quietearth [Celluloid 09.12.07] movie review horror



Year: 2006
Director: Edward Gorsuch
Writers: Michael Hurst
IMDB entry: IMDB
Trailer: link
Amazon link: link
Review by: Elliot Spencer
Rating: 3 out of 10
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Key Characters:
Adam (Tom Nagel)
Atlanta (Ashley Rebecca Hawkins)
Liz (Tiffany Kristensen)
Mark (Alan Ritchson)
Sarah (April Gilbert)
Sophie (Myiea Coy)
Frank Mayhew (Bill Jacobson)
Mrs. Mayhew (April Lang)
Angel (Annie Mackay)




Overview:
Six friends head to Vegas to celebrate graduation. After taking a shortcut, they run into a series of problems. With one of them dead, they set off to find help. At what appears to be an abandoned ranch house, they discover that they have become hunted by a psychotic, disfigured man and his wife. Within the dark home of their pursuer, they find very strange things. With no help in sight, they fight to stay alive.



The Story:
The six friends decide to take a shortcut on their way to Las Vegas and on the way run into problems. First, they come across someone driving a military vehicle that will not let them pass. When they do pass, they end up running over some razor-wire that gives them a flat.



As they are putting on the spare, the truck they had passed just before comes by almost running Mark (the driver of the group) over. They then continue on the deserted back road. A bit later they come up behind the less than helpful truck driver. One of the passengers stands up through the roof and while taunting the driver of the vehicle, a young woman that looks like she is an escaped prisoner runs in front of the car, causing them to crash. It also cuts the girl that was standing in the vehicle in half. This is where their situation takes a turn for the worst.



As night falls and with one of them dead, they decide it is best to walk towards some rising smoke in the hopes of finding help. What they find is what appears to be an abandoned ranch house. Will they get the help they need? Will they make it out alive?



Rating:
I decided to give this film a 3 because there were some scenes that made me chuckle (I am not sure if on purpose or not), and there were some ideas I liked. I wish they would have been developed more.



In the beginning, I felt this movie had a lot of possibilities - college graduates out to have a good time on their way to Vegas, crazy killers... Immediately, it is apparent that the acting is something left to be desired, and none of the potential is ever developed. When terrible things do take place, the characters respond in a way that is not believable or typical of someone in that situation. I kept an open mind in the hopes that the gore/special effects would be worth it, but again I was let down. With a title like The Butcher I had expected to see more than cut-scenes of what was taking place. It was unclear as to who and why this "butcher" was killing people, and the way it was finally presented was quite lackluster. Overall, the acting was not up to par and not believable, and the gore was almost nonexistent which is disappointing for an R rated horror movie about someone that is "butchering" people. It reminds me of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre without the tension or violence. There were also several cheesy lines such as those heard in Scream. For example, Mark says, "Don't you watch scary movies? Bad things always happen inside the creepy farm house." This is one of the "suspenseful" moments where I could not help but laugh.

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