Leeches

Rating:
Summary: Traditional Horror from a Contemporary Viewpoint
Review: 'Leeches' is a horror movie of superleeches attacking and largely wiping out the Lakecrest College men's swim team.

Swimmer Stevo Robbins (played by Matt Twining of 'The Frightening') pushes steroids onto many other team members, partly to help the team win its competitions. Jason (played by Josh Henderson), Tony (played by Stephen Swan), Hank (played by Mark I. Miller), and Fish (played by Greg Lyczkowski) have all received drugs from Stevo. One day the team swims and parties at a lake. Stevo and Jason run back to the showers while carrying rather large leeches on their backs. The guys pluck off the steroid-engorged leeches and toss them onto the shower floor. Later, Tony kicks these leeches down a drainpipe, where they grow bigger and meaner.

The first leech attack is on an incapacitated showerer, Doug (played by Trevor Harris), who gets a mouthful. Doug goes home, vomits up a huge leech (the best effect of the movie), and dies. The leech goes on to the next victim, Brian (played by Mike Cole). The superleeches multiply and are soon all over the campus.

In general, the women are the consciences of the group. Girlfriends Sarah (played by Alexandra Westmore), Sabrina (played by Charity Rahmer), Casey (played by Stacey Nelson), and Angela (played by Maya Parish) resist the take-drugs-to-win positions of the men. Dr. Alice Manning (played by Julie Briggs) finds steroids in the blood of a dead swimmer and wants to test the whole team, but she doesn't live long enough. Sarah is especially brave about touching leeches and their slime.

The other counterpoint is science student/swimmer Steve (played by Michael Lutz) and his study-buddy (played by Tyler Sedustine). They hit the books while the others party.

Of the fifteen credited characters appearing onscreen, twelve die over the course of this 85 minute movie. That's once every seven minutes, which suggests there is a lot of action but not a lot of character development. The early kills are people we hardly know. The later the kill, the more we tend to know and not respect the character. There is a surprise at the end.

At a higher level, the movie portrays the bad side effects of tinkering with our bodies and of putting the wrong chemicals out into nature. Booze and steroids figure in the ends of most. Steroids make the leeches larger and more aggressive. Being a studious scholar-athlete is not a complete answer either, as will be made clear.

At a lower level, the movie displays male skin galore in swimming, bondage, and sleeping situations. The girlfriends go no further than brief bikini shots at the lake. All the men, other than the study-buddy and Coach Foster (played by Tony Carroccio) have lots of time in their swim suits. There is no [alternative]angle; all relationships are straight.

Producer/Director David DeCoteau has created a rather good movie, much improved over Brotherhood III. The camerawork, lighting, and pacing are excellent. The leeches are acceptable, although some unnaturalness of motion is apparent. The acting is average overall, although I liked Matt Twining's Stevo, Julie Briggs's Doctor Alice Manning, and Alexandra Westmore's Sarah a bit more than the rest. The director's commentary is very good, filled with interesting points. There are various plot holes, but these come with the genre.

There are very few naturalistic horror films with lots of handsome, male college boy skin. This is as strong an entry as there is for that niche. 3.5 stars, call it 4 for daring.

Rating:
Summary: BLOODY BEACH PARTY
Review: David DeCouteau is obviously a director who is after the female, bi(...)audience. His movies abound with unbelievably hunky men with bodies like Greek statues. Have you noticed, though, that all the guys look alike--it's hard to tell one from the other, although this one does have one blond who barely fits the muscular mold of his fellow swimmers (the awful Matthew Twining as Stevie O). However, the leeches are creepy crawly, even if you know they are hand puppets. DeCouteau cut back on his typical slomo shots, but had one that was effective: the fate of the stoic Dr. Manning. He uses a lot of strobe lighting effects and jerky camera movements to substitute for his slomo. The acting in this is a little better than his other films; the guy who played the coach is one of the worst I've seen, although probably the best looking guy of the lot. My wife loves these movies cause she gets to see guys rubbing themselves in the shower; but how many guys take showers in their speedos? Why is DeCouteau afraid of showing a little nudity?
So why 3 stars? It entertained me, and my wife would kill me if I gave it anything less.
What's next, David? How about "Slugs" at an all male Chippdendale's club? Hmmm.....wonder if I could find a backer?

Rating:
Summary: BLOODY BEACH PARTY
Review: David DeCouteau is obviously a director who is after the female, bi(...)audience. His movies abound with unbelievably hunky men with bodies like Greek statues. Have you noticed, though, that all the guys look alike--it's hard to tell one from the other, although this one does have one blond who barely fits the muscular mold of his fellow swimmers (the awful Matthew Twining as Stevie O). However, the leeches are creepy crawly, even if you know they are hand puppets. DeCouteau cut back on his typical slomo shots, but had one that was effective: the fate of the stoic Dr. Manning. He uses a lot of strobe lighting effects and jerky camera movements to substitute for his slomo. The acting in this is a little better than his other films; the guy who played the coach is one of the worst I've seen, although probably the best looking guy of the lot. My wife loves these movies cause she gets to see guys rubbing themselves in the shower; but how many guys take showers in their speedos? Why is DeCouteau afraid of showing a little nudity?
So why 3 stars? It entertained me, and my wife would kill me if I gave it anything less.
What's next, David? How about "Slugs" at an all male Chippdendale's club? Hmmm.....wonder if I could find a backer?

