Valerie Graves, a misanthropic, disillusioned woman in her mid-twenties, is haunted by sadistic urges that she has struggled to repress since childhood.Valerie Graves, a misanthropic, disillusioned woman in her mid-twenties, is haunted by sadistic urges that she has struggled to repress since childhood.Valerie Graves, a misanthropic, disillusioned woman in her mid-twenties, is haunted by sadistic urges that she has struggled to repress since childhood.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
Adam Scott Clevenger
- Tayshawn
- (as Adam Clevenger)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Eric is one of my favorite ' dark art chaos' directors. His work reminds me of Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers'..there are messages inside of messages in an art house manner. It is like being on an evil desperate trip that confounds the mind. Made to make you look beneath the surface of our madness.
The chaos makes me want to open the directors head and fumble about to see what makes him tick. The casting is done well, and each character brings their own depth into the art itself. We've got to remember, art is subjective and delivers to each individual accordingly.
I want to see more work from Eric Widing!
The chaos makes me want to open the directors head and fumble about to see what makes him tick. The casting is done well, and each character brings their own depth into the art itself. We've got to remember, art is subjective and delivers to each individual accordingly.
I want to see more work from Eric Widing!
His first film was great! Now his 2nd film is taking that place. Let me start off by saying Eric is a swell guy. His previous film HellHounds was wonderful! This is a indie film like no other. a whole new level of awesome fun! I mostly deal with horror...so me watching this is a change. Marylee Osborne does WONDERFUL in any role she is in. She brings her character Valerie Graves to life in this film. we get a few other faces from other films in here as well...Haley Madison, Joni Durian, Bradley Diehl, and the kooky but cool Henrique Couto. What can I say...its films like this that need to have more attention. I loved the story from start to finish. I watched this film 4 times already... while it is a 2 hour long film and seems like the movie will go on forever I never found myself bored. I got a few chuckles out of the film and I recommend it to anyone and please check out Eric's other film Hell Hounds if you haven't seen it. 9/10
Like a violent descent down a spiral staircase straight to hell, with every scene you follow a young fledgling criminal as she sinks further into depressive state and slowly gives over to the darkest urges of her sadistic mind.
Ending up on the wrong side of the criminals, she now finds herself hunted and her whole world crumbling around her. Eric Widing delivers an absolute punch-to-the-gut with his dramatic and grim tale of a person on the
edge of sanity who may be slipping into the abyss. These actresses put on an astonishing performance that is heavy, dramatic and extremely graphic, compared to what you normally see from most of them.
Experience a dark ride while watching this film, and do be careful not to let yourself give over to those sinister urges that might be hiding inside of you.
Primordial is a clear example of the evolution of promising director Eric Widing. By evolution I do not mean that drastic change to appeal to another "type" of audience that sadly most directors, artists, even musicians do in time, but through consistent work and the same creative process he used in Hellhounds. Widing's greatest achievement in this film comes from exploring the female psychopath mind, rather than offering us yet another male psycho perspective like thousands that are already out there. The twisted main character's personality is shown in a very crude way, without taking into consideration those female "characteristics" that women are mostly known for. Strong female characters are good for women! Valerie is the finest example of how a potentially smart woman wastes her life while not realizing her true strength.
The intense relationship between Valerie and her friend Tina deserves a special mention just for the strong interaction they developed, which could be seen as the key path to Valerie's emotions. You know what they say, "it is the thing we love most that destroys us," in unexpected ways. I admit that I also laughed plenty of times as much as I was shocked by their performances, which is very positive in my opinion.
I also really enjoyed Valerie's revenge. The preparation, the ritual, and the dark determination are very memorable. To kill could be a catharsis for those who deserve it. The last scene is very well made; it gave me goosebumps and kept me more engaged in the film and the character than I already was. I could also highlight Valerie's friendship with the men she later realized were dangerous bastards, which is a unique portrayal of the destructive friendships we are surrounded by in our lives. And finally, that sadomasochistic lesbian scene, I must confess, really pleased my personal sexual aesthetic taste.
On the technical side, the editing, lighting and music create an effective atmosphere. Especially the music since I am myself an extreme metal lover. What else could mix better than prolonged sadistic violence and extreme music?
In spite of these statements, I assume that people who do not like horror or sadistic gore will not find beauty in the grotesque nature of this film. I have read some criticism on the film's disturbing content, but hey, Widing is not exactly making a comedy. Though, for those who enjoy the genre I would give you my highest recommendation with confidence. Here in Latin America, I have already shown this film to two people who also loved it.
I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of his works in the future. Widing has my unqualified professional endorsement and my deep respect.
