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Otis
20th Century Fox

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MOVIE REVIEW:

In this shockingly appealing horror comedy -- which opened this year's SXSW Film Festival in Austin -- schlubby, 30-something pizza delivery guy Otis Broth (Bostin Christopher) just wants to go to the prom; all he needs is a date. So the barrel-bellied suitor abducts pretty, prom queen-worthy teenager Riley Lawson (Fast Food Nation's Ashley Johnson) from her suburban home and shackles her in an underground dungeon decorated like a cheerleader's bedroom. Here, assuming the persona of the star quarterback, Otis will woo Riley until she plays along and accepts his invitation to "the big dance" at which time they will "go all the way." Riley knows that four previous girls never made it to Otis's totally rad '80s prom before he got frustrated and chopped them up, so she must be cunning to stay alive and protect her virginity. Riley's discouraged parents (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas), meanwhile, endure the ineffectual efforts of the police until they learn the identity of the serial killer themselves. Then, with their Xbox-conditioned son (Jared Kusnitz), the Lawsons arm themselves with home appliances and pay a visit to Otis's lair, with viciously twisted results. Johnson is outstanding as the feisty heroine and newcomer Christopher makes Otis an eerily romantic sex offender, but comedy stalwarts Stern and Douglas elevate the material into cult magic.

DVD FEATURES

This direct-to-DVD release from Warner Home Video's Raw Feed division is a clever send-up of familiar babes-in-bondage horror flicks, co-written with a dark sense of humor by Thomas Schnauz (Reaper) and Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers). In filmmakers' commentary, Jendresen and director Tony Krantz (24) discuss how the dark comedy works within the confines of their unique movie. Bonus features include an alternate ending, the cast-and-crew documentary "The Twisted World of Otis" and a home movie titled "Suite 16," which is the 8mm reel of Otis fantasies ostensibly made by Otis himself that he projects behind him during his "dates." Trailers for the movies Rest Stop, Sublime and Believers remind us what other Raw Feed releases are available on DVD.

by Rob Walton