See No Evil (2006)

Director:

Gregory Dark

Writer (WGA):

Dan Madigan (written by)

Release Date:

19 May 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Eight Teens, One Weekend, One Serial Killer.

Plot:

A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel. Little do they know reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Jacobs) has holed away in the rotting hotel. When one of the teens is captured, those who remain -- a group that includes the cop who put a bullet in Goodnight's head four years ago -- band together to survive against the brutal killer.

Plot Keywords:

Psychopath | Severed Arm | Tattoo | Serial Killer | Throat Slitting

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Glenn Jacobs	...	Jacob Goodnight (as Kane)
Christina Vidal	...	Christine
Michael J. Pagan	...	Tye
Samantha Noble	...	Kira
Steven Vidler	...	Williams
Cecily Polson	...	Margaret
Luke Pegler	...	Michael
Rachael Taylor	...	Zoe
Penny McNamee	...	Melissa
Craig Horner	...	Richie
Mikhael Wilder	...	Russell
Tiffany Lamb	...	Hannah
Sam Cotton	...	Young Jacob
Cory Robinson	...	Blaine
Zoe Ventoura	...	Eyeless Women

Also Known As:

Eye Scream Man (USA) (working title)
Goodnight (USA) (working title)
The Goodnight Man (USA) (working title)
Los ojos del mal (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Не вижу зла (Russia) [ru]
Ölüm çikmazi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Il collezionista di occhi (Italy) [it]
Koftero lepidi (Greece) [el]
Maligno (Mexico) [es]
Zlo oko nas (Croatia) [hr]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong gruesome violence and gore throughout, language, sexual content and some drug use.

Runtime:

84 min | Philippines:82 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Philippines:R-18 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Portugal:M/18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | UK:18 | Mexico:C | Argentina:18 | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (cut) | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-18 | Peru:18 | Norway:18 | Australia:MA | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

Trivia:

Glenn Jacobs (Kane) has stated that the best thing about making this movie (due to the hectic amount of traveling as a professional wrestler) was the opportunity it gave him to sleep in the same bed for two months.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie they explain that there was a fire on the penthouse level, and you can see that in the scenes, but if there were in fact a fire, the wiring would not be able to hold a current without shorting, yet there are lights on in the penthouse.

Quotes:

Kira: Michael, you didn't have to come back for us.
Michael: I didn't wanna walk out of here alone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in WWE Backlash (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Gone

I just saw it and...

I remember way back when I was a manager at Toys R Us I had to watch this sad, pathetic "Personnel Management" training video. It lectured that whenever you say a criticism, you should ALSO include a compliment. This movie reminded me of that principal.

First off, it's not all that bad, actually. Kane makes a pretty good "Silent Psycho," and the character's back story is decently developed in a series of B&W flashbacks. His POV shots are nicely distorted, and, unlike the vast majority of psycho killers in film today, is not simply an "unstoppable force." Kane actually manages to find a character in there. (A very minimal character, to be sure, but there is a TINY bit there more than just a "Thing-That-Kills-People-For-No-Reason.") On the whole, however, the acting in the film is best described as "not-TOTALY-sucking." (I'm reminded of that Simpsons episode where Groundskeeper Willie sings a song that goes "Wouldn't it be adequate?" Yes, the acting here is, indeed, adequate, but only just. To be fair the actors aren't really being asked to act here, it's enough that they are clichéd stereotypes.)

The art direction is generally good, if very, very derivative of other films like "Hostel" and the "Saw" series. It goes a bit over the top with the filth and grime at times, but for this kind of movie, that isn't really a problem from an aesthetic standpoint. It is a problem from a plot standpoint. The people are there (we learn this in the first 10 minutes, so don't worry, it isn't a spoiler) to do public service by cleaning an old, historic building. Unfortunately, the sheer SCALE of the mess at this building would take that guy from "Dirty Jobs" and a full hazmat crew a month to deal with. The place is practically a toxic waste dump. There are a few problems (which I will NOT detail in the interest of avoiding spoilers) with the set and set dressing that are later revealed as not problems at all, but rather plot points. Those I can forgive.

The film delivers on what it promises: A creepy, disgusting setting with a creepy, violent psycho stalking creepy, dysfunctional people, with absolutely minimal story, plot, acting, direction, sense, or purpose to get in the way. It's almost Ed-Woodian in it's gleeful disregard of knowledge of it's own lack of ambition to greatness. (If I may be allowed to construct a sentence that convoluted without being arrested by the Language Police.)

I had very few expectations from this film (Hell, after all, it IS a WWE film...), and the only thing that really disappointed me is the same thing I am disappointed by in most horror films. It was very, very predictable. At one point I was sitting there going, "...and now someone runs in and saves them," only to be rewarded by just that.

In the end, if you can accept the idea that a correctional institute would send a co-ed group of mixed violent and non-violent offenders to do heavy-duty industrial cleanup in street clothes and sandals for a weekend with only 2 chaperons, then nothing else the film asks you to accept will be much of a problem for you.