Reviewed by Peter West "Danger Seeker"

DVD released by Lake Films

Directed by Lance J. Reha

Written by Thomas F. Bragg

Starring:
Rosemary Gore .... Casey
Jocelyn-Anne Bragg .... Casey (age 6)
Thomas Bragg .... James Gilbert
Victor Moreyra .... Bedroom Victim
Tobi-Lyn Byers .... Shannon
Frank Dudley .... Foster Father
Chris Pascale .... Father
Debra Harkins .... Mother
Christine Schiavone .... Foster Mother
Mark Stevens .... Delivery Man
Marina Wagman .... Store Clerk

The Movie:

The film starts in a holding cell where a reporter is interviewing Casey (Rosemary Gore) about the murders she has committed. Casey displays multiple personalities and after verbally castrating the reporter, recounts the death of her latest victim. Justifying her actions as a result of abuse received as a child, we are taken into a horrific and brutal crime told by the perpetrator herself.

Baby Doll is one of a series of shorts by Lake Films called "The Mind's Eye". They are a throwback to the early sixties when shows like the "Twilight Zone", "One Step Beyond" and "The Outer Limits" were some of the most watched programming on television. Baby Doll is brutal in its tension and ends with a twist that will catch all those viewing offguard!

Audio and Video:

Shot on video, Baby Doll is presented in a what looks to be a matted 1.85:1 presentation. It held up remarkably on my HDTV even though it was not anamorphic. Definitely above average in my opinion! While this is a homemade film for all intents and purposes, the cinematography was pretty good and a lot of good camera angles were utilized.

Baby Doll has a Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtrack, it's free or hiss or distortion and is a decent compliment for this short film. There's some good creative imagination utilized for the sound effects. A real decent job for a indie film!

Special Features:

There's a couple of trailers on the DVD including that of Baby Doll. Also there are interviews with director Lance J. Reha, writer Thomas F. Bragg and of the course the star, Rosemary Gore. Also included is a audio commentary by the director and writer. Pretty good for a indie film.

Conclusion:

Before I get into the movie, I want to say this about Lake Films. This is a group that is in it for the fun of it. Nobody is paid, their work all comes from the heart. At HorrorTalk we have a special place in our heart for people like this since they are what keeps the genre going and every now and then they produce something revolutionary that attracts the attention of the industry.

With a short run time of 27 minutes, Baby Doll does not go into deep character development. I don't know how deep we'd want to go into Casey's mind though. We get a brief look at how from her natural parents to the many foster parents Casey was molested by those she counted on most. The result is a mindset towards men that is negative and untrusting. Casey takes it one step more. Instead of just thinking about what she wants to do, she's got a man in her room tied to the bed to get her frustrations out on! The end has a creative twist to it and it caught me a bit by surprise. Lake Films is in the works to make a full length feature of Baby Doll. I look forward to seeing it.

The point of the film to showcase the talents of Rosemary Gore, a perfect name for a scream queen. Rosemary exhibits emotions and moods that are all over the place. Disturbed, calm, vindictive, and downright scary! She's a bit over the top on some, but it works. The "Danger Seeker" is not going to be answering any personal ads for a while after watching her in this film! The movie does not really show off her true attractive self though. You can get a better look at her web site www.rosemarygore.net to check her out. She's truly a very beautiful young lady and now that's she has moved to Hollywood, I expect we'll be hearing more from her.

Overall Baby Doll is a pretty good example of independent movie making. I'd highly recommend it to those that are fans of homemade films and of people that make them just to have some fun with it. At a pricetag of $10.99 it won't break the bank and you'll be supporting a great group of people at Lake Films.

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Films that Peter West reviews are viewed on a Mitsubishi WS-55413 HDTV and listened to on a THX certified Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi A/V Receiver through a 7.1 setup of JBL Northridge E series Speakers.

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