions about the mysterious Dollman too!