This movie could of sucked, and I still would of liked it just for the plot. This is a high school nerds fantasy come true. Tamara is about a young girl who’s kind of shy and nerdy, but on the inside is a sweet, smart, yet depressed young women. Everyone in school picks on her except for a select few whom either don’t bother with her, stick up for her, or are just like her. Yes, this plot indeed may sound familiar to many of you, as you, yourself might of been like Tamara back in High School. You yourself probably have the last laugh now that your older and more successful, than the jocks and assholes that picked on you in school. I for one may not be the one who’s floating in millions, but I know dam well I’m doing better than most of them. And if your still in school and are a lot like Tamara is in this film, hang in there. High School does not matter in college or the real world, and you’ll make your mark in time. But as for this review and for some of you now, Tamara is a film that you might want to rent. I’m not saying go and kill your classmates, but maybe this film will help you stand up for yourself or at most give you some confidence.
Anyway enough of my advice to the high school kids. Tamara as I stated above is about a girl who some may consider to be the school nerd. However before she goes and gets all crazy and everything, she stands up to many of the school popular kids by writing an article in the school newspaper about how some of her classmates used performance enhancing drugs to help them compete better in sports. This sparks an event in which random drug testing in the school begins to happen, and some of the school top athletes are not happy with Tamara article and make her life a living hell in high school. On top of this Tamara falls in love with her happily married English teacher. We soon find out that not only is she a loner at school, but at home as well. Her mother is dead and her Dad’s a drunk who fixes televisions all day. Tamara locks herself in her room most of the time when she’s at home and practices witchcraft from a black magic book of spells. Desperate to make her English teacher fall in love with her, she performs a spell in her room, and to her surprise nothing happens, or so she thinks. From there the film goes into a series of events, where (Without giving to much away.) Tamara becomes different, more attractive looking and she’s out to kill anyone who’s done her wrong.
One thing I can say about the script to this film is that it was very well though out, and very well written. I was surprised at how much character development went into the script, and although the story developed in something that was a little out there when it came to the plot twist in the film, it never lost it’s touch. For me the script was written very well, and it gave us one hell of a very well planned and though out smart horror film.
The acting was not that bad, I mean Tamara character do fall into that “teenage horror film” plotline. Especially being that the film is an independent movie. However actress Jenna Dewan, who played Tamara in what is obviously the lead role stole the show with her excellent acting ability, I honestly believe no one could of dome a better job with this part then her. Some of her co-stars however could of been better, but it didn’t matter for me, cause Jenna stole the show.
In terms of special effects, this film had it fare share of good decent make-up effects along with some pretty decent CGI. The visual effect in this film were pretty good considering it’s low budget of just a little under five million dollars. (Yes five million is still considered low budget to Hollywood standards.) The overall look and feel was constant also throughout the film as well, the film always made you feel like something bad was going to happen. My hat’s off to the filmmakers for that.
Overall Tamara is every young high school kids who is not so socials wet dream come true. I for one loved this flick, cause I though of all those dam kids that picked on me when I was in ninth grade, Spells never worked for me, but shit if I knew a girl like this was in my school, it would of made my freshmen year a whole lot better. Anyway Tamara is a film that most of us horror fans can relate to somewhat, and for that it’s worth renting or buying. Hell and even if you can’t relate, this is a very well made film. See what a bunch of filmmakers can make with 5 million. Hell some of the films made with 10-20 million dollar budgets can’t compete with this film. I highly recommended it.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
