(2006) ****1/2Wow. Only Catfreeek has seen this? If it weren't for Shaun of the Dead, I'd call this my favorite horror comedy movie of the last 15 years.
The management team for Palisade, a multinational munitions company, heads into the Hungarian woods on a corporate retreat. Along the way they fall prey to an unseen and curiously well-armed assailant. He stalks them, and then engages. Weapons get fired. Traps get sprung. Limbs come off. Party!
Severance is blessed with outstanding comic timing. The script is seeded with clever gags, some of which take ages to pay off. In fact, because the best gags are often woven over full minutes of dialogue, or even over the course of several scenes, it's hard to give examples — quoting any of the best lines would be an injustice. Let me say though that tucked somewhere past the midpoint of the movie is one of the most epic post-pipe-in-the-ass lines I've ever heard. Any of you who have been annoyed when a horror movie victim has a chance to kill the bad guy but blows the opportunity will appreciate it.
Also, hoping I'm not revealing too much with this next screen-grab, but it's the aftermath of my favorite sight-gag in the movie.
Plus, hellooo scream queen. The female lead, Maggie, is played by Laura Harris. I recognized her from Dead Like Me but I was sure I'd seen her in something else — turns out she plays a sleeper terrorist in the second season of 24. She's cunning and bitchy in the former, alternately flimsy and insane in the latter. Here, she strikes an awesome blend of unimpressed and caring. And do she look good with blood on her face? Oh yes, she do.
To tell the truth, I'd actually watched this for last year's Thon, and was scared away from reviewing it, not wanting to undersell its brilliance. I contemplated joining the spree of enthusiasm everyone seems to be on this year, and awarding it 5-stars. I'll ease back on the throttle half a click just for the sake of sobriety and moderation. But seriously, this is great. See the crap out of it.
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