Cherry Falls Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
lose your innocence - or lose your life
Innocence has never been deadlier.
At Virgin High... it's put out or die.
If you haven't had it... you've had it.
What would you give to live?
Get Laid... Or Die!
In the small town of Cherry Falls, Virginia, a black-clad, long-haired killer is offing various high school teenage virgins in various gory ways. Jody Markam, the virginal teenage daughter of the town's sheriff in charge of the investigation, launches her own investigation to figure out the killer's identity and stumbles into a web of long hidden dark secrets spun around the killings involving people of the town she always thought she trusted which makes her one of the killer's primary targets.
| Brittany Murphy | Jody Marken |
| Jay Mohr | Leonard Marliston |
| Michael Biehn | Sherrif Brent Marken |
| Jesse Bradford | Rod Harper |
| Candy Clark | Marge Marken |
| Amanda Anka | Deputy Mina |
| Joe Inscoe | Tom Sisler, Principal |
| Gabriel Mann | Kenny Ascott |
| Natalie Ramsey | Sandy |
| Douglas Spain | Mark |
| Bre Blair | Stacy Twelfmann |
| Kristen Miller | Cindy |
| Michael Weston | Ben |
| Keram Malicki-Sánchez | Timmy |
| Joannah Portman | Sharon |
| Geoffrey Wright |
4.70 out of 10 (4544 votes)
Visitor Reviews
pretty good, but suffers from cuts and tedious ending
posted on 21 Jul 2009I must say that I enjoyed Cherry Falls quite a bit. It was a movie that was purely for entertainment value and it sure kept me amused. The script was quite witty, and the murder scenes were alright. However, I was disappointed with the fact that I kept hearing about this movie being controversial and all that, but it was far from. Sure the premise is a little on the risky side, but that is about it. There wasn't much nudity, or even violence for that matter, which was a little disappointing, but it didn't really take away from the movie too much. The first 70 minutes of the movie is exciting and fun, however, it needed to build more tension and suspense. Then the nearly dreadful last 20 minutes start. The murderer revealed themself so quickly that it left me not even caring about the rest of the movie. Besides the fact that the identity of the murderer is blatantly obvious, they should have never revealed it til the end. After we hear the motive and bla bla bla, the movie becomes oblivious of its first 70 minutes of building a decent premise, and it rips apart and turns into a mess. The whole orgy scene was nothing more than a bunch of kids in their underwear, and the whole climactic part of the movie takes place at this party and lasts for 2 or 3 minutes. I felt cheated with the ending they provided and wished that they had made it more thrilling and enthralling. Oh well.... what can I do?? --> 7 out of 10
Ridiculous... But a laugh.
posted on 13 Jul 2009I wasn't that keen on seeing this movie, but I did anyway because nothing else was on. I was suprised, as it was pretty cool. The directing was sharp and had some smart visuals, and the acting was great. Most of the teen characters were weirdos, which was different from having all the usually bimbos and jocks.Either this is a comedy slasher or it is unintentionally funny. It all gets ridiculous when you find out who the killer is, and basically becomes a slapstick comedy. Even more perplexing is the fact that you are never told why the killer only kills virgins.Not bad, but the ending sucks.
The psycho-version of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
posted on 11 Jul 2009The story has to do with a psycho killer dressed as a woman in black who is apparently whacking off teen virgins in the small town of Cherry Falls, Virginia, and carves the word "virgin" somewhere on their person. And when the kids at the local high school, Washington High, find out, they decide to, and I quote, "take themselves off the endangered species list," if you get my drift. With teens loosing their virginity left and right, this narrows down the list of possible victims and the killer must act quickly.Now, some of the parts are a BIT unbelievable. Like, the killer wore NO gloves, so I sincerely DOUBT that the killer's DNA didn't rub off on one of the victims or their cloths, especially since when they were found they were all carved like a Thanksgiving turkey. Second of all, the killer didn't wear as mask, just long hair that overshadowed his or her face, so I find it weird that Jody (Brittany Murphy) didn't see the killer's face when she was attacked. Now, don't take me wrong, I loved this film. It was awesome. Very original and very clever. Not to mention, they completely turned the "virgins live, people who have sex die" story line around and instead of making a regular run-of-the-mill horror film, it separated itself from the rest of the genre. It really stands out. The acting is better than a movie of its caliber, the characters are likeable (most of the time) and virtually EVERYONE in town is a suspect. **The following contains spoilers. Read at your own risk. **Now, the killer's identity is VERY obvious. There's even one part that TOTALLY tells you who it is, but you kinda overlook it (the killer says they're going to be somewhere, but during that scene, they aren't seen ANYWHERE). But the ending is not very original at all. It OVERLY echoes "Scream 3," and could've been better. But the rest of the film was OK, so I overlooked it. ** OK, no more spoilers from here on out. ** "Cherry Falls" has all the elements that sell: sex, drugs, blood, murder, humor, rock 'n' roll, and its own original style. It's an enjoyable film to watch, and I suggest you pick it up next time you see it. I give it an 8 out of 10.
