American Mary BD [Blu-ray]

Desperation. The word tells a story all by itself. It implies the situation has reached a turning point and something must be done. Something that a person would not normally choose to do. Something that will have consequences beyond the immediate need. The `Twisted Twins', Jen and Sylvia Soska, are two filmmakers who know how to take that idea and run with it in new and different ways. The pair co-wrote and co-directed "American Mary" a film that shows a dark and interesting path that desperation can lead to."American Mary" tells the story of Mary Mason (Katherine Isabelle), a talented medical school student whose intelligence and drive mark her for a great career as a surgeon... if she can finish school. Mary's financial situation is bad and getting worse as she spends her time trying figure out how she can pay the bills. The distraction caused by a lack of money puts her at odds with her instructors, especially Dr. Grant (David Lovgren), who seems to have a special interest in Mary.Mary is extremely intelligent, but she sees no way that her medical skills can help her, so she decides to use her looks instead and goes to a local adult club for an audition. The club's owner, Billy (Antonio Cupo), is warming up to her and appears ready to put her through the classic `casting couch' interview process when his bouncer comes in and tells him one of his guys is hurt. Since many of Billy's activities aren't strictly legal, he can't just take the guy to a hospital. Instead he turns to Mary and asks for help. At first she is reluctant. Practising medicine without a license could cost Mary her future, but $5000 in cash seems too good to pass up and Mary takes the job on condition that Billy tell no one.Later, Mary is approached by Beatrice (Tristan Risk) one of the club's dancers. Beatrice has a strange look about her, almost like she's a living doll and it's obvious she's had more than one surgery to make her the way she is. Surprisingly enough, the woman wants Mary to help her friend Ruby. Ruby is a fashion designer who has the same, doll-like look as Beatrice. But Ruby wants to be freed of the distractions that her sexual appeal causes her, so she wants to become a living Barbie doll: beautiful, but non-sexual. Again Mary is reluctant, but the allure of the cash is too much. Soon Mary has her own side business doing body modifications for those who can afford her quality of work.Dr. Grant notices Mary's new found financial freedom and assumes that she's selling herself, which leads him to invite her to a `surgeons party' with many of his colleagues. Mary is honored to be invited to such an exclusive event, but she soon falls victim to Grant as he reveals the only reason any women are invited to one of the parties.Now Mary wants revenge and she's in a unique position to have it, but what will she do with a man like Grant for whom killing is too good? Her new sideline offers a world of choices, and her underworld connections help her make whatever she can imagine come true. But as Mary goes further and further down the rabbit hole into the sub-culture of body modification, will she find a way out or will her work come back to haunt her in ways she never imagined?Jen and Sylvia Soska's film "American Mary" is a stunningly inventive film that takes modern ideas of horror and mixes them with Hitchcockian era filmmaking. It would have been easy for the sisters to go over the top with gore and blood just for the sake of shock value, but instead they keep much of the actual cutting off the screen. They show the results, often disturbing and unsettling in themselves, but they leave most of the violence to the imagination. They make Mary's revenge scenes even more horrific as she describes what she will do without the audience having to watch each horrific act. That's not to say there isn't blood and gore. On the contrary, it is there. But unlike many modern horror films that throw it in `willy-nilly' for the shock value, "American Mary" uses it as an integral part of the story.Katherine Isabelle is wonderful in the role of Mary Mason, bringing the character to life emotionally. She comes across as intelligent, confident and most of all genuine. As the film progresses and Mary becomes more entwined in the subculture of the film, she grows to be a dark reflection of the world she's entered, losing touch with her old life. It's also fun to see Jen and Sylvia appear in a small roll as a pair of twins who want to become closer and with Mary's help they may get their wish and maybe a bit more."American Mary" is a perfect example of what talented filmmakers can do when they are allowed to step outside of the norm. As the over the top blockbusters from Hollywood show us time and again, it is easy for studios to throw money at `safe' projects and to substitute effects for story. What these $100 million plus mega-movies often forget though is that the root of any film, horror, romance, action, or whatever, is the story. Jen and Sylvia Soska have shown they haven't forgotten that, and we can only hope they continue to bring quality back to the screen. So check out Jen and Sylvia Soska's "American Mary" - it's a cut and a suture above the rest.

