Full disclosure: I am a Full Moon homer. I grew up on Puppet Master, Subspecies, Trancers, Demonic Toys, Netherworld, Dollman, Dark Angel, Bad Channels, and so many more. I would patiently wait for my turn at the video store to rent the newest release and enjoy the VideoZone after the credits just as much if not more than the feature itself. The VideoZone would always tell me about the making of the film, upcoming releases, and so much more information pertinent to a young Full Moon fan like myself. I really felt like I was a part of a club that only cool people were a part of. So, when the opportunity came to watch and review a new Full Moon picture, I jumped on it.
The synopsis is as follows:
“Scott Keyes is a brilliant but misanthropic computer hacker who generally prefers the company of computers to human beings. But Keyes’ life is about to be turned upside-down. Thanks to some codebreaking by his partners Hunter and Gazelle, Keyes is finally able to unlock AIMEE, an incredibly advanced Artificial Intelligence program that appears in the form of a beautiful and seductive woman. But what a smitten Keyes doesn’t realize, and what Gazelle soon discovers, is that AIMEE is an advanced infiltration program and has been designed to learn from whoever downloads her, become whatever he most desires, and in the process, to take over, control, dominate, replicate, spread – and ultimately destroy anyone who opposes her.”
Directed by Charles Band and starring Dallas Schaefer (“Boytalk”, “Daisy Jones & The Six”), Faith West (Maid Drone) and Felix Merback (“The Twisted Doll”, Penumbra), the movie starts with a debate over the importance of pornography, which is something that every hot-blooded American male can relate to. This really sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Even at age 71, Band knows his target audience and serves up exactly what they crave.
AIMEE: The Visitor is touted as “the first film in history to feature a character not portrayed by an actor or designed using digital special effects, but entirely created using modern A.I. technology.” AIMEE, or Advanced Intimate Model of Euphoric Entertainment, is indeed an AI woman, who, even though she is essentially a cartoon character on a computer screen, is very attractive and intriguing. Her appearance is constantly changing, whether it be with or without glasses, short hair, long hair, makeup, freckles, cosplaying, whatever the day may bring.
Keyes: “It’s like going to the store and having like twenty different Oreos to choose from.”
The film is ultra low budget, essentially taking place in only one location, Keyes’ apartment. It makes for an intriguing concept, one that we will be facing in the real world very soon, I fear.
AI is everywhere and will change the way we write music, movies, produce art, and so much more. It will permeate every aspect of our lives. In this particular movie, it is only interested in its applications to sex and pornography, as evident by the opening conversation of the movie. There are boobs and bush on full display in a fantasy threesome as AIMEE is consistently trying to find out what kind of porn Keyes enjoys the most and how she should look and speak to satisfy his sexual needs. A bit misogynistic at times, once again, the key demographic that Full Moon is catering to nowadays will no doubtedly enjoy this film.
At 68 minutes, the film is very short. It’s dirty, vulgar at times, and very light on horror. It plays a bit like one of those late night Skinemax, I mean Cinemax, features that writes a flimsy plot around girls taking their tops off and doing a little softcore action. But the acting is competent. The concept is intriguing and could be explored more with a larger budget, and as time passes, some summer popcorn flick most definitely will. But that same summer popcorn flick probably will not feature the same nudity per minute ratio that AIMEE: The Visitor has.
Tagline: Meet the first AI-created Femme Fatale in Film History
4.5/10 Stab Wounds
Out September 29th from Full Moon Features.