High Tension (Hard "R") ê ê by Pam; ê ê ê by George: This is a horror/slasher film that was to be released last year but was edited to change the rating from NC-17 to "R." Some may think it’s still a bloody mess (pun intended).

Marie and Alex are college students on the way to spend a little time with Alex’s parents who live in the south of France. The question for Alex is should they study or party. For Marie, who had a horrific nightmare while taking a nap in the car, her state of mind is more of a question mark. She’s not sure what questions to ask.

It’s not long before we get a grisly indication of where this plot is going. Enter the grunting, hefty demonic visage driving a battered, surrealistic van¾ a carnage carriage from a mad circus. The activity that the driver is engaged in is the left jab but the right cross is what he tosses out of the window. These events are meant to set the tone of the film. Unfortunately, there is duplicity in the message, as there are lots of red herrings and false conclusions you draw that don’t take the serious viewer along for a rewarding ride. This reminds us somewhat of "The Jacket," with a promising story, which if done correctly, had the makings of a truly scary film.

Pam’s Take: The underlying story is solid and the acting is first rate. There is no doubt this could have been a much better film. One of my hot buttons is an unnecessarily high number of false leads and this one was overloaded to the point that the plot became convoluted.

George’s Take: Although there were many false leads, lots of blood, a story that was frequently confusing/puzzling, I liked the film because of the feeling of horror it created. As compared to most films that fall into this genre, it’s far beyond the likes of films such as "Alien vs Predator" and "House of Wax." It has more of an edge than "Final Destination 2."