Deadgirl’ is for the sick at heart … seriously

One of my former Spokesman-Review colleagues is a sick little puppy. Which is the main thing that I like about the guy. He’s a big fan of David Lynch and boasts a particular fondness for “Lost Highway.” He likes David Cronenberg , too.

So when he sent me a copy of a little film titled “Deadgirl,” I was of two minds. On one hand, I like anything that smacks of sickness. On the other, reading the IMDB description - “Two high school boys discover an imprisoned woman in an abandoned mental asylum who cannot die” - I wasn’t sure this was something I was, uh, dying to see.

So I held off. For months, actually. Until last night, in fact.

Big mistake.

Look, I’ve seen some sick films. You don’t have to search very far on the Internet to find some of the sickest stuff imaginable. Stuff that makes film series such as “Saw” and “Hostel” seem almost tame by comparison.

But there is something particularly nasty about “Deadgirl.” It combines a bit of teen angst (one of the boys is an alienated stoner who carries a troubled torch for the girl he knew in the 9th grade) with some standard horror conceits (the mental asylum is filled with dark corridors and at least one toothy Doberman). Even so, the result is more exploitation than full-fledged storytelling.

Oh, and the girl? Lots of nudity. Lots of graphic rape. Even a bit of cannibalism, which gives a whole new meaning to the term “knob gobbler” (if you catch my drift).

So, I’d like to say that I enjoyed “Deadgirl” (not to be confused with “The Dead Girl” or “Dead Girl” ). That I saw what the filmmakers were trying to do in terms of social commentary and irony and everything that takes film beyond what shows up on the screen. But … no. I didn’t.

Think I’ll go back and watch something far more tame. “Blue Velvet” should do the trick.

Pabst Blue Ribbon!

Below : The trailer for “Deadgirl.”