Discopath (2013)

Lack of good storyline.

A Disappointing Continuation

A different way of telling a story

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Sometimes it is better to be deaf, but more on that later. Let's take the positive things first. We're talking about great technical aspects surrounding this movie. The camera work is exceptional, the lighting is really good. The overall quality is way better than some other similar low budget efforts. Someone had a vision and that vision came to life in quite some fashion.Having said that, the movie also has some issues. It pays homage to "old" horror movies. Just the fact it's playing in the Disco era (hence the title and the music, both fitting) alone should be a giveaway. And it's not a bad thing, it's just that sometimes there are bumps and quite a few hiccups along the way. If the story was a tight as the look of the movie, we could have had a real winner. And while some of it is done on purpose (or as a tribute to the movies this was inspired by), you'd wish they'd have spent a bit more time on the script ...

When I started watching this I thought I was in for a treat. A good horror (from the reviews), decent music, and lots of great memories of the 70s.None of those 'treats' came along.The story of this movie is OK, but the 'horror' part of the film is missing. It's almost a comedy - but its not funny. In fact, it is awful.A few 'effects' obviously using dummies and some dodgy cardboard.The film makers manage to replicate the 70s quite well at the beginning of the film - especially the very beautiful dark haired skater girl - the kind of girl I used to chase after in my teenage years - but they missed some attention to detail.The movie starts in English then switched to French, so be warned if you are not fortunate to be bilingual or able to read subtitles.Jérémie Earp-Lavergne gives a very poor performance as the lead character. Nothing much more to be said about his acting really.I'd say one to miss and leave on the shelf.

Music speaks to us all. But when music speaks to Duane Lewis (Jérémie Earp-Lavergne) he transforms into a serial killer whose murderous trail of blood can be found on both sides of the 49th parallel.On the surface, Duane looks like your average young man growing up in the discocentric mid-1970's. But a childhood event (seen later in flashbacks) underline why Duane has psychotic snaps in the presence of disco music leading to his murderous ways. His serial killer instincts are so violent in nature that bodies are dismembered and mutilated beyond recognition.On Duane's trail are both detectives from New York City and Montreal where Duane has taken up residence after fleeing the United States after a brutal slaying at a local Discotheque. Always one step behind, Duane seems unstoppable during his musically engaged rages. That is, until Duane reveals himself to the detectives leading to a climax that is an unpredictable as it is enjoyable.Discopath is directed by Renaud Gauthier who marked his directorial debut with this slick and fun horror film. A toe-tapping soundtrack which includes music from Kiss and KC & the Sunshine Band help lead to the authentic feel of the 70's and the violence goes from the grotesque such as the use of vinyl as a weapon to the graphically conclusion to a car chase during a funeral procession.Discopath switches languages when the action switches to Montreal which may dismay anyone who groans when having to read subtitles. But the effect only personifies the authenticity of the environment and setting that Gauthier has constructed from his own screenplay.A few dialogue lapses and questionable casting choices for a few of the side characters are the only drawbacks in an otherwise highly recommended hidden gem that we bet disco balls many of our readers have not heard of prior to this introduction.Upon a second viewing, we believe strongly that had Discopath been released theatrically in the late 1970's or early 80's it would easily have become kin to other revered Canadian horror films such as Black Christmas, Prom Night and Happy Birthday to Me.As an elder statesman in 2014 I can still confirm that Disco Sucks. But Discopath does everything but.www.killerreviews.com

Discopathe tells the story of a young man whose childhood is traumatized by an incident involving Disco music. Since that time he cannot bear to listen to this music and even becomes a psychotic killer when exposed to its groovy bass lines and pumping bass drum.Okay, it's all a bit silly really but with that in mind, this movie is such a cool load of fun.Exploitation genre fans of stuff like Maniac, Tenebrae and The New York Ripper are likely to find much to enjoy in this tongue-in-cheek gore fest. When it gets gruesome, it ticks the splatter box pretty well so that hardened gore hounds can get their fix, yet it manages to keep the mood light, unlike the movies which it pays homage to.The language switch halfway through the film is a bit jarring for the English speaking viewer, as the film kind of presses a reset button but it manages to regain pace fairly quickly and get back on track. Unlike many films these days, it has a very satisfying ending.If you really can't stand disco music, this film might get a bit tedious, with the soundtrack being truly awash with the stuff but personally, I thought it was its beating heart.If in recent years you have enjoyed the likes of Hatchet, House of the Devil and Planet Terror which look back fondly on the golden era of splatter, then this one will probably join those on your list. I'm not too sure if it is likely appeal to the rest of the movie-going public but then I don't think director Renaud Gauthier would care that much. He certainly wears his heart on his sleeve for Discopathe.