The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom, Agoraphobic Horror

Take Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" (our film of the month).  Now add lots more spice and kick it up a few notches.....and now we have 2014's "The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom."  Also add some great gore by Michele Mulkey, a louder and more worldly protagonist (...not that anything was wrong with Catherine Deneuve), and a whole bunch of people we actually feel we know, and we have a glorious Indie, low-budget, horror flick. Written and directed by Mark Dossett, with a tour-de-force performance by Shannon Scott, "The Torment of Laurie Cullom" is a must see for Indie-Horror fans.

After a horrific rape, Laurie (Scott) is reduced to a helpless agoraphobic.  Like zombie films, the safety of the indoors is always invaded by the outside evils.  Seemingly functional in her home, the outdoors reduces Laurie to a shriveling mess.  The indoors seem safe, after all, there is a fiend out there who is killing young woman. This film takes place in the 1980s and Laurie is almost too comfortable in her new reality of MTV and soda addiction.  Uh oh...slowly her safety and remaining sanity are invaded.  Is there an intruder in the house or is Laurie merely hyper-paranoid?  The incidents get more intense as night falls and she watches horror films.  Her pleas to the sheriff (Dossett) are met with some skepticism, even after a battle with a menacing reptile.

Completely on edge, the invasion, or hauntings, of outside forces get more intense for Laurie. Horror film fans will see Mark Dosset's homages to "Repulsion," "Jaws," and "Halloween."  These are appropriate references as insanity, nature, and slashers seem to be converging on our beautiful damsel.  As helpless as Laurie appears, she will have to muster up courage and eschew her agoraphobic tendencies to do battle with murderous tormentors, real and imagined.

Everyone involved in this film were first-timers.  This is amazing because the acting by Ms. Scott is sensational and the direction of Mr. Dossett is first-class.  From the equipment used to shoot, and the economical strategies to secure appropriate sets, this is totally a low-budget film with big budget scares and acting. The spiral downward into fear and paranoia, captured brilliantly by Ms. Scott as Laurie, is the core of this slasher film.  Of course, gore, a slasher, and other horrors are added in, which is fine with all of us.  "The Torment of Laurie Cullom," will satisfy and  scare all you out there. So..if you found "Repulsion" a little too ethereal or vague....consider this film a "Repulsion" for real people. To download or stream this film click on this link Torment of Laurie