Better than expected

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2003)

I didn't expect much going into this film, but being a fan of Bruce Campbell, I had to finally check it out. It is certainly not the 'masterpiece' that the "Cult of Bruce" touts it to be, but still I was impressed. This really is more than just a "kids-in-the-woods-slash-em-up"; if you pay attention you can see some clever writing. We see a budding Sam Raimi becoming a true artist at his craft. We see a young Bruce Campbell in his first big acting "gig". I was even impressed with the other never-heard-from-again actors. I expected hammy performances all around, but it wasn't that bad at all. Considering the pathetic budget and constraints they had to work with, this is a very watchable piece of work. A bit too much gore for my liking, but nevertheless I would recommend this to any fan of Raimi, Campbell, independent films, or the horror genre in general. 8/10 for fans, 6/10 for non-fans