Coventry Since the turn of the century, it has become very popular in horror movies to randomly inflict excruciating pains on people that are generally innocent and didn't deserve all the agony. Movie franchises like "Saw", "Hostel" and all of their knock-offs made us very familiar with the term Torture Porn and the nowadays younger fans of the genre don't get upset anymore at the sight of sadist devices that cut off toes or poke out eyeballs. Of course, when a 'new' gimmick in films turns out to be successful, it immediately gets exploited beyond normal proportions. It has even come thus far that themes like torture, child abduction and blood vengeance are processed together into a horror … comedy! Yes, "Otis" is primarily intended as a comedy, but personally I still prefer to see it more as a horror flick with some light-headed elements. It's a surprisingly good HORROR film, with a couple of imaginative gore sequences and interesting characters, whereas the comedy aspects are rather lame and derivative, like obnoxious authority figures and character mix-ups. Otis Broth is an obese and pathetic pizza delivery boy; pushing forty and still under the strict supervision of his older brother who regularly comes over to insult and beat him. But Otis loves to escape into his very own perverted and psychopathic fantasy world, where he is the hunky quarterback of the high-school football team and eagerly anticipates to attend the school prom with his sexy sweetheart Kim. But his "Kim" doesn't exist, so Otis abducts pretty blond girls that he spots during his pizza rounds and subjects them to humiliating ordeals until they play along. When the foxy Riley Lawson manages to escape his dungeon, her family prefers to extract their own justice rather than to let the uncooperative FBI handle the case. "Otis" has a good pace, highly enjoyable horror moments, great performances from a terrific not-so-obvious cast and … a downright phenomenal soundtrack! Anyone interested in classic rock and/or pop songs from Talking Heads, Quiet Riot and Blue Oyster Cult? As said, the comical situations aren't very noteworthy – even though Jere Burns depicts a delightfully slimy FBI agent – but the plot is solid and well- elaborated. The torture set pieces are often gross, but realized with splendid make-up effects. Recommended!

MBunge Otis is a dark comedy that never quite comes into focus, but sustains itself by never raising the stakes so high that it matters.The title character (played by Bostin Christopher) is a hulking serial killer plaguing the suburbs. He kidnaps teenage girls, holds them prisoner and makes them pretend to be his girlfriend, then chops up and disposes of their bodies after he takes them to the "prom". His latest victim is beautiful blonde Riley Lawton (Ashley Johnson), whom he nabs in broad daylight as her slacker smartass brother Reed (Jared Krusnitz) walks away in the other direction.When Otis calls the Lawsons to ask permission to "date" Riley, that brings the FBI into the case in the form of dickish diva Agent Hotchkiss (Jere Burns). He's supremely confident and just as clueless. With the unwitting assistance of Otis' terminally angry and abusive brother (Kevin Pollack), Riley is able to escape. But her mom (Illeana Douglas) makes her promise not to tell the authorities anything about Otis. Mom wants to take care of things herself, no matter how much Riley's dad (Daniel Stern) objects.The first thing you have to know about Otis is that it's not that scary or suspenseful. The only scene of real violence is completely undercut by some blunt humor and even as Riley is held captive and threatened by Otis, she always seems more inconvenienced than frightened. The second thing you have to know about this film is that it doesn't matter that it's not scary or suspenseful. It's fairly entertaining because, not in spite, or that.Let me explain. There's a lot about this movie that doesn't fit together. Riley's family is like something out of an 80s sitcom. Agent Hotchkiss, however, resembles more absurd fair like something out of Airplane! or The Naked Gun. Otis, meanwhile, is far more serious than anything else in the story. Even the things he does that are supposed to be funny flow out of a more dramatic place. And while the film is clearly going for satire at many points, the purpose or point of the satire is often unclear. For example, there's a slew of scenes where Otis is acting out his high school dating fantasy with Riley where it's all played for comedic effect, but there's no actual punch line to any of it.Those sorts of incongruities usually doom a movie. Not it this case. The tension and energy of the story is kept pretty low and that, intentionally or not, prevents the unfitted pieces of Otis from cracking into each other. You're able to appreciate the individual elements of the movie, even though they don't belong together. The character of Otis and Bostin Christopher's performance is very creepy and a little unsettling. Agent Hotchkiss is completely over the top. He's a couple of pratfalls and an atrocious accent away from Inspector Clouseau territory. The Lawsons are corny and clichéd and when this sitcomish family is plunged into the world of torture porn, the contrast works. It's like combining the Cosby Show with Saw.None of that goes together and if the film were tight and energetic, you couldn't help but notice. By keeping things loose and inexact, the edges don't irritatingly scrape together.Otis is amusing, intriguing and a little unformed. It's a dark comedy that I think isn't nearly as dark as it's makers intended it to be, and it's all the better for it. Torture porn fans will enjoy it as a lark…and normal folks might like it too.

