The first full-length feature from FX-man turned director Ryan Nicholson, Live Feed treads similar territory to recent 'torture porn' movies Hostel 1 & 2 (and to a lesser degree, Vacancy and Turistas), and likewise fails to make the most of an admittedly interesting premise. I guess the fact that I actually rate it on a par with much higher budgeted efforts from major studios can be seen as a positive, but, considering I really enjoyed Nicholson's earlier 'short' Torched (rated 8/10 by me), I can't help but feel somewhat let down.
Live Feed sees a group of five hedonistic friends on vacation in the Far East, who become trapped in a sleazy porno theatre. There they become the latest victims of a vicious organised crime syndicate whose boss gets his kicks from watching people die. One-by-one, the petrified tourists are slaughtered by a hulking brute wearing a rubber apron and a bizarre S&M-style mask, with all of the gory action broadcast to the sadistic boss on a 'live feed'.
With plenty of nasty violence and loads of gratuitous nudity, this film certainly doesn't pull any punches, but it is let down considerably by bad characterisation, lame acting and a poor script. Unfortunately, no amount of extreme bloodletting and welcome T&A from pretty girls could distract this viewer from these weaknesses, and although I enjoyed the many brutal deaths (especially the bit where one guy gets his head twisted clean off!), I wish more time had been spent on bringing the substandard aspects of the film up to scratch.
Nicholson could be praised for achieving the same degree of nastiness in his film as self-proclaimed 'saviour of horror' Eli Roth does with his over-hyped Hostel. But since I genuinely believe that he has more potential than Roth (and certainly has more respect for fans of the genre), I regrettably give this film a rather disappointing 5/10, and hope that he fares much better with his next project, the intriguingly titled Gutterballs.
