Escapee [Blu-ray]

Pretty lousy
A psycho escapes from a mental hospital, seeking out the college student he had seen on a tour of the facility earlier in the day. Dominic Purcell is an imposing presence but he isn't used particularly well here--he has barely any dialogue and his part could easily have been played by anyone from the WWF stable. While this movie's premise is solid enough Escapee has some of the worst dialogue ever written by sentient human beings. The scenes between the female detective and her boss are cringe-worthy examples of writing that would earn a failing grade in a Screenwriting 101 class. They're seriously that bad. The movie is a lot better when nobody has any lines. Unfortunately that isn't nearly often enough.

OKAY. NOW I'M CREEPED OUT.
This film was originally released in 2011 under the title "Escape" and was changed no doubt because of confusion with the C. Thomas Howell film by the same name. This feature opens with the murder of a woman. We see the killer wash his knife and hands. The hands have no blood, then a moment later they do? Plot point or an Ed Wood moment?

Once our criminal is caught and then escapes from a mental hospital 5 years later, the film focuses on three college girls. Abbey (Christine Evangelista) is the main character. She is serious and studious. She looks similar to the ex-girlfriend Harmon (Dominic Purcell) killed. Lynne (Carly Chaikin) is refreshing with personality, a character I wish would have been more utilized. Then there is Renee (Melissa Ordway) our blonde eye candy in bra and panties. In a different way, I wish they had utilized her more.

Yes, our criminal is headed toward Abbey and there is a twist which was rather meaningless. A twist for the sake of having...

Blu-ray Review: "Escapee"
I love a good slasher movie just as much as the next horror fan. The sub-genre is so hit-and-miss these days. For every "Cold Prey" or "Laid to Rest," we're given 10 more entries that leave you feeling mentally drained by the time the credits roll on them. Anchor Bay Entertainment's [...] is just lucky enough to fall right in the middle of good and bad in the realm of watchable mediocrity.

Psychology student Abby Jones (Christine Evangelista) makes the mistake of locking eyes with a murderous patient named Harmon (Dominic Purcell) while on a class trip to the local mental institute. Unfortunately, Abby resembles Harmon's girlfriend that he brutally butchered. He escapes from the hospital and heads out in search of Abby, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake.

Director / writer Campion Murphy put together the right ingredients for "Escapee." The problem is the formula he concocts is overused. This would be a shocking and suspenseful film had it come out in...

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