Forgotten Frights, Oct. 15: Cherry Falls

Posted on the 15 October 2011 by Cinefilles @cinefilles


CHERRY FALLS (2000)
Section of the cinematic cemetery: Actually clever, sexually sassy Scream off-shoots
Cause of (premature) death: This slasher, which follows a virgin-targeting psycho killer, clashed something fierce with the MPAA. It had to be cut five times before landing an R-rating and then being denied a US theatrical release. When it finally did come out (on VHS), it got a hell of a lot of bad reviews, most of which found it to be just another attempt to cash in on the then newly-revived slasher craze. 
What its tombstone would read: The first time when not having a first time in a horror movie guaranteed you the exact opposite of a fast pass to final girl-dom.  
Why it should be revived: Ridiculously punny name aside (or you know, not), Cherry Falls has so many things going from it. Not only does it have a intriguingly original gimmick (which, naturally, culminates in one big, bloody, abandoned mansion-set orgy), this dark and dastardly funny genre satire features some solid performances from Brittany Murphy (R.I.P.!) and Jay Mohr, who play the main, V-cardholding lead and her English teacher respectively, and one of the best twists, I think, since Sleepover Camp. In a 2001 video review, EW writer Doug Brod called it "the wittiest, most subversive teen thriller since Heathers," and said it was what he imagined a David Lynch-penned slasher would be like. I don't know if I'd go that far, but if you like highly stylized on-screen kills and nearly-90s nostalgia, I doubt you'll regret popping your Cherry Falls cherry.