Leofwine_draca TOMBOYS is a dreadful indie horror flick from Australia. It's posited as a grindhouse throwback wannabe torture porn movie but it's nothing like that at all. All you get is a single dark location with five female cast members whose faces are shot in close-up. They converse for the entire running time in dialogue which is as dull as it is extraneous. It's obviously going for some psychological head-spin approach but the result is a film that'll bore you to tears.

Kat Webb I do think this movie is funny in some respects. The goth girl tries to calm the girl down who is brandishing a knife. In any other horror movie like this the goth girl would be egging her on or she would be the one with the knife herself, but this is an Australian movie, so maybe that cliché is upside down.I have no idea how this cost one million dollars to make, the lighting is very poor indeed and the colour is almost-but-not-quite monotone particularly at the beginning. I don't think this is by accident or by the use of poor equipment but rather to create an appropriate atmosphere.By the 14th minute of the movie one of the girls, who are torturing a serial rapist, cut his manhood off (naturally), and you think how could this possibly get worse for him? But then, in a nice plot twist we find out they have castrated the wrong guy! Or have the really? One of the girls tries to explain that he also sexually assaulted her, a story which is dismissed by most of the other girls thinking she is just trying to protect the ring leader, Kat.The only thing that really let this down was the boring scenes with the girls arguing among themselves, and I did question why they brought that girl Imogine along. Surely they would know if she was a bit of a wimp and might rat them out? This rape revenge movie is unlike any other than it ends up in a tense police stand off, where the character 'Kat' hangs herself! It is truly a wonderful, imaginative and creative movie. It is only 72 minutes long and gets straight to the good stuff without some boring 'let's get to know the characters and their background' intro.

DICK STEEL Written and directed by Nathan Hill, this Australian movie is a throwback to the good old grindhouse movies, where language, violence and gore are part and parcel of the entire package, and Tomboys go to great lengths in keeping to that look and feel, keeping the visuals grainy, the camera-work shaky, and who can not miss those huge character titles that come on to introduce each of the leading ladies, the titular tomboys, who have gathered in a barn to execute (pardon the pun) their dastardly plan.But of course to the group of five, it is nothing more than to exact revenge for the cruel sexual assaults caused by their tormentor, now masked and bound and strung up within a barn, ready to be met with his just desserts. It's trouble five times over with vengeance on the mind of these ladies, especially that of the unofficial ringleader Kat (Candice Day) who masterminded the kidnap and having her posse of female chums gathered to witness and partake in the exercising of their inner demons brought forth by the serial rapist of their town.You may think this is a simple open and shut case, with a plain narrative that details the many torturous techniques that the girls want to put the serial rapist under, given the deliberate shot of many types of tools available to inflict punishment, and a fridge stocked with cold beer while at it. But here's where Nathan Hill had a lot more hidden up his sleeves. The story tosses up many twists, turns and surprises along the way, which provides opportunity for all of the actresses to showcase their acting chops, since the events that unfold mostly through talk, will call upon shifting loyalties and dynamics within the group.While everyone's supposed to work toward a common goal, having these unplanned events thanks to Murphy and other emotional baggage that the girls kept hidden from one another, takes a toil on their supposedly chumminess at the beginning of the film. It dwells upon one's threshold of "justice", in just how much is enough, and in a group there will always be the risk takers always wanting to push boundaries, and those who prefer to stay within their comfort zones, especially when the time calls for covering up of their tracks, and internal bickering and betrayals. Having to witness this played out to perfection, is one of the highlights of the film.Set in just one locale, the modestly budgeted Tomboys belong to the genre of films that sets its own challenge of engaging an audience without the luxury of transcending space, and the tight narrative helped the convincing performances of its cast members, helped to make this one heck of a morality tale, with the grindhouse gimmick being the icing on the cake.

Max Tucker I found 'Tomboys' to be a great little Aussie movie. In the tradition of 'I Spit On Your Grave' and films of the rape revenge genre, this grind-house film is a claustrophobic one room drama. A good first feature attempt. It proves that Australian filmmakers can actually do genre films but also cater to an International audience. The lead actress Candice Day gives a chilling performance of a woman tested to the absolute limit. Naomi Davis as her side kick is a good casting choice who also put in a great, sometimes hilarious, effort. Great seeing Jenny Lovell pop up, she's an old school Australian talent. Be interesting to see what else Alliance and/or Hill come up with next?