A weak script and flaccid direction make a boring and pointless movie
posted on 08 May 2009Well... you look at the trailer of this movie and you think "how can it fail to be at least entertaining?" After all, it has some good actors (Jay Mohr and Brittany Murphy, for example, have both generally impressed me), and it's about high-school sex and bloody murder - "American Pie with a body count" as one advertisement touted it. Unfortunately it all comes to nought. A weak, cliché-ridden script and flaccid direction make the proceedings seem thoroughly boring and pointless, and I was longing for it to be over well before the end. It has hardly any real laughs or effective chills. If you've seen the trailer you've already seen everything the movie has to offer... more in fact, since nothing in the film itself rises to the promises offered.
Average horror with some nice twists
posted on 29 Mar 2009** HERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS **Life is complicated when you're in high school, but it becomes even worse when a killer seems to target high school kids. Jody (Murphy) is the daughter of the towns sheriff Brent Marken (Biehn). She also has some problem with her boyfriend that wants to "do more" than she wants. The sheriff together with the school principal (Inscoe) tries to keep the situation in control, and Jody turns to her parents and teacher (Mohr) for support. But then the rumor reaches the youth that the killer targets virgins only, and then there is only one way to protect oneself. A huge party is set up, and boys and girls start to pair up. But there are dark secrets about...Not the best movie ever made but sufficient to entertain for a night. A little suspense, a lot of blood and a mix of sex violence and betrayal. There are some nice ideas, twists and turns in the plot mixed up with some more implausible parts. Put together the movie never gets stale, but some scenes one can watch with only one eye. Good but not stellar actor performances but some nice characters. Well... that about sums my comment up I think...5/10
Could have been a great horror movie
posted on 23 Mar 2009This movie had a lot of potential in becoming a great horror movie. The story is pretty good with a nice twist! The fact that this twist easily can be predicted if you are fan of the genre doesn't have to ruin the experience. The acting isn't half bad and even quite enjoyable. The problem of "Cherry falls" however that it is lacking in so many other factors. First of all the suspense. There are just some touches of real thrills in this movie. The mystery concerning the killer is important and interesting but somehow doesn't provide the suspense to stay hooked on the story. The lack of a real threat and danger also ruins this movie. You just know when something will happen. Only two chase scenes were exciting to see. And the number of kills could have been higher. If only to symbolize the threat. But the real killer of this movie is the lack of gore. Let's face it. "Cherry Falls" is a slasher movie! And a slasher movie always should contain a certain amount of blood and gore. We don't get to see limbs chopped off or blood spilled. Like I said earlier the twist is quite nice and enjoyable if you don't expect too much. Personally I would have liked to see a better explanation of the killer's motive. Escpecially since the motive doesn't really coincide with the murders. There is one element in this movie that could have saved this movie but for some reason never gets used. I don't know if it was intentional or just Brittany's way of acting. But Murphy doesn't seem to be 100%! Picture the scene where Brittany Murphy seems to be sleepwalking and saying "Oh daddy" or something like that. I thought that was very creepy. Using this element and the twist combined could have provided a much better ending than it did! (SPOILER!!! Only read this when you have seen the movie. This is how I would have ended the movie. "Leonard Marliston" and "Jody Marken" are actually brother and sister. ("Brent Marken" also raped Marliston's mother). Marliston and Jody fall in love and discover this fact. Repulsed and mad that they can't be together they both decide to get revenge for this terrible crime. To force a confession out of Brent Jody acts like she doesn't know anything about the rape. Once he confessed Marliston kills Brent. Now Jody realizes that she doesn't need Marliston anymore. She convinces him that he has to chase her and try to kill her and that she has to stay in character to mislead the others and thus provide more victims! But she actually is planning to kill him when he is off guard. When she manages to kill him everybody will have the illusion that the town is safe again. We know better. She will continue the killing!
