Cherry Falls (2000)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Geoffrey Wright

Writer (WGA):

Ken Selden (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

lose your innocence - or lose your life

Plot:

A killer is killing off the virgins of a small town high school.

Plot Keywords:

School | High School | Virgin | Slasher | Sex Party

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Brittany Murphy	...	Jody Marken
Jay Mohr	...	Leonard Marliston
Michael Biehn	...	Sherrif Brent Marken
Jesse Bradford	...	Rod Harper (as Jesse Watrouse)
Candy Clark	...	Marge Marken
Amanda Anka	...	Deputy Mina
Joe Inscoe	...	Tom Sisler, Principal
Gabriel Mann	...	Kenny Ascott
Natalie Ramsey	...	Sandy
Douglas Spain	...	Mark
Bre Blair	...	Stacy Twelfmann
Kristen Miller	...	Cindy
Michael Weston	...	Ben
Keram Malicki-Sánchez	...	Timmy
Joannah Portman	...	Sharon

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore, teen sexuality, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Brazil:18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:18 | France:-16 | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (2001) | USA:R (certificate #37005)

Filming Locations:

Dinwiddie, Virginia, USA

Company:

Fresh Produce Company

Trivia:

This movie is one of the few movies out there where the credits run backwards (top to bottom; not the normal bottom to top).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jody is talking to Leonard Iveston, the word Byron is wiped out on the board behind them in the close up shots. When the camera goes to the long angle where most of the classroom can be seen, Byron is chalked onto the board again.

Quotes:

Sherrif Brent Marken: You know what happened!
Leonard Marliston: I can't remember this part of the story so tell us what happened.

Movie Connections:

References Scary Movie (2000)

Soundtrack:

How Soon Is Now?

Innocence is deadly!

Shamefully neglected horror thriller is probably the best slasher film to follow in the footsteps of Scream (1996), too bad it ended up being a television movie!

In the seemingly innocent town of Cherry Falls, Virginia, someone is murdering high school students who just happen to be virgins!

Clever premise, being a twist on the classic slasher convention of sex=death, pays off in this dark and splendidly suspenseful shocker. The direction of Wright is solid with the occasional touch of stylishness. He makes good use of the Virginia filming locations and adds some spooky elements, like the rather creepy looking killer. Ken Seldon takes what could have been a lousy concept and makes a wonderfully twisted and entertaining story. There's also the occasional touch of comic relief (like the have sex or die party) and a dark sense of humor about the story. The murder sequences are gory and shocking despite the limitations of TV censors, which caused some of the film to be edited.

The cast is pretty good. Young Brittany Murphy is appealing and likable as a rather unconventional leading girl. Michael Biehn is great as Murphy's father who's also the local sheriff. Jay Mohr is excellent as the rather timid school teacher who fears for his students safety. The supporting cast is also good, most notably Candy Clark as Murphy's slightly odd mother.

Cherry Falls is a film that really got the shaft on its releasing, as it's far superior to a number of the theatrically released slasher-by-the-numbers flicks that where out around the time. Horror fans, before you bother with the likes of Urban Legend (1998), the lousy Valentine (2001) or any sequel, give this one a turn! You just might find it to be one of the best!

*** 1/2 out of ****