See No Evil (2006 film)

See No Evil
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gregory Dark
Produced by	Vince McMahon Joel Simon
Written by	Dan Madigan
Starring	Kane Samantha Noble Christina Vidal Luke Pegler Michael J. Pagan
Music by	Tyler Bates
Cinematography	Ben Nott
Edited by	Scott Richter
Production company	WWE Studios (Eye Scream Productions)
Distributed by	Lions Gate Entertainment
Release dates	May 19, 2006 (2006-05-19)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$8,000,000.
Box office	$15,003,884.

See No Evil is a 2006 slasher film directed by Gregory Dark, written by Dan Madigan, produced by Joel Simon, and starring professional wrestler Kane (Glenn Jacobs). It is the first major film produced by WWE Films and was released by Lions Gate Entertainment on May 19, 2006.

The film went through many different working titles before the final title of See No Evil was chosen. The original working title of the film was Eye Scream Man, but was later changed to The Goodnight Man, then Goodnight before settling on See No Evil.

Plot

Police officer Frank Williams (Steven Vidler) and his partner Blaine (Corey Parker Robinson) attempt to investigate an abandoned house, only to find a young woman with her eyes ripped out. Suddenly, Blaine is murdered by an unknown figure with an axe before Frank is attacked as well. Frank manages to fend the man off, but his arm is severed in the process. In the aftermath, detectives find seven bodies in the house, all of which have had their eyes ripped out.

Four years later, Frank is taking a group of delinquents- Russell Wolf (Mikhael Wilder), Richie Bernson (Craig Horner), Christine Zarate (Christina Vidal), Zoe Warner (Rachael Taylor), Michael Montross (Luke Pegler), Kira Vanning (Samantha Noble), Tye (Michael J. Pagan) and Melissa Beudroux (Penny McNamee)- to clean up the abandoned Blackwell Hotel in order to turn it into a homeless shelter, as explained by the owner Margaret (Cecily Polson). This was a chance for them to reduce their prison sentences. As the delinquents work, they do not realize that reclusive psychopath, Jacob Goodnight (Kane) has holed away in the rotting hotel.

Tye and Richie decide to look for the previous owner's safe, which was never recovered after the fire that broke out in the hotel. Meanwhile, Kira deals with being reunited with Michael, her abusive ex-boyfriend who was the one who sent her to jail. While searching for the safe, Tye and Richie discover a dead body. Richie panics and attempts to leave, but is attacked by Goodnight, who drags him into an elevator with a hook, in front of a horrified Tye.

Margaret realizes the elevator is being used, and informs Frank's partner, Hannah (Tiffany Lamb), who goes to check if everyone is in their rooms. However, the elevator doesn't stop and takes Hannah up into the damaged floors of the hotel, where she is killed by Goodnight, who rips her eyes out. Meanwhile, Christine agrees to help Kira escape the hotel after catching Michael hurting her in the bathroom. While Kira is escaping, she is attacked by Goodnight, who drags her into the dumbwaiter. Christine, Frank and Margaret arrive just as she is assaulted, and Christine informs Frank that the others have gone to the restricted penthouses to have a party. While Margaret stays behind to phone the police, Christine and Frank enter the elevator, where they find Hannah's blood, before bumping into Tye, who warns them of the man who took Richie. Frank realizes it is Goodnight and goes to pursue him, but a hook is dropped from the ceiling, catching him under the jaw and pulling him up, before his body is dumped back down in front of Tye and Christine.

Kira is held hostage by Goodnight due to her religious tattoos. She awakens in Goodnight's lair, where Richie has been tied up. Goodnight soon arrives and gouges Richie's eyes out, before we see a flashback of Goodnight's childhood (being locked in a cage, drowning in the shower, and watching a strapped woman have her eyes removed by his mother), suggesting his killing sprees are owed to religious abuse.

Meanwhile, Zoe, Michael, Russell and Melissa are taking drugs in a penthouse. Soon after, Russell and Melissa leave for some privacy. As the pair is about to have sex, they are attacked by Goodnight. They manage to escape and hide in a room, where they realize they can climb out the window to get to the ground level of the hotel. Russell lowers Melissa out of the window with a rope, but Russell is killed by Goodnight, who lets Melissa fall. The rope holds her just inches above the ground saving her from falling to her death, but she cuts her hand upon impact, drawing in a pack of stray dogs that devour her.

