Tony Todd will, if you say his name three times into a mirror. While you're doing that - let's pick this one:
I only caught up to this one on home video - but I liked it quite a bit. An old fashioned chop-'em-up slasher flick with practical makeup effects? You can sign me up every day and twice on Sunday! Having a killer played by Kane Hodder and makeup effects provided by John Buechler? Even better - because here's a movie that tells the MPAA to suck it after they decreed the gore be excised from Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood.
And since the success of Hatchet led to sequels - let's just go on and make tonight a...
Saturday Night at the Movies Triple Feature!
I have some issues with the second movie - after a fast opening with a pile of kills, the mayhem takes a backseat for a long while - though you do have the compensation of some cool horror folks (Tom Holland, RA Mihailoff) joining Danielle Harris taking over the Final Girl role. Finally they do get back out to the swamp and the practical gore effects start splashing about - leaving this a solid entry in the franchise.
Let's take a break with a little intermission...
Now back to the movies!
Adam Green handed off the directorial reins - never something I'm very happy with - but another fine cast - including a repeating Harris and Hodder - joined by Caroline Williams, Zach Galligan, and a fun cameo from Sid Haig - bring the series to its current end - and it's watchable - if another step down the quality ladder. Faint praise? Perhaps - but this series's worst entry is better than some franchises's best.
All three movies are in the video vault on Blu-Ray - so we could be sitting down to this triple threat series in seconds - if you feel you can make it through the swamps to my place tonight...
Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!
I have mixed feelings on the first film (which is the only one I've seen). While the gore and practical effects were fantastic, I found it completely lacking in atmosphere and tension, which is a major sore point for me with any horror. I also didn't like the increased levels of obnoxiousness from most of the cast. I think it's a pity as Green did fantastic work with Frozen, which was tense and gruesome... I might give it another shot, though, as it is in the vault here too.
ReplyDeleteI do understand your feelings about the characters being more obnoxious than they need to be - but I do find the film tense and atmospheric - the swamp at night - the cries off in the distance - and the way Crowley just springs out and attacks - I think it's a solid slasher. I also agree with you on Frozen - one of the best horror movies I've seen in the last few years.
DeleteI'll definitely give it another shot, maybe it'll work its charm on me next time! One thing I thought I mentioned - did it feel like Madman was a big influence on Hatchet to you too? Speaking of solid slashers, have you seen the Cold Prey films? The first was released around the same time as hatchet, and it kinda ticked every box I found was missing in that film.
DeleteI saw the first Cold Prey - and it's very funny that you say what you say about it - but I thought it was very humdrum. All of the praise I hear for it comes from my overseas friends - could it be a cultural division?
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