Exquisite Cheese

Rating: Null/10 (26 February 2002)

Apparently, this film was extremely low budget. However, it is much better than other horror films with higher budgets and more 'professional' cameramen. The beauty of this film is minimalist approach--the horror sequences of monsters, approaching of demons, or demonic possession is done with simple make-up, time lapse photography, and in some instances--particularly regarding organic decomposition--claymation. The film does not pretend to be high budget--and this directness of approach immediately does away with any pretension that the film otherwise might contain. There are several great effects in this film, particularly the one later when Ash touches the mirror. Likewise, the fish-eye lens camera work really creates a 2 dimensional screen-like quality of 'looking awry' at things from the confines of the haunted cabin in the woods. During the demon chase scene, the camera does a great job of making the cabin appear absolutely huge and labyrinthine--something that Stephen King conceptually describes of a similar haunted cabin in the woods in his latest novel (with Peter Straub) Black House. In any case, there are parts of this film that are really scary and exciting. On a horror film scale of one to ten, I'd say this earns an 8.