The Victim (2011 film)
| The Victim | |
|---|---|
 Film poster, North America | |
| Directed by | Michael Biehn |
| Written by | Michael Biehn Reed Lackey |
| Produced by | Jennifer Blanc Lucien Flynn Lorna Paul Travis Romero |
| Starring | Michael Biehn Jennifer Blanc Ryan Honey Denny Kirkwood Danielle Harris |
| Cinematography | Eric Curtis |
| Edited by | Vance Crofoot |
| Music by | Jeehun Hwang |
Production company | Anchor Bay |
| Distributed by | BlancBiehn Productions |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000 |
The Victim is a 2011 American horror film directed, written and starring Michael Biehn,[1] produced by and co-starring Jennifer Blanc. Thought to be a financial success due to Biehn's effort selling out theaters across the nation, neither he or producer Jennifer Blanc know final sales figures, due to open litigation with the film's investors.[2]
The film was produced and shot in less than two weeks[1] in Los Angeles in 2010. Most of the principal photography took place in the Topanga Canyon, close to Malibu, California.
Plot summary
Cast
- Michael Biehn as Kyle Limato
- Jennifer Blanc as Annie
- Ryan Honey as Harrison
- Danielle Harris as Mary
- Denny Kirkwood as Coogan
Reception
Alan Cerny of Ain't It Cool News characterized The Victim as "a fun sleazy grindhouse film", in which Biehn was lauded for both giving a good performance and getting good performances out of his actors. Though Cerny stated that Biehn's directing effort exhibited imperfections such as a driving montage scene that he felt was too long, he appreciated that Biehn understood the genre in which he was working, commenting, "Biehn has a clear path to what he's shooting for, and for much of the film's running time, he gets it", and "It's a specific genre with a specific style, and working from that, Biehn gets way more right than he does wrong."[3]
The New York Times wrote, "Directing his own screenplay, Mr. Biehn (working from a story by Reed Lackey) pays more attention to genitals than spatial coherence, unaware that labeling a film grind house doesn’t excuse soap-opera emoting and laughable dialogue. Wait, what am I saying? Of course it does."[1] The film has a 35% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews.
References
- ^ a b c Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 23, 2012). "Wayward Women, Menacing Men and a Cabin in the Woods 'The Victim,' Grind House Film Directed by Michael Biehn". The New York Times.
- ^ Borys, Kit (January 6, 2012). "Anchor Bay Picks Up Michael Biehn's Directorial Debut". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Cerny, Alan (September 18, 2011). "Nordling Says Michael Biehn's THE VICTIM Is A Fun Sleazy Grindhouse Film!". Ain't It Cool News.