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Torture Porn without the Torture. Or the Porn.

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (14)

Here’s the trailer for The Killing Room, a nice little Sundance selection that’s getting tossed unceremoniously into the straight-to-DVD pile (it’s out in October), presumably because the marketing folks behind it couldn’t find enough explosions, penis jokes, or fart noises in the film to string together a trailer that might appeal to the movie-going masses.

It’s about four regular folks who sign up for a research study only to discover that it’s actually a secret government program in mind experimentation. It’s kind of like the torture-free Saw movie (if you take out the torture, I actually like the idea behind Saw, just not its execution).

It’s got a pretty neat mid-level cast: Timothy Hutton, Chloe Sevigny, Nick Cannon (the talanted Wayans brother) and Peter Stormare, who is always deliciously evil. It comes from Jonathan Liebesman, who isn’t exactly Mr. Awesomely talented. He directed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, but everyone has to break into the business somehow. My guess is that The Killing Room won’t find much of an audience until Liebesman’s next film, Battle: Los Angeles (Cloverfield in L.A.) is released.









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Comments

This actually looks... good.

How come this didn't get a theatrical release, but The Collector did?

Posted by: George at August 3, 2009 6:07 PM

Peter Stormare - I'll watch the man in anything. He's usually the best part of a bad movie (Armageddon) or the most fun in a guilty pleasure (Constantine). So yeah, I'm there.

Posted by: TK at August 3, 2009 6:08 PM

I actually saw this movie at a screening and enjoyed it, even though I enjoy anything Peter Stormare's in. It's not great, but had a few unexpected moments. Very 'The Cube' meets an edited version of 'Saw.'

Posted by: maria at August 3, 2009 6:13 PM

I'll watch it on account of The Hutton.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at August 3, 2009 6:22 PM

hey its no 500 days of summer but really what is.
I might watch it one evening when im not too busy talking to people about the sheer brilliance of 500 days of summer.

Posted by: gilp at August 3, 2009 6:55 PM

When they say "Based on True Events" are they referring to the Stanford Prison Experiments? Because I thought those were interesting enough that they didn't need dressing up. But I think that about a lot of things, and Hollywood generally disagrees with me.

And yeah, this looks more engaging than half the crap that's crossing cinema screens on a regular basis. I'm wondering if it got the straight to DVD treatment because it didn't have a "name" attached to it rather than due to the movie itself.

Posted by: Genny (actually Rusty now) at August 3, 2009 7:12 PM

Posted by: TK at August 3, 2009 6:08 PM

The exact same thing was running through my head, though I'd also tack on his role in Minority Report.

Posted by: branded at August 3, 2009 7:19 PM

I'll dogpile with the rest of you on Peter Stormare. He was so terrifying in Fargo. Am I the only person who actually enjoyed Texas Chainsaw Massacre? The answer is obviously yes but I was so scared I thought I was gonna hurl during that movie. That creepy old fashioned camera click that was in the previews for that still makes me grit my teeth. I've just accepted that I don't always have the best taste in movies.

Posted by: becks at August 3, 2009 7:55 PM

Not Stanford, this is -apparently- based on MK-Ultra, CIA testing done in Montreal (amongst other places) on mind control using LSD. See Das Experiment for Stanford Prison bastardization.

1. I hate this movie title. It sounds like a straight-to-DVD release.

2. Is anyone else skeptical when a film features Timothy Hutton? Cause he makes a lot of really bad movies.

3. Is this stuff still believable? I don't know how much of this is really still happening what with the tight ethics code for psychological experimentation. If so, the government would be in the shitter if anyone found out.

Although waterboarding seems to still be a semi-acceptable practice so I guess this is fair-game.

Posted by: VinciParc at August 3, 2009 11:37 PM

I quite liked Das Experiment if only for Moritz Bleibtreu who is a great actor and is in that movie about the Baader-Meinhof gang.

Posted by: igor at August 4, 2009 2:10 AM

Based on the trailer I would see it. Just for the sheer...ummmm...lunacy? I like sociological experiments. Granted I didn't like Saw II for that exact fucking reason, only because the Saw films weren't meant for that idea.

Am I the only person who actually enjoyed Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
The remake, while it didn't scare me in the least bit (maybe because I've seen the original) was good. Only for a new audience. That being said, when the chick pulls out a pistol from her vagina and shoots herself I went what the fuck? That...was awesome.

Yes...I'm drunk.

Posted by: Deistbrawler at August 4, 2009 2:43 AM

Deistbrawler,

If you post, then end that post with a "Yes...I'm drunk," it becomes redundant. You are the Drunken Master of Pajibaland.

Posted by: Kballs at August 4, 2009 7:46 AM

i'm just mostly excited that they didn't give away the whole plot.

Posted by: gem at August 4, 2009 8:45 AM

Oh, not that Das Experiment was bad. Just that, as per film standard, they beefed up the original story a lot. But I guess they have to, or else you'd end up with something like 'The Legend of Boggy Creek.'

Nobody wants more movies like that floating around.

Posted by: VinciParc at August 4, 2009 4:02 PM