There's Something in the Swamp

Adam Green handles writing and directing on the Anchor Bay Entertainment released horror film Hatchet. I have to be honest. I have been waiting for months to see this movie. Regular readers will know that I have been suggesting people flock to the theater to see it when it came out. I still think you should see it, I just need to clear something up about it. I was expecting a straightforward horror throwback to the days of Friday the 13th and Halloween. Which in a way I got. I just didn't expect it to be as silly as it was.

Hatchet is really funny. It is smart and clever with scares and laughs abound. My preconceived notion that it was going to be a serious horror movie detracted from my enjoyment for a while. Once I realized what I was watching I had to realign my thinking. Once I let go of my expectations and wishes, I began to enjoy the movie for what it was, a silly over the top horror flick.

Lets talk about the story. Hatchet is about a group of people who get stranded in the bayou outside New Orleans who are hunted and well, slaughtered might be too weak a word, but killed at any rate, by a local urban legend named Victor Crowley. Victor (as well as his father in flashbacks)is played by Kane Hodder with such malice and fun its hard to even compare it to his work as Jason Vorhees. Fans of gore will be pleased with the copious amounts of blood spilled in this flick. The death scenes were brutal and incredibly well done.

The movie doesn't offer much in the way of tension. There are a lot of jump scares and cringe moments but any lasting tension is diffused by comedy or a jump moment. That doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the movie though. I wouldn't call that as a negative, at least not in this movie. Adam Green sent out to make a silly horror movie and he did just that.

The movie is a great first time outing for Adam Green as writer and director. The dialogue is natural and the characters all gel together nicely. Some of the scenes seem a little forced in the way that they have to keep stopping to deliver dialogue after running away from Victor. The run way and stopping got a little tiresome.

The cast handles themselves quite well. Mostly made up of newcomers and horror vet cameos including Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street), Tony Todd (Candyman), and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project), the cast all gave pretty decent performances. Joel Moore and Deon Richmond play best friends Ben and Marcus with great chemistry. Parry Shen plays the haunted swamp tour guide and is pretty funny running through about 5 different accents. The cast is rounded out by Joleigh Fioreavanti, Joel Murray, Richard Riehle, and Patrika Darbo.

The stand out performance in my opinion was that of Tamara Feldman who played Marybeth. She was the only one who really got to act in the movie. While everyone else had to react to Victor, Tamara had to dive into more emotional waters as she was looking for her family who had gone missing in the woods.

Fans of Buffy and Angel will recognize Harmony herself Mercedes McNab as she is playing pretty much the same character, sans vampire.

Let it be known that the slasher tradition is continued with Hatchet and you do get to see the breasts of 2 of the cast members so if you are looking for that, you won't be disappointed.

Overall, Hatchet is a fun little movie. Keep in mind it does not take itself with any sort of seriousness. It's a funny little horror flick that is a fun way to kill 90 minutes (less than actually). Have a peak at it if it comes to your town or be sure to rent the DVD. The DVD will be the Unrated version of the film. as, of course, the MPAA gave them an NC-17 rating so it had to be cut.

I think Adam Green is a guy to keep an eye on. He has a genuine love for the genre and I think he will bring us some great stuff in the future.

Hatchet is doing really well so far even in limited release. Let's hope this shows Hollywood that we really are interested in seeing original horror movies and not remake after remake after sequel after remake. Supporting Hatchet will bring more new and original horror to theaters.

For more information visit the official site or the Hatchet Myspace page.