Zoe and Michael grow tired of each other and head back to their rooms, but are attacked by Goodnight. They hide, but Zoe is found when her cell phone goes off. She pleads for help, but Goodnight shoves the phone down her throat, killing her. Christine and Tye decide to stay and try to find Kira, and bump into Michael. When Goodnight finds them, Christine and Tye escape through the elevator shaft, leaving Michael behind, who is violently beaten up by Goodnight.

Christine and Tye find Goodnight's lair and create a distraction to free Kira. As Christine tries to open Kira's cage, Tye attempts to fight off Goodnight, but he is electrocuted by his taser before being crushed with a vault. Christine hides as Goodnight returns. Margaret turns up unexpectedly, revealing herself as Goodnight's mother. Margaret tells Kira that she lured Frank back to the hotel to get revenge on him for shooting her son four years ago, and that the prisoners all had to die because they were full of sin, including her. Margaret attempts to shoot Kira, but Goodnight intervenes and kills her by throwing her into a bunch of nails sticking out of the wall.

Goodnight becomes enraged by his mother's death, and is about to kill Kira, when Christine attempts to help. Goodnight grabs both Kira and Christine's throats, but throws Kira aside and attempts to gouge out Christine's eyes. Michael appears and strikes Goodnight from behind, giving the girls a chance to escape and hide.

Goodnight searches the room they have hidden in, but the three of them catch him by surprise, sending him out the window to fall to his death. He catches onto the window sill and attempts to grab hold of one of them, but Christine shoves a pipe into Goodnight's left eye socket. Goodnight falls through the same glass roof that Melissa previously fell through, and breaks his rib cage upon hitting the ground. A broken bone impales Goodnight's heart, killing him. The three survivors escape to freedom, and the credits roll, only to be interrupted by a dog that urinates in Goodnight's empty eye socket.

Cast

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) backing

Many worldwide members of the press were invited to a red carpet ceremony for the release, which also included various other wrestling superstars. Interviews were given by Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Kurt Angle, Candice Michelle, Chris Benoit, Chris Masters and Rey Mysterio commenting on the movie.

A segment on RAW showed footage from inside the movie theatre while the movie was screening before its release.

Reception

The film opened on May 19, 2006, and grossed $4,581,233 from just 1,257 theaters. It went on to gross $15,003,884 at the U.S box office on a budget of $8,000,000.^[1] The film has received overwhelmingly negative reviews with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 8% overall rating ("Rotten") based on 59 reviews, and a consensus stating "See No Evil is packed with cliches from countless other teen slasher films, making for a predictable, scare-free waste of time."^[2]

DVD release

See No Evil was released on DVD on November 28, 2006. The DVD included audio commentary by writer Dan Madigan, director Gregory Dark, co-executive producer Jed Blaugrund and Kane. The film eventually went on to make $45.16 million in 7 weeks.^[3] In Australia, See No Evil was released on Wednesday May 28, 2008.^[4]

Soundtrack

1. David Banner – "X'ed"
2. Slipknot – "Me Inside"
3. Cass Fox – "Army of One"
4. Korn – "Alone I Break"
5. Cannibal Corpse – "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead"
6. Rammstein – "Mein Teil"
7. Metallica – "Frantic"
8. American Pearl – "Free Your Mind"
9. Nuclear Assault – "Living Hell"
10. Jello Biafra – "The Green Wedge"
11. Creed – "One Last Breath"

Sequel

On August 6, 2013, WWE Studios announced a second See No Evil, with Kane reprising his role as Jacob Goodnight.^[5] The film will be directed by the Soska Sisters, and will star Chelan Simmons, Katharine Isabelle, Michael Eklund, Greyston Holt, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Lee Majdoub, and Danielle Harris. Filming began on September 23 in Vancouver, British Columbia and ended on October 11, 2013. Originally, the movie was going to be a straight-to-DVD released next year; however, there are rumblings about having a theatrical release as well.

The official synopsis reads: "See No Evil 2 revives the nightmare of the first film when Jacob Goodnight rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell Hotel. In this ominous, underground locker for the dead, a group of medical students fight to survive as the deranged psychopath once again starts to pick them apart one by one."

References

External links

• See No Evil at the Internet Movie Database
• See No Evil at AllMovie
• See No Evil at Box Office Mojo
• See No Evil at Rotten Tomatoes