Generation Ax

Director - Tommy Faircloth (The Cabin, Crinoline Head)
Starring - Marina Morgan (Terror Firmer, Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots), Brian Kelly (Manhunter, Head Cheerleader Dead Cheerleader), Jennifer Peluso (Hellblock 13, Freakshow)
Release Date - 2001
Genre - Horror
Tagline(s) - "Are you ready for a new scream?" and "In high school, being popular can be murder"
Format - DVD (Release Date) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I really get into a film when I see the director made a movie and did not set out to change the game.  The filmmakers, though making original films, embrace the cliches of the genre and use them to make fun and campy films.  When I watch a movie that does this I instantly think of the great Richard Griffin.  Griffin fully submerges his films in the cliches of specific sub-genre films and his films are extremely fun.  Recently, I discovered the films of Tommy Faircloth and was able to review his short The Cabin (read the review here) and his 1995 slasher Crinoline Head (read the review here).  His films do the same.  Faircloth uses the cliches to make the film fun and it really adds that campy, or cheesy, vibe to the flick that I really enjoy.  After watching Crinoline Head I had to give myself some time between his last flick just because I don't like to burn myself out with a director.  After a few weeks I decided it was time and popped the DVD he sent me in.  Thank you Tommy for sending me that!
     The film follows new student in school Todd (Kelly) as he adjusts to his new surroundings.  However, Todd is not the person everyone thinks he is. Todd secretly has a dark side and murders those he suspects has done something wrong.  Todd is not alone either.  He soon finds love in Blair (Morgan) who also hides a secret killing side.  She has murdered before to help a friend out.  The two come together and kill a guy who raped a mutual friend's little sister.  As the bodies pile up Blair's friend Leslie (Peluso) discovers that they are behind the recent murders and informs the police resulting in the death of Leslie and the apprehending of Todd. 
     Directors are not always going to make films that will satisfy all of their fans.  I follow dozens of directors and grab all of their films but some are just not that entertaining.  I'm sure a majority of their fans like those particular films but I did not.  Some of my favorite directors have released films like this but that does not defer me from wanting to watch any other films they put out.  Once I am a fan I am a fan for life.  With that being said, I did not like this film as much as I did Faircloth's other films.  This particular film had a lot of dry points scattered throughout filled with dialogue that was really hard to follow.  The film did show a lot of promise but fell short somewhere between the dialogue and acting.  The acting in this one is by far the weakest of all his films.  The entire cast shows inexperience but that is not what dragged their performance down.  I personally got the vibe that some of the cast did not have their heart in the project.  The story is nothing new but I really enjoyed it.  I would love to see Faircloth revisit this one with all the experience he has now.  The story reminded me a lot of the flick Natural Born Killers.  Lovers killing in a false crusade kind of plot.  Finally, those looking for bloody on screen kills will find them here but with below average special effects.  However, the special effects may not be that good but they did not take away from the overall kill.  Overall, Faircloth has a knack for working the cliches of horror and crafting campy films.  Sadly, this film just does not offer up that campy entertainment that you can see in his other flicks.  It deserves at least one viewing but has no replay value.