China White Serpentine

Beth, Zeena and Trent are three drug-addicted fiends pass a drug-crazed time during their house, unable to escape because of their own personal demons. But soon they all seem to be under the control of something other than drugs, and there might be something sinister with Zeena (Amanda Booth).
Basically a drugsploitation flick with horror elements, this movie had a lot of potential and is one of Eric Stanze’s most interesting work, which is hard to pick since a lot of his stuff is so unique. The acting is pretty damn good, particularly from Eli DeGeer (Beth) and Jason Allen (Trent). They both give their characters some deep emotional muscle, particularly DeGeer who seems like a broken, suffering doll. Jason’s crying scene is a revelation, why doesn’t he appear in more movies but Vin Diesel does? The movie also features a lot of good makeup effects. The gunshot to the head by DeGeer is pretty incredible, and the end sequence with the chainsaw to the balls is pretty hardcore.
Sadly the movie falters in it’s own ambitions. While this could have been a very well-made David Lynch style film about the horrors of drug addiction, the adding of straight horror dampers it. The movie goes back to it’s roots with that oldest of horror characters, the doppelganger, in a reveal that, although interesting, makes the movie less effective. This is still a fantastic achievement in the underground film genre, and comes in highly recommended.