The Special

I am one of those who have not been afraid to experience different things in life. I have travelled quite a lot, and i have seen quite a few things, especially in Europe. Especially in the sex industry, and i have plenty of stories to tell from my strip club visits, and when i visited sex clubs as well. I will let you know about one of those experiences, and that was autumn of 1998. I was going to Germany and was just planning to drink beer, shop alcohol and check out stores. We ended up eventually in a whorehouse ( as some call it a brothel ), where the host introduced us to the girls, as we were offered different choices. I know that the extreme Swedish feminists does not like reading anything positive about the sex industry, and that´s ok. I will say from my experience, i have nothing to complain about. This was a very nice visit in Germany, and i will forever remember the good times that i experienced there. Would i recommend anyone to visit a place like that? If it is a legal business, then why not? There are serious sex workers who pay taxes and do the right thing, and they should not be ashamed of their profession. Because let´s be honest folks, the sex industry will always be around, in some shape or another. And people will always be drawn to sex, no matter what they enjoy or want to try. When it comes to film that takes on the subject of the sex industry, we have quite many different films to choose between. Since i mentioned the year of 1998 earlier, let us bring up one film that actually brought up this subject in the year of 1999. The film is called 8mm, and this is a German-American thriller from director Joel Schumacher, that tells the story private investigator Tom Welles ( played by legendary actor Nicolas Cage ), who is contacted by Daniel Longdale ( Anthony Heald ), attourney of wealthy widow Mrs. Christian ( ), whose husband died recently. While clearing out her late husband´s safe, she and Longdale find an 8mm movie wich appears to depict a real murder, that is connected to snuff films. Tom begins to investigate the truth, as he walks into a world he knows nothing about. This is acually a great thriller, that does show you a dark side of sadistic addiction. I also think that Nicolas Cage is great in the lead role, so definetely worth checking out. This film does look into the darker part of sex industry, something you don´t see very often. I recently came across a very interesting independent film that looked really fascinating called The Special. A story that is connected to a visit to a brothel, that turns out to be quite uniqe experience. Is this an independent horror film that is actually original and good, or is this a waste of your precious time?

Jerry ( Dave Raphaelly ) does not like his job, and now he suspects that his wife Lisa ( Sarah French ) have cheated on him. Jerry´s co-worker and friend Mike ( Dave Sheridan ) is also his drinking buddy. Finally one night Jerry have had enough if seeing his friend feeling miserable, so he suggest that they will visit a brothel that he knows of, where he have a surprise for Jerry. Mike suggest that Jerry should try The Special, but won´t reveal what it is. Jerry finally agrees to do it, but will he be able to handle this new experience?

When you enter a film like The Special, you might think you can figure out right away what is really happening. But this film actually dare to take some chances, and do something different than most independent horror films. The idea of a man going to a brothel to get pleasures from a box, almost like a glory hole, is actually a great idea for a horror film. This box is actually what gives the man pleasure, as the man insert his penis inside the box. Sounds weird right? It is, and that is one of the reasons why i enjoy this film. Remember the 1982 cult classic Basket Case ? Instead of a monster in a basket, imagine a combination together with influences from The Blob and you pretty much have The Special. And this is definetely something you don´t se very often, so that helps The Special stand out in the crowd for being a bit more original. I really get a feeling that this film does feel inspired by the film Basket Case, because the main character in this film called Jerry ( played well by actor Davy Raphaely ), is so obsessed with this box, just as the character Duane Bradley was with the basket he would always carry in Basket Case. I would not say that these films have a lot in common, but the influences are clearly there from the 1982 film. Speaking of the characters, lead actor Davy Raphaely may seem very shy at first, but his behavior clearly changes once he becomes addicted to the box, and Davy manage to capture that behavior with his facial expressions, and some body language as well. I do enjoy the performance of Jerry´s friend Mike ( played by actor Dave Sheridan from the cult independent film Ghost World ). He is kind of a sleazy party guy, but he care for his friend. Dave capture the character of a guy most of us would want as a friend, someone you can trust but also have fun with. When you actually see what´s inside the box, it is actually a clever idea. Finally a bit of an original independent horror film, i always appreciate the effort of a film that combines different ideas, and match them well together. The Special may not be for everyone, but i definetely enjoyed this film for trying a different path. Director B. Harrison Smith deliver a horror film that actually dare to cross different genres, and he manage to make this film work. Definetely worth picking on on DVD or Blu Ray, if you are planning a barbecue evening with some cold beers.

Rating: DDD