Cherry-Bomb blast
posted on 05 Mar 2009American Pie meets Scream!? Man, that "quote-line" put me off seeing this one for ages since I can't stand American Pie! Anyway, it's nothing like American Pie, and not much like Scream either, other than the fact that someone is killing people. Dunno if the 18 version we got in the UK is any stronger than the US R version, because most of the killings happen off screen (although the opening sequence is fairly disturbing). Still, there is one nice (hilarious) sequence where a cop gets it graphically in the skull with an axe (or maybe it was a hatchet, I can't remember). Anyway, what sets this one apart from most other post-scream slashers is the gruelling plot-line concerning rape. It's pretty heavy stuff (and Michael Biehn says this is a comedy! No way, with a plot-line concerning serious gang-rape, played as straight-faced as hell, this is no comedy; more a straight film with some intentionally funny scenes - which do work well to even out the tension). Is it scary? Nope, but it's fun; a lot of fun that doesn't take itself one bit seriously. I mean, come on: a serial killer who kills virgins rather than killing those stereotypical sex-mad teens of the 80's slasher flicks. Any criticism levvied at a plot-device as quirky as this is sure to be way off the mark. It's not trying to be smart, just a little different, because, let's face it, we HAVE seen it all before, and that at least deserves it a little extra on the old point-o-meter. Trust me, you co could do far worse on rental or purchase with your hard-earned cash than this one (Scream 3 or Urban Legends 2: Final Cut, anyone?).
Can't wait for the DVD
posted on 07 Feb 2009I have been waiting for quite a while for this movie to be released in Canada, and after skipping a theatrical release, it finally lands on video today. Since I work for a video chain, I was able to get my hands on it early and I am so glad. I watched it twice. Having read other people's reviews, I can see their point-of-view. Due to reviews I had read, I too knew who the killer was before I even popped the tape into my VCR, but if I had not known anything about the movie, I probably wouldn't have figured it out that quick.Of all the reviews here, not one person mentions Gabriel Mann. Who is he? He plays Kenny Ascott (the boyfriend) in Cherry Falls, and within the year he will probably be a household name. Having previously appeared in films such as I Shot Andy Warhol, High Art, Great Expectations and Outside Providence, he will be featured in Summer Catch, Josie and the Pussycats and Buffalo Soldiers in this year alone. His charm and acting ability are the qualities that put this movie over the top into something I would actually buy and watch over and over again. If you haven't seen any of his movies, I urge you to check them out because he just rocks!I am still curious to see the DVD for this movie however, because from some of the reviews I read, I thought this movie was going to be a lot more graphic (in both sex and horror) than it actually was. Running at a mere 92 minutes, I am led to believe that there is more to this movie (hmmm maybe we'll get to see more Gabriel??). In any event, I am counting the days until it is released on DVD.
Interesting concept wasted
posted on 25 Nov 2008What could have been a truly great movie turns into a mediocre thriller. The first half of the film is entertaining but after a while nothing seems to happen and you get bored. The killer is easy to figure out and none of the characters are developed. I see why it never made it to American theatres.
In the mood for a fun, jumpy teen slasher flick?
posted on 24 Oct 2008CHERRY FALLS is a way above average teen slasher flick. The targets of the slasher, as revealed on the DVD box, are virgins. What a dilemma the students, the faculty, and the parents face! A memorable scene occurs when the parents first learn the victim profile. Surprisingly the high school of Cherry Falls has an abundant supply of targets. This of course provides plenty of room for black humor and sly satire regarding teen sexuality, and a very powerful...ahem...climax! If the dialog was not written so skillfully, this film could have easily dissolved into flat one-liners, chasing, and slashing. Fortunately the writing is, for this genre, superb, with a fine ear for turn of the millennium teen speech, as well as parental angst.Add to the fine writing an amazingly strong cast, from the veterans to the new comers, and you've got an entertaining mixture of fright and humor.
