Review:100 Feet (2008)
By William Pattison
This time I got my number one favorite Ghost film of the
past decade, done by the film genius, and that is my informed opinion, Eric
Red…
A young woman, Marnie Watson, is granted early release from
her prison sentence for manslaughter (killing her husband - a violent NYC cop -
in self defense) on condition she wear an electronic ankle bracelet and remain
within her home, effectively under house arrest, for the remainder of her
sentence. Her late husband's partner keeps tabs on her from a patrol car parked
across the street, hoping she'll violate probation and he can send her back to
prison. But the 100-foot radius her ankle bracelet allows isn't the worst of
her problems.
Now, to start out with, if you want to be completely blown
away you need to track down and buy a copy of the Hollywood Video Exclusive Unrated
version of this film because the mere two and a half minute of additional
footage elevates this film to genius level. You jaw will literally drop and you
will be stunned. It is the definition of brutal perfection. It makes Negan’s murderous
introduction in The Walking Dead look cute and cuddly by comparison. I kid you
not.
So, this is filmmaker, Eric Red’s violent and claustrophobic
masterpiece about a woman, played brilliantly by Fanke Jameson, who is trapped
in her brownstone where a year before she freaked out and cut the head off her
abusive cop husband. She is trapped because she is tethered to the house by an
electronic bracelette around her ankle that only allows her to go one hundred
feet in any direction or an alarm goes off and she is only allowed one minute
to get back into the one hundred toot zone or the police will come and take her
to prison. But she is unaware that she is not alone. The vengeful spirit of her
husband is also tethered to the brownstone and is going to use her for his
personal punching bag.
Also, added into the mix is her husband’s partner who thinks
the wife didn’t kill her husband but is being bullied into silence by the
“real” killer. As well is a young delivery man who falls for her … but you have
to watch the unrated version to truly appreciate his fate.
Eddie and the Cruisers star Michael Pare plays the spirit of
the dead husband, but you would not recognize him with the freaky ghost FX that
Eric Red Co seals him underneath. You actually only get to get a clear look at
him at the very end of the film.
But, when it comes down to it this is Famke’s film and she
is literally put through hell throughout this nightmare of a film.
Years ago I had Eric Red on my Podcast, An Awakening of
Horror and we spent over two and a half hours discussing this film. Eric
praised it as the best interview of his career.
But, I’m not mentioning the interview just to pat myself on
the back, though I deserve it. It is because Eric talked about how he
manipulated Fanke to get the incredible performance out of her. He literally
made her hate Michael Pare and at the end of the shoot she even ended up
punching him in the face to get rid of the anger and stress she was under,
though for all I know this might be an amusing fiction on Eric’s part. For me,
I can believe it.
But once again I heartily suggest you see the uncut version
because you
Literally get to see a human being broken into a bag of mush
wíth all the yummysnapping and crushing sounds and closeups of limps and
ribs breaking…spoilers
!!!... Now that is a party!!!
