Rating: B-
Dir: Michael Leavy
Star: Charles Edwin Powell, Jeffrey Combs, Tim Reid, David Howard Thornton
I’ll admit to wincing at the realization this had a running-time of 123 minutes. Slasher movies do not typically need to be so long, and if they are, tend to be self-indulgent. That is the case here, to some extent. However, it still offers plenty to enjoy, especially for horror fans. There’s a literal parade of well-known faces, from the opening scene with Dee Wallace, to an epilogue with Bill Moseley and… nah, I won’t spoil it. In between you will also see, in roles of various sizes, Danielle Harris, Felissa Rose and Tony Todd. Whoever was in charge of casting this is the real MVP, even if Combs is the only “star” of significance.
The story is rather less impressive. The Keenan family, of dad Roy (Powell), wife Elaine (Harris) and their two annoying offspring, go for a weekend away in a hotel. Unfortunately, the establishment in question is the site for an serial killer contest, in which four masked individuals (including Thornton) compete for online approval and victory, under the supervision of Lockwood (Combs). So, once you get past the awkward family drama, and the introductions to people whose only point of existence is a gruesome demise, you are then in your basic, stalk ‘n’ slash territory. The presence of Thornton, best known as Art the Clown, is a clue and isn’t the only Terrifier connection. For the effects here are by that franchise’s director, Dominic Leone, and Leahy has produced the second and third entries.
The gore is certainly a key component here, and if you’re looking for messy, nasty killings, this certainly has its share. A particularly brutal bludgeoning in a video arcade was a personal favourite, but your mileage may vary. Use of barbed wire, and a bloody game of torso noughts and crosses, are also credible candidates. There were points where it felt like the silent, masked killers exhibited more personality than most of the victims. Sometimes saying nothing is better than saying anything. Especially if you say it in an outrageously bad French accent, as is the case for one corpse-to-be here. There’s no real background for the maniacs: you get a little more about the contest, although it’s mostly the usual “Internet bad, m’kay?”
The other key strength is Combs, who is just as much a joy to watch here as always. His line delivery, typically with a large side-helping of relish, elevates what is perhaps fairly rote material. It still ain’t Shakespeare. Well, not one of the bigger plays, at least. Without him, it would have been significantly less entertaining. Powell as the heroic father, is… okay, I guess. Would have been nice to have had somebody like Bruce Campbell there, but you can’t have everything. It’s also kinda weird seeing Harris now playing Mommy roles. How old is she these days? [Checks Wikipedia] No, surely not. Damn, I just made myself feel geriatric. That aside, I’ve certainly seen a lot worse, especially given a budget of $650,000.