CUT

Australia, 2000, 75 minutes, Colour.
Molly Ringwald, Jessica Napier, Simon Bossell, Sarah Kants, Kylie Minogue.
Directed by Kimble Rendall.

Cut is a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the horror slasher genre, especially the Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street films. It was produced in South Australia, brought in an overseas star, Molly Ringwald, who satirises the arrogant B-star let loose in an overseas country.

The film has the ingenuity to make serious and funny dialogue at the same time, satirising all the genre, character and expectations. It is original insofar as its villain is not one of the cast but rather the film creature who materialises because of the creative energies of the film-makers. The creature can only be destroyed by destroying the negative of the film.

The film starts in 1985 with the making of a horror film called Hot-Blooded? where the creature goes on a rampage and kills the director (Kylie Minogue in a cameo). The film then moves to 1999 where film students wish to continue making the film, especially the young woman who turns out to be Kylie Minogue's daughter. As they go to the mansion where the film is to be made, the villain materialises and gets rid of most of the characters. There is a final confrontation with the burning of the film and the dissolving of the creature - but, of course, there is another print somewhere and a movie lecturer in the United States shows it to her students_

The film is actually a cut above this kind of movie satire.

1. The spoof of the genre, the horror film, the slasher film? Spoof and parody? The knowing references to the various horror films?

2. The title and the meaning of "cut" in film-making as well as "cut" in slashing?

3. The ingenuity of the film creating its own monster and the only way to destroy it is by burning the film?

4. The dialogue about horror and catharsis for the audience, the tongue-in-cheek seriousness, making serious points through spoof? The condemnation of the kind of film being made as well as exalting it? Comments about violence and censorship?

5. The opening, the making of Hot-Blooded?, Vanessa, her role, acting, Scarman and the slashing? Hilary and her confrontation, harsh words to him, his killing her? The film being abandoned?

6. Mr Lossman and his being an assistant on the film, teaching the film course, telling all the stories about the film, Raffi as Hilary's daughter, deciding to make the film, the warnings of Lossman, the telling of the stories about the various producers and film-makers being slashed while watching it? Her friends doing it for a dare? The discussions, listing the various members of the crew, going to the screening and playing the prank on Hilary with their all pretending to be dead? The projectionist, his mad dialogue, his declaration that he wasn't affected in any way by seeing so many killings? His own death?

7. The old lady, her connection with the film, signing the waiver about finances? Her reappearance at the end of the film - and her being disposed of?

8. The group going to the house, the sinister old man and his avaricious demands for money? Setting up for the filming?

9. Molly Ringwald as Vanessa, as young, the original film? Playing golf, talking to her agent, travelling overseas, the star tantrums, with the young people, nobody to meet her, the mattress in the motel, wanting tofu, being rude and arrogant?

10. The range of deaths - the young couple and sex, the various stabbings, slitting, the poker through the neck? The police and their investigations and their also being killed, the old lady?

11. The filming and Vanessa and her professionalism, encountering Scarman, the reality rather than the make-believe, the confrontations with Vanessa, going out the window, fighting him? His pouring petrol on her, her surviving?

12. The police, the investigations, their being assured, Scarman getting the better of them?

13. Raffi burning the film, Scarman dissolving? The irony of the American group beginning to watch the film and making Scarman materialise again?