Cherry Falls [DVD]

Australian director Geoffrey Wright made his American debut with this skewered take on the teen slasher film. Set in the quintessential American small town, “Cherry Falls” takes the convention of horror movies that only virgins can escape the killer’s knife and turns it on its head. When an unknown predator starts murdering teenage virgins, the town sheriff, (Michael Biehn) who has a teenage daughter of his own (Brittany Murphy), calls a general meeting amongst the concerned parents to combat the problem. The town’s teenagers however come up with their own solution; a ‘lose your virginity party’. Meanwhile, the body count rises, parents become delirious with fear and the kids get more and more frisky. “Cherry Falls” eventually descends into familiar formula but along the way offers some subversive moments like a father encouraging his young daughter to ‘go all the way’ with her boyfriend and father daughter relationships that are laced with incestuous desire. Cast includes: Jay Mohr, Candy Clark.