Definitely worth a watch if you like this kind of film.
great twits
posted on 30 Sep 2008i really enjoyed this movie.It takes the unique twist of killing of the virgins in stead of the sluts.The script was ok, there were definatly strong moments, but some week moments... some of the scene transitions were weak.I thought Jay moore was great. It so strange to see him do this psycho performance after seeing him in movies like go and tv shows like action.Brittany murphy was good to, and the drunken mother, played by candy clark, just constantly made me laugh.The death scenes were pretty good, i just wish we saw it more as it was happening.***1/2 stars outa ****
Mildly scary but very silly
posted on 08 Sep 2008It's a scary movie and I was scared - just less so as the film went on and I became inured to the violence. There's a lot of very ominous sound effects such as knife steel on steel and horrible ripping noises but the film has gone for gore rather than terror.Fortunately for my weak stomach but unfortunately for the film, the makers have realised that it's perhaps too difficult now to have a straight teenage horror. After the various Screams and so on, there has to be horror and something else, something knowing or self-referencing like humour or out and out comedy. Cherry Falls - with a title obvious yet pointedly explained anyway - was never going to be witty or subtle, but it perhaps didn't have to be this silly.In the screening I went to the most gruesome moments were punctured by audience laughter and it was not laughing on the side of the film.Brittany Murphy is good in the lead while some characters, her father played by Michael Biehn especially, sometimes feel as if they would rather be acting in Twin Peaks.If you like horror movies, there's nothing new here at all. If you're a bit squeamish, as I'm afraid I am, you'll find this easier to get through than you expect.
Average little thriller
posted on 02 Sep 2008The premise of this movie is nothing short of brilliant. A psycho slashes all the virgins in a town, so all the teens organise a f***fest to loose that virginity. You wonder why they never thought of that one in the 80s. If you expect porn, you'll be sorely disappointed, there's less skin here than in your average teen-slasher. If you expect gore, forget it. Most killings happen off-screen, and quick cutting prevents us from seeing anything remotely scary.So we're left with a simple whodunnit, though most viewers will soon have figured out who the killer is, there's not exactly much choice. The question whydunnit is the most interesting one in this movie, and I must admit that the answer to that question is pretty original, for everyone who hasn't seen Scream 3.The only thing this movie has going for it is the acting. Britanny Murphy, who seems to be making a career out of giving good performances in lousy movies, is once again pretty good in this one. Michael Biehn, a long way away from James Cameron country, is suitably creepy as her father. The killer's cool too.I'll give this movie a 6 (though it really only deserves a 5). I still have some questions that will keep me out of my sleep, though.How does the killer know who's a virgin?Who exactly appoints the sherrif and the headmaster in this town?And who the hell is that fat kid in Brittany's class? I KNOW he acted in some movie or Tv-series but I just can't remember it.Feel free to mail me the answers, anytime.
Thank Goodness I didn't pay to see this.
posted on 31 Aug 2008For a couple of weeks my girlfriend and I have been looking forward to seeing this movie, as the trailer on T.V made it look fantastic. I work in a cinema and so get to see movies for free. I'm glad I do because I want to warn people not to pay good money to see this - it was awful.It was like a bad T.V movie. The acting was wooden, it was not scary and I spotted the killer and motive half way through the film. I'm only guessing that it was half way, because this film dragged. It was like the longest 90 minutes of my life.The one redeeming factor was the pre credits sequence, which was quite good, but after that go and get your money back and see something better or rent one of the Scream Trilogy on video.I was also somewhat mystified by the low level of violence in the film. Parts of the film seemed missing, just as people were killed the camera cut to something else. I am intrigued as to whether the American and UK versions of the film are different. If so why didn't the distributors allow the film to be an 18 instead of a 15?
