A disgusting film which is both strong and weak in areas

Rating: Null/10 (14 September 1999)

I didn't have high expectations when I rented this film, but I thought, hey, maybe it'll be one of those unexpected masterpieces. For one, I rented Halloween after just reading an article, and it has become one of my most treasured favorites. This film though had its ups and downs. The acting is better than I expected, yet still off in moments. The dialogue isn't there, especially for the tiny amount which the film has. The effects are many times laughable, and the plot is scarcely there. What's left you ask? The direction is fantastic. It puts you into this world and carries you crazily along for the ride. The angles and shakiness are pretty effective. This is really the film's highlight. The setting is very wonderful. Not original, I grant you, yet still, it carries a deep eerieness about it. It reminds me of the creepy setting of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The gore flows in gallons at the screen. It made me cringe, and that was pretty interesting. From the bleeding cabin, the pencil to the ankle, the decapitation, the chopping, the eating of the bodies, the tearing of bodies, and the barely there bodies, to the hands through the skin. The gore is all there, and very visible. The squeemish be warned. This actually is probably one of the most revolting films. Which I know may attract some. The film is strong in those moments and yet has too many weak moments to make it a great film. I guess it is a classic in many aspects, yet not in others. I just can't take a movie entirely serious when a girl is raped by a tree, and a corpse giggles like a ditzy cheerleader. If I had to name a moment that I hated, it would be the tree and the girl, or the board to the obviously rubber person. If I had to pick the best moment, I'd say the final shot of the camera rushing through the buildings to Ash's face, or the opening tour of the pond, both wonderfully done. I'm sketchy about renting the sequel. If anyone wants to e-mail me and explain the film to me, and tell me if I'd like it, I'd be very thankful. All-in-all, a movie you may love and be terrified by, or a movie you will crap your pants from laughing too hard.