03/03/2012: Dead Hooker in a Trunk [2009]

I once read an interview with the Soska sisters which asked why they used a trunk instead of the trunk. Their answer was with a trunk it could be anyone's trunk and not just theirs, it could possibly even be your trunk.

Dead Hooker in a Trunk is the debut film the the twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska. Always fans of the horror genre and inspired by other independent film makers they decided to make their own movie and DHIAT is the result.

I think the best thing to understand about this movie before you watch it is that it is a genuine labour of love, not some commercial money grabber. The Soska sisters had a dream, like the many who shoot home movies with their friends and simply took it one step further. It's clear they didn't have much of a budget, The Soska sisters tell me it was $2 500, but they had heart and I think that's what you feel when you watch this movie.

Now no-budget movies made with love aren't exactly new, however what sets Dead Hooker apart is that it's a horror movie, a grindhouse movie made by those who love horror. The "love" is in the grindhouse elements woven into the movie, from the copious amounts of fake blood to the random loss of body parts.

When it comes to the grindhouse elements Dead Hooker really has them all. Unexpected violence, a large number of violent villains and heroes, a slightly disjointed plot line, some random sex, and unacknowledged plot twists.  All these elements did not mix entirely well with the biggest issue being the script. While the overall script is fun, entertaining and perfectly suited to this kind of movie, there was a number of scenes that had no use and appeared to be just thrown in. Dead Hooker also had a couple of tiny plot holes as well as a strange tendency to just glide over a couple of its major twists, most notably a scene with an alive woman and a shovel. One second bamn! plot twist, the next everything is back on track.

But seeing as The Soska sisters, starred in, directed, wrote, filmed and etc.'ed this movie I will give them credit. As for the cast, I felt that I was seeing to sides to them. One was that they are clearly a group of real life friends, and that aspect bleeds into the movie. The other is their creation of four heavily stereotyped characters with a personal twist. The characters are literally credited as Junkie, Badass, Geek and Goody Two Shoes in the credits and with only one childhood flashback there is no backstory. As such you learn everything about the characters as the movie goes, leading to some interesting surprises.

The movie story is all in the title, these friends find the body of the a hooker in their trunk and not knowing what happened decide to go and bury it secretly. Things quickly get out of hand however as strange rivals appear looking for the body. This is when the blood and gore show up and don't slow down much.

I can't come to youth group today, me and my friends are helping the unfortunate.

 All in all Dead Hooker in a Trunk, is a great debut film from the Soska sisters, and is already being called a cult classic. While this is something we will only know in time, I must say this feels very familiar to another pair of horrors great icons. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, two friends with nothing but gallons of fake blood and a love for horror who created one of the great cult classics Evil Dead. That being said I already have my eye out for American Mary, the Soska Sisters next big feature and I look forward to seeing where they go next.