In memory of Brittany Murphy, I am reviewing one of my favourite films she starred in, Cherry Falls.When a serial killer preys on teenage virgins in the small town of Cherry Falls, the teens decide to save themselves by having sex. But Jody (Brittany Murphy), the town sheriff's daughter, still wants her first time to be special. So instead she tries to find the killer herself and stumbles upon a dark secret involving some of Cherry Falls' most prominent citizens.
The plot of Cherry Falls takes one of the horror movie rules - virgins are the only survivors - and turns it on its head. It is a bit similar to Scream (especially in the first scene when a girl is nailed to a tree, like Drew Barrymore's character being hung from a tree in the opening scene of Scream), but there are still enough differences so it isn't a complete rip-off. I never came close to figuring out who the killer was and I was shocked when I found out the motive as well.
Most of the characters are smarter than the usual horror movie teens, taking matters into their own hands, holding a "Pop Your Cherry Ball" to lose their virginity so they don't become prey for the killer. And the acting is superb; Murphy plays a smart brunette, which is a change from some of her bubbly, blonde characters (like in Uptown Girls or Just Married).
The pace is a bit slow. After the initial kill scene, there isn't another for awhile. Overall, there aren't many deaths in the film and when they finally are shown, there is little blood or gore. But I was never bored because of the snappy dialogue and interesting plot and characters. Here are a few funny quotes:
"We're talking hymen holocaust here!"
"Hail, hail, Virgin High, drop your pants, it's fuck or die!"
"This is my post; I just can't split!" (Followed by his head being split in half)
Although somewhat of a Scream rip-off, Cherry Falls is a slasher with funny dialogue and a fresh twist on slasher conventions.
