"Botched" is one of those movies where you watch and wonder, "what the hell kind of drugs were they on when they made this, and where can I get some?" Funny, gory, suspenseful and definitely over-the-top, with a cheerfully outlandish premise that makes you walk away with a goofy grin. This is one fun little movie.

Though promoted as such, "Botched" isn’t really a horror film, though it has some horror elements. In fact, it kind of defies genre placement, though I suppose, it’s best described as a black comedy. Stephen Dorff (who’s terrific) plays a jewel thief ordered to break into a Moscow high rise and steal a valuable crucifix (once owned by Ivan the Terrible). With two bumbling henchmen in tow, they manage to steal it, but become trapped on the building’s 13^th floor, along with several hostages (many of whom are completely nuts). Like "From Dusk ‘till Dawn," the film takes a sudden sharp turn into gore territory, as people are knocked off one by one in various creative (sometimes hilarious) ways. It turns out the building is own by the descendants of Ivan the Terrible (including one of the hostages), and regularly trap people on this floor in order to sacrifice them.

Sounds horrific, but the film is played for laughs, and delivers a ton, even though the bloodletting is frequent (and cartoonishly graphic). That’s mainly because the story is relentlessly innovative (throwing any and every idea into the mix, no matter how absurd), the characters amusing, and the dialogue sharp and funny. Sure, there are a lot of so-called horror-comedies out there, but you haven’t seen anything like this. Even the music score adds to the amusement. Best of all, even though all its humor is intentional, everything is played straight, with a welcome absence of self-aware irony.