DVD review: Haunted Hay Ride: The Movie (2008)

After permanently attaching a ghoulish mask to his face using an electric drill, Hate brutally dismembers his abusive police officer father and commences a wild killing spree which leads to his stalking and killing workers at an elaborate Halloween farm featuring a haunted hay ride. Fate has four young people on a collision course with this frightening maniac, which reaches a crescendo when Hate hi-jacks the last hay ride of the night and all hell breaks loose. Haunted Hay Ride: The Movie is written and directed by Warren F. Disbrow. The acting is bad which provides the flick some moments of unintentional comedy, the camerawork and editing is good. The pacing is good, bodycount is high but one of the flaws is that there are no character I can sympathize with as almost all of the characters are unsympathic or they only appear briefly on screen before they get killed. Yes this is one of those flicks were we cheer on the killer as he slice up, decapitate and mutilate his victims. There are a number of good scenes/set pieces but I won´t go into any details due to spoilers. There is plenty of gore, it´s a blend of computer rendered and practical fx and it looks good considering the low budget. The kills are graphic and tales place on screen. There is no T & A in this.
For more information on Disbrow, his films and to order a copy, visit http://www.warrenfdisbrow.com/joomsite/
This review is based upon the region 1 DVD release from Crystal Visions Entertainment.
Rating: 5½ out of 7. Despite its flaws, Haunted Hay Ride: The Movie is enjoyable and kept me entertained for the 90 minutes of running time. Recommended if you're an independent horror fan.

/JL

DVD review: Escape to Black Tree Forest (2012)

Two weeks after the events in "Terror at Black Tree Forest" young Mare Strode returns home from Falls City Memorial Hospital. She brutally murders her mother and "escapes" back to Black Tree Forest. There, she dons the original psycho's outfit and continues the cycle of murder with a whole new group of adventure-seeking teens. Escape to Black Tree Forest is written, produced, shot, edited and directed by Dustin Ferguson who also is involved in Special effects and Visual effects. Mediocre acting, badly shot and edited and it has serious problems with its pacing. On the topic of pacing, lets just say that it takes approx 50 minutes between the first and second kill. During that time nothing really happens, we get overlong scenes of driving and so on. This flick is in SERIOUS need of some severe editing. The gore is very lame in this, the only good scenes appear in flashbacks from the first flick (it actually contained some gore fx) being shown as the characters speak of the events that took place in it. No T & A in this.
This review is based upon the region all (Region 0) DVD release from RHR Home Video.
Rating: 0½ out of 7. It´s as bad as the previous flick, Terror at Black Tree Forest, slow paced and boring. I can´t recommend Escape to Black Tree Forest to anyone...

/JL

Interview: Edward Payson, the director The Cohasset Snuff Film

In 2009, the small town of Cohasset, Massachusetts was rocked with tragedy. A 17-year-old high school senior named Collin Mason murdered three classmates. All the murders were videotaped. Collin uploaded the video to the Internet, and for three days, the world viewed the murders of these three innocent teens. Through legal action, the parents of the victims were able to remove all footage from the Internet. The impact of this video is still being felt in Cohasset today. Bootleg copies of this footage are still passed around and downloaded through illegal means. The video has become infamous, and is now referred to as The Cohasset Snuff Film. The Cohasset Snuff Film is written by Darnell J. Taylor and Edward Payson who also is the director. Edward Payson took some time of to answer a few questions from Independent Flicks.

JL: How did you get into film making?
EP: I started with a video camera as a child. I made videos of my action figures and made minor animations. I then went to film school after high school and the rest is history.

JL: What are some of your favorite films?
EP: My favorite film is Oldboy the Park-Chan Wook Thriller which is suspenseful and chilling to the bone. I also am a huge George A. Romero fan. I remember as a child Night of the Living Dead was what really got me into horror.

JL: Who are some of your influences?
EP: George A. Romero is a huge influence. His films are always awesome and full of social commentary.

JL: Which films inspired you in the creation of The Cohasset Snuff Film?
EP: I love films about Snuff Films. 8mm was a big influence and is one of my top ten favorite movies.

JL: What kind of budget were you working with on The Cohasset Snuff Film?
EP: We were under $100,000 dollars.

JL: How did you raise the funds?
EP: Most of it was out of pocket and through fund raising sites.

JL: How did the shooting go for The Cohasset Snuff Film?
EP: It went without a hitch. Everything went smoothly and the interviews went very well.

JL: How was it working on The Cohasset Snuff Film?
EP: We were such a small crew we were like a family and still keep in touch to this day.

JL: How different is the final version from earlier drafts?
EP: I added a lot to the film from the original story. About 40 minutes is completely different from the original piece.

JL: What lessons did you learn while making the film?
EP: I didn't really learn any lessons per say except that a lot can be done if you are prepared before shooting and your set isn't the blind leading the blind.

JL: What advice can you give someone looking to get into the industry?
EP: Don't say no to anyone. Take on everything and everything to get your foot in the door. If you are an actor work for free until you have a worthwhile reel. Don't join a union until you are ready because if you aren't experienced enough yet it could ruin your career.

JL: Were there any scenes that didn´t make it to the final film?
EP: None

JL: Can we find The Cohasset Snuff Film anywhere?
EP: It is in theaters nationwide as we speak and will have a nationwide DVD release in 2013.

JL: So where do you see yourself heading?
EP: I want to stay in the horror genre and continue making films that push the envelope.

JL: Are there any more films in your future, is there anything currently in the works for you?
EP: I have a horror web series I'm working on right now, a narrative horror/action feature in script form, another horror action coming out in 2013 and a documentary I am starting in 2013.

I´d like to thank Edward Payson for taking the time to answering my questions.

 

/JL