The Victim (2012)

(aka Whores vs. Cops)
Release Date: In Theaters now (limited), on DVD/Blu September 28th.
Country: USA
Written by: Michael Biehn and Reed Lackey.
Directed by: Michael Biehn.
Starring: Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc, Ryan Honey and Danielle Harris.

The Victim is worth seeing if for no other reason than to behold its opening scene; have you ever wanted to see Danielle Harris getting filled out like a cheap application, from behind, while saying things like "I'm a whore?"

Us too.

She's not naked in the scene, but she doesn't really have to be. It's the aesthetic of the whole thing that made us do the slow clap. We've long suspected that she enjoys herself a good rogering, and now we know.

The Victim is also a pretty decent little Grindhouse flick that was done on the cheap, so there's that, too.

The Victim is the story of two slutty strippers that head out into the woods with two off-duty cops, presumably for a gang bang. Once the deep woods sexy-time begins, it doesn't take long before one of the "dancers" get banged to death, in literal fashion. The other girl obviously freaks out and takes off running, because she knows that two cops aren't going to leave a stripper-witness behind that can pin a murder on them, accidental or not.

Our whore-on-the-run bumps into a dude who lives alone, deep in the woods, and it's... Michael Biehn! Now, we all know that Michael Biehn is a kick ass hero and he loves the ladies, so you know he has no choice but to help her survive. When the dirty cops show up, the question becomes who is really the killer here, and who has secrets that they're hiding?

You do not mess with the guy who lives deep in the woods and "just wants to be left alone." You just don't.

It's interesting to see Michael Biehn choose to do a straight up Grindhouse throwback story for his directorial debut, because considering that he wrote it too, it must be material that he is truly passionate about. Written in three weeks and shot over 12 days on an $800k budget, The Victim is a solid little flick that Biehn manages to make work with minimal resources.

To us, The Victim feels a lot like Death Proof (sans all of the Tarantino quirk and the forced visual Grindhouse look) in that it's a character driven story with that old 70's feel about it. There's action and gore to be had here, but it's really more of a cat-and-mouse type of thriller... and that's all right with us.

I'm pretty sure he's the cat.

It's also really cool to note that most of the stunts in the film, especially the fight scenes, were for the most part real action. During one scene where a baddie puts a choke hold on Biehn's character, it worked so well that he actually passed out. Now that's commitment.

It takes an awful long time for things to get going in this one, and as enjoyable as it was, we would have preferred a bit of a quicker pace... or more action... or something. Michael Biehn truly made the most out of his small budget and his limited set pieces, but we fear that because of said limitations, some viewers will lose interest and not see the film for being as decent as it is. It really is a lot like Tarantino's Death Proof; far more horror fans loved the action packed Planet Terror half of Grindhouse, while finding the Death Proof half boring or slow, or just lackluster. I personally disagree, and loved the whole Grindhouse experience, but I'm just saying...

Stripper on the run!

It's 2012, people. I think it's high time that we stop calling Strippers "Dancers." I mean, come on. Girls, no one wants to see your half-assed dancing skills, they want you naked and gyrating on or near them, because they need some action. Some hard-bodied, cocoa butter smelling, daddy issues in effect, action. This isn't Flashdance, honey; you want to be a dancer, go join the ballet... and just see how many tips you get then.

Smart girl.

Sadly, Danielle Harris does not get naked in this; she look all kinds of slutty hot in some skimpy outfits, and we see her get railed a few times, but no nudity. We do get some Jennifer Blanc boobies though. Thanks for sharing your wife's hotness with us, Mr. Biehn.

Close, and yet so far away...

The Victim is a pretty decent movie for what it is; a low budget Grindhouse throwback. It's not going to blow you away, nor will it redefine the genre in any way, but it will entertain most horror fans on some level, and deserves to be checked out. We give it a C because it's an average flick, but that's no put down in this case; it really should have been far, far worse. Not bad. Now someone give Michael Biehn a bigger budget and some more time to write and direct something, and lets see what he can really do.

Dirty stripper hotness is in abundance here, so if you're a prude, avert your eyes! Conversely, if you're down with some sleazy exploitation, then pony up and enjoy this flick.