Obviously, it was an important screening for the producers of "Stuck".
All the executives turned out for a sneak preview with the leading actors in tow - Mena Suvari & Russell Hornsby - who jetted in from far-off locales to attend.
A virgin to the U.S. Market, "Stuck" screened at the Toronto Film Festival recently to enthusiastic audiences.
Yeah, a big push for a release stateside proved successful. Today, the gory horror feature opens at the Nuart in Los Angeles and selected theatres across the country.
Frankly, I can't recall when I've attended a preview where the audience reacted so violently - moaned, cried out - were emotionally wrought over the events unfolding on the silver screen.
"Stuck" is raw and gritty and potent filmmaking; partly because of the special effects - which are damning, they're so realistic - and also due to the remarkable convincing performance by Stephen Rea in the lead role.
When the invite arrived for the sneak preview, I nearly passed.
"Stuck"...what kind of title was this for a movie?
At the theatre, filmgoers in-the-know noted that the project was based on a true story ripped from the headlines.
A young woman, on her way home from a bout of frenzied late-night partying, gets distracted on her cell phone. In a split second, suddenly - without warning - a homeless man steps in front of the oncoming car.
She slams into him.
The hapless character (played by Rea) unceremoniously gets "stuck" in the windshield of her vehicle. In shock - and distraught over the accident (and probably confused by virtue of the mind-altering drugs in her system) - she is at a loss to fathom the appropriate action to take.
So, she speeds home with the man dangling out the splintered window - parks the car in the garage - then dashes in the house to figure a way out of her dilemma.
At this juncture, it's important to note that at the crawl of the credits, producers stated that the film was "inspired by a true story"; herein, lies one cue.
There will be a departure from the original tale.
For me, the other hint at what was to unfold was obvious due to a remark the producer made before the curtain fell.
With a bit of glee, he noted that Amicus - the Indy Horror-Genre Film House - was distributing the thriller. Clearly, this was not going to be a sensitive morality tale with a cozy ending!
Indeed, it wasn't...
In fact, "Stuck" is definitely not for the squeamish!
In one scene, when Rea desperately writhes forward to snatch up a cell phone just beyond his reach, he is forced to drag his mutilated body over jagged pieces of glass and metal. Along the painful journey, the audience is treated to images of the slicing and dicing of flesh and disturbing images of blood spurting from the gaping wounds.
We feel his pain, his anguish...
In another shocking scene, I hid my face in my hands - occasionally peering through clenched fingers - waiting for closure. When it wasn't forthcoming, I asked the guest next to me to signal me when the traumatic violent stabbings came to a close.
Although the dialogue was often appropriate, due to some clever juxtaposition of images (which often caused a riveting upsurge of tangled emotions and feelings), the utterances jarred the sensibilities. One minute the filmgoer is forced to laugh maniacally, the next recoil in genuine horror.
Yeah, "Stuck" is a real roller-coaster ride!
The ending, well - it's a smash-up surprise.
This film is going to cause a lot of buzz because it's shocking and disturbing and pulls no punches.
"Stuck"...will make you come unglued!
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