Review of Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2009) by Edward B — 20 Sep 2013

The debut film from twisted twins Jen and Sylvia Soska has one of the coolest and most enticing titles for a grindhouse film in as long as I can remember. The Soska Sisters, like Robert Rodriguez before them, are out to prove that it is possible to do a lot with no money as long as you have the creativity and the ambition to succeed. I truly can't wait to see their next film.

Having said that, this movie didn't work for me. I get that this isn't a film to be taken seriously. But unlike Rodriguez's El Mariachi, Dead Hooker in a Trunk is filled with great ideas but poor execution. It attempts to confront and break down the notion of how men too frequently objectify women, but then gets completely sidetracked in needless subplots involving chainsaw gangs and crooked cops.

I'm also aware that the cheap amateur look fits the grindhouse style, but Dead Hooker suffers from especially poor sound, uneven picture quality, awful acting, and noticeably bad special effects. The whole thing feels like a home movie made over a weekend. I am the first person to champion DIY-filmmaking, but too many mistakes - both in the writing and the technical craft - have been made in the final presentation of this film for me to recommend. Die-hard grindhouse fans might dig this. Everyone else may not be able to make it through the first thirty minutes.