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Severance [2006]
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Severance is one of the best British horror movies to come out of the last couple of years. It’s smarter than it has any right to be; screenwriter James Moran neatly sidesteps the numerous clichés littering the genre, balancing eye-watering gore with almost surreal humour, while Creep helmer Chris Smith’s assured direction sells even the daftest (and cruellest) moments. Smith also draws great performances from a talented cast, including Dead Like Me’s Laura Harris, Black Adder’s Darling Tim McInnerny, and Danny Dyer of Mean Machine and The Football Factory. Horror fans will lap this up; those lacking an iron stomach might watch some scenes from behind laced fingers, but will appreciate the fast-paced action and black humour nonetheless.--Sarah Dobbs
RRP: £15.99
Our Price: £3.13 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Reviews
If a weekend of team building exercises in the woods sounds like your personal idea of torture, spare a thought for the poor pen pushers of Severance. As if the obligatory paintball and trust exercises weren’t enough, there’s a killer lurking outside their cabin--a killer holding a grudge against the unsuspecting employees of Palisade Defense...
not funny and not scary
Review date: 2008-11-07 Rating: 2 out of 10
Exec 1 - So what is popular at the moment?
Exec 2 - Well Shaun of the Dead was really popular
Exec 1 - And so was The Office.....
Exec 2 - What about Hostel? people like scary stuff
Exec 1 - So we should make a horror comedy like Shaun of the Dead?
Exec 2 - but with funny bits like The Office and violence like Hostel
Exec 1 - We'll rake in the dosh
What could possibly go wrong?
Well quite a lot as it happens.
A horror/comedy has to fulfil 2 basic requirements, firstly it has to contain some effective and scary horror, secondly it has to be funny.
This fails on both counts, the attempts at comedy are risible and the horror is just laughable, it's simply badly scripted derivative nonsense.
The acting....well it's Danny Dyer, what do you expect? he's Danny Dyer playing the wide boy - like every TV appearance and film role he's ever played, one dimensional makes him sound more versatile than he actually is.
Not funny, Not scary, Not clever.
A film that tries to be 2 things and ends up being neither one thing or the other.
There really is nothing to recommend this drivel.
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Reviews
If you go down to the woods today
Review date: 2008-09-11 Rating: 8 out of 10
Poor Captain Darling. He really should have stuck with Blackadder. Heading off on a management weekend with a druggie, a blueblood, a chap who's so anally retentive he almost packs the kitchen sink and a couple of other characters, all his good intentions go to pot as people start dying in suitably unpleasant ways. What fun it is too. Girls ripping their bras off in order to escape from the pit, badly made SAM missiles removing an unfortunate passenger liner and a girl who knows that you should always make sure the bad guys are actually dead. You don't just knock them over, you pick up the largest rock you can and make quite sure of it. I want her on my team. If you like your dismembered body parts served up with a hefty dose of humour this is the film for you. And if you're invited on a team building exercise to Hungary, forget your toothbrush - pack the Uzi.
Fails to deliverance
Review date: 2008-08-21 Rating: 6 out of 10
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!
I'd heard such great things about this film, that I was really looking forward to it. It certainly has enough blood and guts to satisfy most gore hounds, and it is quite funny in parts, but there are reasons why it didnt quite cut the mustard for me.
Mainly this was because I didnt really care what happened to any of the characters. I thought they were all underwritten and underdeveloped. The film could have done with another half an hour to flesh them out a little. I know its only a horror/comedy film, but in the best in either genre, you do genuinly care about the main protagonists.
Secondly, the threat from the masked soldiers was also a bit of a let down. Okay, during an entertaining bit round the kitchen table, where the group swap urban legends with eachother, the possibility of a vendetta against the arms manufacturers is alluded to, and this turns out to be the case, but when we do get to meet the enemy, they really are a one dimensional bunch of sadistic thugs and rapists. Very poorly done, in my opinion.
To sum up, an entertaining enough hour and a half,but I dont think I'll be rushing to watch it again in the forseeable future. A dissapointing 3 out of 5
Snappy horror (lite)
Review date: 2008-08-13 Rating: 8 out of 10
This is billed in the same category as 'Shaun of the Dead', which to me is an mistake. Although there are a couple for laughs in the film, it's not remotely a comedy. In fact it's a straightforward old fashioned horror film. The modern horror fan expects much more gore than is on offer here, so I expect they've marketed it as a comedy to separate it from it's ultra-gory stable mates.
I really enjoyed it, the tension builds nicely and you really get behind your favourite characters (Danny Dyer and Laura Harris basically). It doesn't really hold up to much analysis but it's fast paced with a twist.
On a side note doesn't Laura Harris look like a combination of Kirsten Dunst and Suzanne out of Hear'say - we spent the first 20 mins of the film trying to place her!
Anyway - well worth a look.
Team building in Hungary or is it Romania or maybe Slovakia?
Review date: 2008-06-14 Rating: 10 out of 10
This film is superb, it's got a bit of everything tension, thrills, laughs, a little bit of romance, explosions, fights, armed combat and a little bit of gore too!!
This is a great black comedy/thriller/horror, the humour is spot on, the entire cast are excellent, there's a nice bit of tension, a great atmosphere both of which are assisted by some great music to set the tone perfectly.
What starts off as a light hearted comedy about a group of office workers going on a team building exercise, turns into anything but this, it could have had alot more gore than it has, but it's all done for fun in the end, who'll survive, if anyone?, will anyone get the sack or will they be going home in a bodybag?, you'll have to watch and see, I can't wait to watch it again, British humour at it's best, for me it's right up there with Shaun of the dead.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Tim McInnerny
Laura Harris
Toby Stephens
Danny Dyer
Claudie Blakley
Creators:
Danny Dyer (Primary Contributor)
Laura Harris (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
EAN: 5060002835043
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2007-01-08
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006-11-30
Language: English (Original Language)