This movie was amazing. I love it in a way that is deep, exhilarating and probably a little unhealthy. It is dark, complex, bleak and humorous. And it is probably the most feminist horror film I have seen to date, and I mean that in all of the best ways possible.At the shallowest level, this film is about a surgeon-to-be who falls into questionable company when she applies to be a stripper and finds that her med student training is more useful to them than her other assets. As this seedy underworld quickly proves more trustworthy and reliable than her student life, she falls into the world of custom body modification.And here's where the deeper levels of meaning come in: At its core, this movie is all about identity, actions, and the relationship between them, about finding the balance between what others want you to be or try to turn you into, and what you yourself choose to be. If you do good work, is the horridness of the rest of your character forgivable? Or is it the other way around?Friday the 13th this isn't. This is a thinking person's horror movie, with ghoulish humor to offset the serious questions it asks about identity and self-determination.[Minor spoilers here]Katharine Isabelle is outstanding as the titular character. She brings a subtlety and nuance to her character; small gestures and facial twitches convey tons of emotion and direction, from her initial naivete (who brings a resume to a strip club?) to her later steely determination to the very end to be defined by her own actions rather than anything put upon her or in her by someone else.Mary's friendship with strip club owner Billy (Antonio Cupo) and his hired enforcer Lance (Twan Holliday) was perhaps my favorite part of the film. Mary's un-relationship with Billy, their simultaneous connection and inability to connect, is poignant and a little sad, even as they both do terrible things. When Mary stalks into the strip club's ladies room late in the film, notice the reactions of the other girls. Tiny touches like that -- they know what's coming, this isn't the first time this has happened -- are marks of the Soska sisters' storytelling genius that masterfully show you the story that has happened off-screen.And Lance... Lance... Lance is just amazing. Half-mentor, half-protector, he tries to take care of Mary as best he can, in the most awesome, slightly lunkish but always loving fashion. When things go wrong, he knows how to make it all better. "Titties and shrimp?"

This film is brilliant, great story telling, acting, script. The gore is good not excessive a joy to watch. The twins are really accessible as well, you can talk to them on facebook. invest in this film and they will invest in you.

Retour chez les Soska sisters, les jumelles canadiennes qui n'en finissent plus de se faire un nom dans le grand livre de l'horreur (elles jouent d'ailleurs dans le film)."American Mary" met en vedette une jeune étudiante en médecine aussi douée qu'à poil financièrement qui va se lancer dans la chirurgie esthétique non déclarée pour hisser son PIB à un niveau convenable. Elle va avoir à faire avec des... femmes (j'ai pas trouvé d'autre terme) à côté desquelles Loana a l'air bio, ca donne une idée. La situation se complique quand elle va se faire violer par un de ses profs (le viol n'est pas suggéré, je préviens au passage, même si j'ai vu pire dans le genre, c'est toujours des scènes avec lesquelles j'ai du mal, beaucoup plus qu'avec la bidoche). "American Mary" vire alors au rape & revenge tout en gardant son fil rouge. Certaines scènes sont assez glauques mais le grand soin apporté à l'esthétique du film comme à la musique rend l'objet assez envoutant. La composition de Katharine Isabelle y est aussi pour beaucoup. Un film un peu étrange mais qui a fait mouche avec moi. 4 / 5

Many of today's horror directors seem content to feed on the corpses of once-living films, banging out the same old derivative, unimaginative movies year after year. American Mary is no such film. It is alive and breathing. It's full of ideas. It is thoughtfully-conceived and well- executed. And unlike so many of its previously-mentioned peers in the genre, it's actually entertaining.Here's a horror movie working on many levels, and firing on all cylinders. It has subtext in spades, and some thought-provoking themes regarding gender, empowerment, violence, and victimization. Its narrative reminded me of some of Cronenberg's work like Crash and The Fly. But again, this is no rip- off. It has its own story to tell.I was also impressed with the technical aspects of the film. It is beautifully photographed, and the cinematography is quite stunning. The color palette is cold and surgical, painting just the right atmosphere and mood for the narrative. The acting is solid all around, too. Katherine Isabelle is perfect as the lead. The arc of her character requires her to play everything from naive, vulnerable, and overwhelmed, all the way to strong, menacing, and vengeful. She does an expert job.I highly recommend American Mary to horror fans looking for something other than the "dead teenager" movie we've all seen a hundred times. It's fierce, funny, disturbing, and in its own twisted little way, a lot of fun.

Well i would love to meet Jen & Sylvia Soska,and to thanked them from thebottom of my heart for this ravishing bloody mess of a more than originally thoughtout movie,that i've ever seen,on any screen especially here in Canada,American Maryis not your average working 9 to 5 girl,this girl got grit and most importantly she's gotthe tools of her trade,and a dam fine brain and body to go with it,but don't make the mistakeof crossing Mary you might lose something of value that's necessary to your body,i love theconcept of the movie,Mary is broke and will do anything to get her bills paid,the beautiful thingabout American Mary,i don't think it's a horror movie that's trying to scare you,it's a verybrave bold face sexist,not in terms of man or woman but of Human Nature,and the lengthswe will go to make it big or fall flat on our face,the editing of the movie is so good and differenti can't say i've seen it done before this way,Directors Jen & Sylvia Soska love you my friends,i feel i have to say that i know you all too well after seeing this.what a concept.Widescreen 2.35:1Runtime 102 min.5.1 DTS.I Wonder If Mary Lives Next Door To Me.?

Soska sisters did it again! Such a awesome movie!! Love it! We need more original horror movies like this!