MINI-REVIEW: Stage Fright

MOVIE
Stage Fright

CAST
Allie MacDonald, Douglas Smith

RATING
R

RELEASE
April 3, 2014 (VOD)
May 9, 2014 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Jerome Sable

STUDIO
Magnet Releasing

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 28 minutes








STARS
**







REVIEW:

From the film's awesome trailer to the brilliant poster featuring a knife-holding hand with a rock symbol from his fingers, I have to say that I was actually really looking forward to "Stage Fright."  The film was being called a cross between "Friday the 13th" and "Glee," mainly since it's about a musical camp that's being terrorized by a killer in a mask.  This movie could have gone one of two ways: it could have been self-aware and so over the top that it was funny, or it could have been a straight up horror musical ala "Sweeney Todd" or "Repo! The Genetic Opera."  Instead, the filmmakers behind "Stage Fright" tried to mix both options, with the final product resulting in an overall disappointing musical that doesn't know what genre it wants to be.  There were a few shining moments here and there, particularly the opening musical number at the camp and the killer's first murder, but those weren't enough to save the entirety of the movie.

This could have been one of those horror comedies that was so ridiculously over the top in its execution that it was funny.  Instead, "Stage Fright" takes itself too seriously with its storyline and its characters.  The songs are mostly hit or miss, and none of them are remotely memorable at all.  Plus nobody, not even the main character, is even that likable or worth rooting/sympathizing with whatsoever.  It might have been because I saw so much potential in this that I ended up so disappointed.  "Stage Fright" is a movie that a select group of people will love, but honestly this just wasn't for me.  Aside from the first 10 or so minutes of the film, this movie is cliched, predictable, and takes itself too seriously for its own good, and overall I didn't really care for it.