Ogre (2008) (TV)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Steven R. Monroe

Writer:

Chuck Reeves (writer)

Release Date:

8 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

No Donkey. No Fairy Tale. Just TERROR.

Plot:

A vicious Ogre rules over a town that has been stuck in time since the 1800's. |

Plot Keywords:

Ogre | Outsider | Candle | Domineering Father | Human Sacrifice

Cast

John Schneider	...	Bartlett Henry
Ryan Kennedy	...	Mike
Katharine Isabelle	...	Jessica
Brendan Fletcher	...	Stephen Chandler
Chelan Simmons	...	Hope Henry
Andrew Wheeler	...	Franklin
Kyle Labine	...	Terry
Kimberley Warnat	...	Leah
John Shaw	...	Giles
Chilton Crane	...	Hester
Tyler Johnston	...	Matthew
John Wardlow	...	Rolf
Michael Puttonen	...	Abel
Alex Zahara	...	Lawrence
Sean Campbell	...	John

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence/gore.

Runtime:

Canada:90 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | USA:R | Germany:16 | Australia:MA (2009) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Cinetel Films

Black magic in a town kept alive by human sacrifice...

I only watched OGRE on the Sci-Fi channel because JOHN SCHNEIDER was in it and I hadn't seen any of his work in a long, long time. Always thought he was an interesting actor.

And he doesn't disappoint here. He's very good as the corrupt leader in a small town where each year a villager is sacrificed to keep the dreaded OGRE from killing them. To them, he is "that which must be fed." And feed he does, in a frenzy. But he's a CGI Shrek look-alike who is never too convincing. In addition, there are insufficient special effects and some bad acting by the younger members of the cast.

KATHARINE ISABELLE has to be singled out as the most offensive. She's a shrieking, whining and moronic girl who gets annoying after three minutes of screen time. Bad acting from a few others almost makes the film unwatchable in spots.

But through it all, JOHN SCHNEIDER takes his sinister role seriously and gives an eloquent performance that comes off as Shakespearean compared to some of the lesser players. A talented man, caught trapped in some bad material but doing his best to elevate it.

The backstory of a village threatened by a vicious ogre is interesting and it does get off to a good start with some fine atmospheric photography. But it soon becomes apparent that this is just another low-budget Sci-Fi Channel film that needed better dialog for its below-par cast of young thespians.