Product Details

• Actors: Margo Martindale, Hanna Hall, Adam Scarimbolo
• Directors: Zack Parker
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Breaking Glass Pictures
• DVD Release Date: July 31, 2012
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0085QJ1YM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,873 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Scalene" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

SPECIAL FEATURES

PERCEIVING REALITY: The Making of SCALENE (Prologue)
Featurette - World Premiere/Q&A at Dances With Films
Featurette - Awards Ceremony at Dances With Films
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer

SYNOPSIS

SCALENE is a perceptual thriller told from three points-of-view revolving around the rape of a female college student (Hanna Hall) by a mentally handicapped man (Adam Scarimbolo) and his mother s (Margo Martindale) subsequent revenge.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique & Original August 2, 2012

By WitchyWriter

Format:DVD

Scalene is not a movie for the faint of heart. It deals with many touchy issues including rape, murder, abuse and the effects of drug use. The story revolves around a young man named Jacob. When he was twelve, he was experimenting with his friends. His attempts at a cheap high resulted in severe brain damage which left him childish and unable to speak. His mother is dealing with this alone, and when she meets a gentlemen who displays an interest in her, she hires a college student named Paige to help with Jacob.

While this is the basic gist of the film, it was told in a way that made it quite unique. It starts out going backwards, starting with Jacob's mother coming to try to attack Paige and saying, "I want him back." From there you go backwards, seeing the events that led up the possible rape from the mother's perspective. Then there is a scene where Jacob gets burned and for a few minutes you see things though his eyes. Then it switches to Paige's point of view, and you start moving forward in time again, leading back up to the initial attack. This may sound confusing, but it actually worked well. It gives you the perspective of all the main characters, without giving away the climax to soon.

This film invoked some mixed emotions in me. On the one hand, I liked the idea. It was unique, and the little known cast were all amazing. As someone who can relate to the struggles of having a mentally handicapped family member, I understand the frustration the mother encountered. I could also relate to Paige as the young girl who suspects abuse and isn't sure how to handle it. Though, I honestly think that anything else would have been a better than than what she decided. Paige's decisions made me feel that she was the most disturbed of all the characters, and yet, this is what made the story compelling and original. Scalene is definitely a film worth watching if you want a psychological thriller that will leave you with you mouth hanging open, long after the final credit have ended.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars SCALENE is a wonderful triangle of a film August 21, 2012

By Bruce M. Spielbauer

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Scalene - you remember - from elementary math class? The type of triangle where nothing is equal. No equal angles. No equal sides. SCALENE is a stunning triangle of a film. It is everything that is positive about the indie film movement, with none of the hype, none of the gimmickry, none of the compromise that is so evident within the studio system. Told from three points of view (Kurosawa's ROSHOMON set in a medium sized college town in America), it also juggles linear plotting with non-linear plotting, and even some "reverse plotting." Yet, it never feels like a rip-off of Christopher Nolan's MEMENTO, it never feels like a bastardization of Kurosawa, because it is not. It still has what every good film requires: a good story. In fact, fans of Nolan's Memento will note that this film seems to manage the transitions better - so that one is momentarily off-kilter, but moves inevitably toward stronger ground and a stronger understanding. Bravo.

Like Roshoman, this film examines a rape. It also deals with other poignant issues, including domestic abuse, mental illness, revenge, deception, and murder. Yes, it is a psychological thriller, but it remains always so personal and intimate, and that is its true strength. It uses those three points of view to force the viewer into personalizing the occurrences, so the audience never feels a false note. It sets the rules, and it sticks to them. This is not a manipulative film, it is not a Lifetime disease-of-the-week film. This is a script which works, and it is well-acted and well-directed.

Yes, Margo Martindale's performance is spot on, evoking just the right amount of pathos without ever asking for it. But, much less obvious is the acting display put on by Hanna Hall, as the victim of the rape. It is only upon reflection, after the stunning climax, that one realizes the depth and truth she has brought to the role. The entire cast is excellent.

Congrats to Zack Parker, director, for a terrific film. One which truly has no equal sides.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth a Watch October 8, 2012

By Emily

Format:Amazon Instant Video

This acting was not top-notch at all, but not the worst I've ever seen. The premise was a little sick, but the main character casting was good and the story was interesting. The actress who played the mother was great, portraying a weak and all too common character we see in real-life. Part martyr, part villian. Left alone with a life-long responsiblity. Crappy job. Dating a (married?)jerk. Resentful and lacking in social skill. Poor Jacob. Even his purported "savior" abused him.