Rating:
Summary: WOW, Giant Leeches........Attacking Pretty Boys?
Review: Hoo-Boy, did I dial a wrong number with this one! I saw this at the video store and thought that this would be great, campy fun. It is fun in spots, but Leeches is way too gay to be ignored.

Its not an all male cast, Leeches does have three good looking hoochie actresses in it, and there is enough gore on screen, but there are just too, too many scenes with guys in speedos taking showers...SHEESH! I guess if you are into that sort of thing then this film would get a 4 star rating but I am not, so I take away two.

It reminds me alot of Jeepers Creepers 2, another fairly good horror film loaded with scenes of bare-chested young men. I guess that there is a market for this sort of horror film.

Rating:
Summary: WOW, Giant Leeches........Attacking Pretty Boys?
Review: Hoo-Boy, did I dial a wrong number with this one! I saw this at the video store and thought that this would be great, campy fun. It is fun in spots, but Leeches is way too gay to be ignored.

Its not an all male cast, Leeches does have three good looking hoochie actresses in it, and there is enough gore on screen, but there are just too, too many scenes with guys in speedos taking showers...SHEESH! I guess if you are into that sort of thing then this film would get a 4 star rating but I am not, so I take away two.

It reminds me alot of Jeepers Creepers 2, another fairly good horror film loaded with scenes of bare-chested young men. I guess that there is a market for this sort of horror film.

Rating:
Summary: Skip it.
Review: I always enoy a stupid horror movie, especially David Decocteaus films Voodoo Acadmey and the Brotherhood trilogy. However, this one is just plain bad. The leeches is the thing that ruined this movie. They are so poorly made that all it is, is someones hand in a puppet wiggling up people's body. You can actually see the persons arm! The plot was lame, about a bunch of swim jocks caught up on steroids who are attacked by giant leeches. I will advise you all to stay away, and even David Decocteau fans will be very disappointed, like I was.

Rating:
Summary: Ack!! The Badness!!! The Aching Badness!!
Review: It didn't take long to figure out what this movie was really about. Having read from the description on the case that it was about swimmers and giant leeches, I figured it would be your basic Laughable-Horror-Flick-With-Bikini-Clad-Babes. Boy was I ever wrong!

The film definitely delivers on bad, cheesy, horror, complete with hand-puppet monsters (yeah you heard that right), but there's barely a bikini in sight. Instead it is scene after scene of guys in showers, guys in speedos, guys in tight boxers... it's a heterosexual male's nightmare.

No, this is basically an exploitation film designed to appeal to a female and bi/gay male audience. As such, it is probably overdue, and I am glad that such films are being produced--but I have no interest in watching them.

If you like bad horror and nigh-naked strapping young men, then you may enjoy this film. Otherwise I'd recommend you avoid it. Real leeches suck blood, but "Leeches" just plain sucks.

Rating:
Summary: Ack!! The Badness!!! The Aching Badness!!
Review: It didn't take long to figure out what this movie was really about. Having read from the description on the case that it was about swimmers and giant leeches, I figured it would be your basic Laughable-Horror-Flick-With-Bikini-Clad-Babes. Boy was I ever wrong!

The film definitely delivers on bad, cheesy, horror, complete with hand-puppet monsters (yeah you heard that right), but there's barely a bikini in sight. Instead it is scene after scene of guys in showers, guys in speedos, guys in tight boxers... it's a heterosexual male's nightmare.

No, this is basically an exploitation film designed to appeal to a female and bi/gay male audience. As such, it is probably overdue, and I am glad that such films are being produced--but I have no interest in watching them.

If you like bad horror and nigh-naked strapping young men, then you may enjoy this film. Otherwise I'd recommend you avoid it. Real leeches suck blood, but "Leeches" just plain sucks.

Rating:
Summary: leeches so pathedic that its good
Review: this 1 has a stupid plot. here it is. "o were high school swimmers and we have 2 win so we must take steroids. o and y were at lets jump in the lake so leeches can drink our blood that has steroids in it so they can get big and scary" well thats what is about. though with such a plot....it actually came out pretty decent. for straight to video and silly creature features go......this 1 definatly rates up to the top. the only thing thats bad is theres to many guys walking aroung in speedos half naked for the entire movie. kill them leeches. go leeches go!

Rating:
Summary: leeches so pathedic that its good
Review: this 1 has a stupid plot. here it is. "o were high school swimmers and we have 2 win so we must take steroids. o and y were at lets jump in the lake so leeches can drink our blood that has steroids in it so they can get big and scary" well thats what is about. though with such a plot....it actually came out pretty decent. for straight to video and silly creature features go......this 1 definatly rates up to the top. the only thing thats bad is theres to many guys walking aroung in speedos half naked for the entire movie. kill them leeches. go leeches go!