DVD: I Spit On Your Grave (dir: Steven R. Monroe, 2011)

"It's just not good enough!"

The 80s remake bandwagon rolls on and settles on another of the more controversial titles from that era. Like the recent remake of The Last House On The Left, it is still low-budget (and looks it) but is a bit slicker and the scenes of retribution are designed for the Saw generation. The fundamental problem with I Spit On Your Grave is that the premise, narrative and morality all operate within such narrow confines that the film can do little to surprise and relies simply on the brutality of the initial attack and the subsequent acts of revenge to engage the viewer, which for a film of this length is not enough. Direction is efficient but flat, and the TV-level cast do a fair job, especially Jeff Branson and Chad Lindberg. The last half-hour is pure Grand Guignol, but overall the film feels hollow and overlong.