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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
MY LITTLE EYE
What’s scarier: being hunted while being watched or the idea that some would pay to watch it? In My Little Eye, five strangers are chosen for a reality show to be
broadcast on the Web. They are sent to the woods to live in a creepy house reminiscent of
Norman Bates’ and are supplied with rations. Matt, Rex, Charlie, Emma and Danny must survive
in these conditions for six months in order to win a million dollars. Things start getting weird
when a skier named Travis happens upon their house and spends the evening, and soon the house
members are aware that they have signed up for much more than they bargained for. When Rex,
computer extraordinaire, finds a way to connect them to the net they realize they are pawns in a
sick game with impossible odds. Night vision and hand-held camera shots enhance the
eeriness of My Little Eye. The film is told as if the viewer were watching the actual
Webcast, and this makes for a suspenseful ride. Although the characters are stereotypical and the
actual death scenes are far from original (a hanging, a suffocation, a beheading complete with
blood spurt), the plot’s complicated enough not to be dismissed as juvenile. There aren’t any
moments that would make one jump out of her seat, but definitely sadistic enough to cost a few
winks.
DVD Extras: Probably the most interesting are the contest auditions. These
are the characters’ interviews to get on to the reality show, and provide much insight to the
characters’ minds. They perhaps exacerbate the blatant stereotypes, but are interesting
nonetheless. On the other hand, the deleted scenes don’t really provide any meaning or
substantial enhancement to the film. Lisette Johnson
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