The Wicked One
(2006)
review by Catwalk

A group of college students buys books from their fired former professor, reading about a centuries-old being who can raise his army from hell once he finds the proper human host.  Once the overly curious kids start to mess with the myth, they soon realize it’s up to them to keep the evil from taking over the world.

Jackson and his buddy Frank have to do the heavy investigation when two Goths, resembling Napoleon Dynamite and a clueless Velma, dig up the pristine white skeleton of Appladus the demon, all hell breaks loose.  Using negatives to signify their possession, the goth twosome soon attacks the jock, his sidekick and their two girlfriends.

Johnny the jock then gets the worst simulated blow job since George Carlin in “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back”.  He’s a total jerk, and goes to every length to prove it.  Jackson and his buddy Frank hang out with Ariel and Amy, the thoughtful girl and the whore.

The possessed dead continue to grow in numbers as they infiltrate a frat party, chomping down the crew inside, including Johnny.  Meanwhile, Jackson, Frank, Ariel and Amy go through a whirlwind of emotional issues.  The human factor of the film is more effective than the action sequences, not uncommon in budget-restrained films.

Johnny remains the alpha male, even among the undead.  His showdown with Jackson later is neatly choreographed, even if Johnny looks exactly like the Toxic Avenger when he’s fighting.

The soundtrack could use some compression, and a couple of the actors (the Goths) could have been replaced with the puppets from Team America: World Police.  Jared Haas and Chad Littlefield are effective male leads, steadying the ship among a few performances which would otherwise cause the film to slip.  Ogden’s Professor Stockwell is solid, the well-prepared scholar whose family is dedicated to stopping Appladus.

The negative shots and makeup effects fall short of commanding the reactions they’re shooting for, but in all, the film is pretty good.  The faces are interesting but there’s no attempt to effect any other portion of the undead bodies.  In the full-light and daytime shots, this produces noticeable flaws.  In the night and low-light shots, the visual effects work much better.  The stakes look good, that’s for sure.

There are two plot twists which are nicely written but fall short due to the effects.  The choice of a villain and the hero’s victory are cleverly laid out. 

Extra credit goes to Littlefield for his black and white Spiderman tee in the opening. 

In all, The Wicked One is a serviceable independent film, which could use a little polish to overcome the low-budget effects.  The story is strengthened by the complex levels of human interaction.  Commareri and Haas have a great deal of potential and could excel, given a budget.

More information:  www.thewickedonemovie.com