The intense relationship between Valerie and her friend Tina deserves a special mention just for the strong interaction they developed, which could be seen as the key path to Valerie's emotions. You know what they say, "it is the thing we love most that destroys us," in unexpected ways. I admit that I also laughed plenty of times as much as I was shocked by their performances, which is very positive in my opinion.
I also really enjoyed Valerie's revenge. The preparation, the ritual, and the dark determination are very memorable. To kill could be a catharsis for those who deserve it. The last scene is very well made; it gave me goosebumps and kept me more engaged in the film and the character than I already was. I could also highlight Valerie's friendship with the men she later realized were dangerous bastards, which is a unique portrayal of the destructive friendships we are surrounded by in our lives. And finally, that sadomasochistic lesbian scene, I must confess, really pleased my personal sexual aesthetic taste.
On the technical side, the editing, lighting and music create an effective atmosphere. Especially the music since I am myself an extreme metal lover. What else could mix better than prolonged sadistic violence and extreme music?
In spite of these statements, I assume that people who do not like horror or sadistic gore will not find beauty in the grotesque nature of this film. I have read some criticism on the film's disturbing content, but hey, Widing is not exactly making a comedy. Though, for those who enjoy the genre I would give you my highest recommendation with confidence. Here in Latin America, I have already shown this film to two people who also loved it.
I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of his works in the future. Widing has my unqualified professional endorsement and my deep respect.
This is writer/director Eric Widing's second full feature film. The first, Hellhounds, was a unique film that assaulted the senses with wide use of color and sound. In Primordial, Widing still makes use of sound to assault the senses but makes beautiful use of black and white for serene nature scenes. It was unique to see some of the high paced action with heavy metal music lead into these beautiful, serene scenes shot in black and white.
Widing does a spectacular job with the writing and directing. Widing stated a lot of his inspiration came from things that have happened to him, that he's heard has happened, or that he's dreamed. There is a particular scene that he stated in the commentary was inspired by a dream which is truly horrifying for the viewer. The writing itself is very down-to-earth and the casual conversations felt like something friends would normally have.
The actors were phenomenal with Marylee Osborne portraying a woman, Valerie, who is already down and out of luck finally getting to act out her darkest fantasies and going on a downward spiral into deeper alcoholism. Erin Ryan portrays Tina, one of Valerie's closest friend, who is going through some trouble herself which gives Valerie something to hold onto for majority of the film. Adam Clevenger is Tayshawn, a gangster that upon first meeting appears to be a stereotype but soon shows how well developed his character is. Clevenger brilliantly describes and performs horrendous acts with no remorse.
Widing also inserted several easter eggs for fans of the various indie films from Ohio that the fans will get excited to see.
Overall an excellent film that is highly recommended!
Widing does a spectacular job with the writing and directing. Widing stated a lot of his inspiration came from things that have happened to him, that he's heard has happened, or that he's dreamed. There is a particular scene that he stated in the commentary was inspired by a dream which is truly horrifying for the viewer. The writing itself is very down-to-earth and the casual conversations felt like something friends would normally have.
The actors were phenomenal with Marylee Osborne portraying a woman, Valerie, who is already down and out of luck finally getting to act out her darkest fantasies and going on a downward spiral into deeper alcoholism. Erin Ryan portrays Tina, one of Valerie's closest friend, who is going through some trouble herself which gives Valerie something to hold onto for majority of the film. Adam Clevenger is Tayshawn, a gangster that upon first meeting appears to be a stereotype but soon shows how well developed his character is. Clevenger brilliantly describes and performs horrendous acts with no remorse.
Widing also inserted several easter eggs for fans of the various indie films from Ohio that the fans will get excited to see.
Overall an excellent film that is highly recommended!
Did you know
- TriviaThe "fish hook scene" was inspired by a bizarre, but most likely fictitious, story that one of Eric Widing's high school friends told about an ex girlfriend's strange sexual preferences.
- Quotes
Party Creep: Hey baby.
- Alternate versionsA 79 minute producer's cut titled "Violent Instinct" was released in July 2016 for online streaming. The most drastic change between this version and the full length version is the intro, which opens with the black and white scene with the ghost in the attic and treats it as a dream, as opposed to the original version in which it was an ambiguous final scene. This version also cuts a lot of the first act, removing a few whole character's such as the landlady Nichole, the weird neighbor, the Boddicker family and a majority of the early scenes with Colleen. This version also shortens or removes many of the humorous scenes and has completely removed any mention or implications of the "fish hook" sex act.
- ConnectionsEdited from Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)
- SoundtracksPrevalent Winds
Written and Performed by Primalfrost
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Violent Instinct
- Filming locations
- Dayton, Ohio, USA(Valerie's House)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,000 (estimated)
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