Stay as far away from this movie as possible!
posted on 15 Aug 2008You might think that "Cherry falls" is a horror/comedy movie.Wrong! It's never scary and it isn't the least funny so it can't really be... Actually it's hard to see the purpose of this film at all except for the one obvious reason: "Teen-slashers are popular, if we make one with a hint of sex in the subtitle we will make a lot of money, regardless of the script". This movie is predictable and stupid. It is an insult to the viewer and it isn't worth seeing even if it's free. Really, I mean it! I saw it for free and it wasn't worth it! Make sure you're paid well if you have to suffer through this endless row of boring scenes that are remakes of older horror-flick scenes, but without acting. As a final attempt to describe the quality of this waste of tape, I can tell you this: Compared to "Cherry Falls", any "baywatch" episode could very well be Oscar nominated for best movie.The only scary thing about "Cherry Falls" is that you might actually see it, if you're not careful.
CHERRY FALLS a satisfying, fun horror film.
posted on 12 Jul 2008I've recently watched the R-rated version of this film and I must say, if you saw it on USA, then you probably missed most of the raunch that puts this teen slasher over the top. First of all, these SCREAM meets AMERICAN PIE references are just ridiculous. These two films have been completely overblown as far as their actual worth, and to hear people put the two together to describe this film (or the joining of any two films to describe another film) make them sound like a two-bit movie critic for some unknown radio or TV station wanting to be invited on a press junket. We really should stop these simpleton references both on the Net and in print. Say what you feel, put some thought into your writing, not some catchy sound byte.CHERRY FALLS is not like other teen slasher films. First of all, there's no ultra-cool, overbearing modern rock soundtrack cluttering up the film that can totally remove you from a scene."Isn't that Creed playing?" "Yeah, I really like their album." "Did you ever hear...." "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP? I'M TRYING TO WATCH A MOVIE!!"Next, these kids are not Cover Girl/Teen People beautiful. How refreshing in these times. I see ugly people everday, of which I'm one. I also see really pretty women who don't buy into how Madison Ave wants them to look just to sell products. These kids are also mean, they smoke pot, act dumb in addition to being smart. Critics used to complain in the 80's that most of these movies were stuffed with moronic teen characters. Nowadays they are soooo ironic and soooo cool they make me wanna throw up. Not these kids. If you're looking to this movie to feel smarter than you really are because you versed in pop culture references, then this isn't the movie for you.CHERRY FALLS has reaffirmed my faith in slasher films. It's a fun, well-directed piece of exploitation that's very funny, very vulgar, and very brutal. It doesn't break any new ground, but it sure knows how to have a lot of fun without pandering to a generation of kids so warped by technical advances and massive advertising blitzes, they can't tell when they're being bought and sold. Highly Recommended.
Best modern teen slasher!!
posted on 16 Jun 2008There have been a lot of mixed reviews for this film, but I enjoyed it and can't wait until it is released on video in January or February. The plot deals with a psycho killer murdering the virgins of a small Ohio town. The killer's motive has something to do with a horrible crime from the past. There are lots of red herrings, as well as good gore, music, and a great finale. Brittany Murphy is also great, and I enjoyed seeing Candy Clark again as Murphy's alcoholic mother. Have fun with this one.
Finally a killer with ferocity !
posted on 09 May 2008I too went to see Cherry Falls at the Fantasy Filmfestival in Frankfurt, and I have to say it was pretty damn good. Brittany Murphy was X-Cellent, I mean, she has the looks anyway but her acting was just so over the top. Jay Mohr was pretty good too. I'm pretty sure that they screened the cut version of the movie 'cause the 4,5 minute death sequence was, like, over in 30 seconds and the orgy near the end was pretty short and tame also. All in all, great movie, much better than you've come to expect from movies like IKWYDLS. So go and see it, very culty. I'd give it a 9 out of 12,5 points on my rating scale.
"Can you go further?"
posted on 12 Aug 2009A killer is out to punish teenagers in the Virginia town of Cherry Falls, only this time it's the virgins who are the endangered species.Not bad but ultimately routine movie is mildly amusing at best and I guess it deserves some points for not taking itself too seriously. It's gory (gorier than necessary), actually fairly suspenseful at times, and it's got a good cast (some of whom play likable characters). As for story twists, it runs hot and cold - there were some revelations that did not surprise me.You could do better and you could do worse.5/10