XCU: Extreme Close Up

I can't believe, this movie only has been reviewed once before. Apparently it never got released. I stumbled over it in a DVD bargain bin in Italy (Milano Centrale I believe) and grabbed it immediately. With a production date in 2001 it looks pretty dated by now, but at the same time it's a time capsule of that era (the first 90s boom of Reality TV with shows like Real World, Big Brother and Survivor). The low DV quality definitely helps and is used very well. Sean S. Cunningham did a great job and it's a real shame, that nearly no one had the chance to see it. For me it's one of his best efforts (I only liked New Kids more than XCU). I especially liked to see the influence of Mario Bavas masterpiece Reazione a Catena (Twitch of the Death Nerve) again (as in Friday 13th). It's a very welcome return to his roots, although not as gory. The very authentic reality TV angle makes up for that. It's a great horror/slasher film as well as an intelligent media satire, even by todays standards. All the actors turn in good performances. I especially liked C. Thomas Howell (never thought of that remembering some of his more recent films of the last decade. Hunt this movie down and see for yourself.