guil fisher I blame writers Erik Jendresen and Thomas Schnauz for writing this sick movie and Tony Krantz for directing this piece of crap. No wonder we have serial killers running around killing people at the mall in schools, parks and playgrounds. Writing like this only encourages the demented killers to continue their rampages. When are we going to end this blood thirsty make a buck movie? Time to put a stop to them, for good. When you let something like this movie out to the public and then make money on it especially allowing the killers to get away with this sick crimes, you want to face the writers and actors and tell them all to go to hell. I'm going to mention this cast as I hope none of us are forced to watch them again in any film. With the exception of Kevin Pollak (brilliant in A Few Good Men) and wasted in this trite. And lovely Ashley Johnson, the only realistic actor in the movie as the victim. But put the likes of Bostin Christopher (Otis), Daniel Stern (psycho father), Illeana Douglas (sick mom with Peter Lorre bug eyes), Jared Kusnitz (complete ass of a brother with the brains of an ant) and Jere Burns (playing a gum chewing cop whom you get sick of watching) together in one movie and you get so you want Otis to kill them all. Absolutely no sympathy for the sick family and you wonder how the young girl, Ashley, can even live with such a family. This kind of film should be banned from showing. Just imagine all the psycho killers out there getting ideas from the sick minds of the writers intentions. Are they too looney tunes?

Michael O'Keefe Dark comedy and slasher flick rolled into one. Sick humor to your delight. Otis(Bostin Christopher)is not your ordinary pizza delivery guy. Okay, he's pushing forty and living alone in the house his mother left. His brother Elmo(Kevin Pollak) comes by to downgrade his mentally challenged brother regularly. Otis is actually a sometime pizza guy; but a full-time psycho. He has a well equipped torture chamber in his basement and he has everything he needs for the prom; a baby-blue tux, corsage and a pretty blonde named Kim chained to the middle of the floor with no way out. Did I mention that Otis is a serial killer; kidnapping blonds and forcing them all to act out high school scenarios...and by all means answer to the name Kim. Otis likes to play rough at times and his playmates don't seem to last too long.Upon delivering a large with the "works" to repeat customers(the Lawson household) he is smitten with pretty Riley Lawson(Ashley Johnson), who becomes Kim #6 or is it #7? Anyway this little hottie has the smarts to escape. Riley's parents(Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas)are told Otis' address by their beaten daughter and along with son Reed(Jared Kusnitz) this movie gets to be outrageously funny. They wait in the dark for Otis to walk in his front door. Bad time for brother Elmo to arrive. The suburban family go into maniac mode and beat the living daylights out of who they think is Otis. Down right gruesome; but pee your pants funny at the same time. Realizing their mistake...revenge is still just a pizza order away. Absolutely brilliant!Chritopher is a hoot as Otis; and you have to have sympathy for Pollak's Elmo. Also in the cast: Ellie Gerber, Tarah Paige and Jere Burns. Kudos to writers Erik Jendresen and Thomas Schnauz; and to director Tony Krantz for his choreographed violence.