Smash Cut, Sasha Grey Moves on from Porn

Sasha Grey, who made it as a porn actress (she appeared in 224 adult films), stars in today's film, 2009's "Smash Cut."  Still a very young lady, Ms. Grey now stars in more main stream films, and has also started a band.  aTelecine plays death dub, ambient, and experimental genres (....I guess I have competition).  Not even close to her 30th birthday, she has excelled at everything she has tried her hand at.  Not on drugs, and not a victim of sexual abuse, Ms. Grey shatters the stereotypes of those involved in the porn industry.  In "Smash Cut," her character, April Carson, is of a similar ilk.  The info-babe must take charge, head into danger, to solve the mystery of her sister's death.

As our story begins, Able Whitman's (David Hess) newest horror film, "Terror Toy" is being laughed out of the cinema by infuriated movie-goers.  Even the critics pile on the scorn for Able's latest effort.  Their complaint?  The gore effects are so phony, they are comical.  Distraught, Able goes to see his GF, a stripper known as Gigi Spot (Jennilee Murray).  On their ride home, Able crashes his car, which kills Gigi.  Seeing the bloody corpse of his once main-squeeze, Able sinks into madness with a macabre idea.  He saves Gigi's corpse and uses her blood and body parts as effects in his newest film.  Now inspired, Able needs to continue finding real body parts.  One of his first victims is a buxom critic (Gwen Douglas).  Her harsh review of "Terror Toy," unfortunately, sealed her fate.  Uh oh....Gigi's sister, April, is a TV reporter bent on uncovering the mystery of Gigi's disappearance.  Together with suave and debonair private eye, Isaac Beaumonde (Jesse Buck), she quickly determines Able must have done something to Gigi.

As April gets a job as an actress on Able's set, Able continues his killings and disembowelment for realistic body parts.  Our protagonist excels as a scream queen, and the gore effects do as well.  In one heartwarming scene, April does Hamlet (...alas poor Yorick) with her sister's head, not knowing her connection with the decomposed appendage.  As April and Isaac close in on proving Able's misdeeds, Able plunges further into homicidal madness.  When our two heroes close in on the fiend, Able's madness turns the tables on them, causing April to play a real life damsel in distress.  Heavy on gore, and light-hearted on the humor, "Smash Cut" is well acted, and delivers laughs and scares simultaneously.

Terrific performances by the aforementioned actors, a fantastic slew of supporting talent also enhance this film (...such as Michael Berryman).  Kudos to director Lee Demarbre, who pays certain homage to movie making in the 1940s and 1950s.  Oh yes....Herschell Gordon Lewis has some neat scenes in this film.  Fun, gory, and serving as a satire (..or a lampoon) of the film industry, the DVD of "Smash Cut" is reasonably priced on Amazon.