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Directed by Cameron Romero, Starring Kathy Lamkin, Cristen Coppen, Kiko Ellsworth, David Rountree. Horror, USA, 86 minutes.

It is the fall of 1969, and a group of young adults are hitchhiking their way to a rally in Washington D.C. After finding a barn to bed down for the night, they will soon realise the horror of what lies on the house on the hill.

The film is directed by Cameron Romero (son of the legend that is George A. Romero). The simple plot follows the friends as they are hitchhiking to D.C. After stopping off to buy refreshments in a backwater town, they accept a lift from a stranger, although car trouble forces them to detour on foot through the woods. Eventually, the oncoming nightfall and weather forces them to take shelter in a barn next to an apparently empty house. Following a few minor events overnight (probably to fill out the short running time of the film), the next day however they meet the Stauntons, a strange family of grandma, mum (played by Kathy Lamkin who incidentally had a minor part in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and son (the retarded ‘Buddy’). Starting off with a fight between Buddy and one of the friends, things settle down over breakfast, and unwisely the friends decide to stay until the phone lines are fixed, but it’s not long before the Stauntons show their true colours. The film moves into Texas Chainsaw style territory, as the strange family one by one attempt to shoot, capture, and slice and dice the friends. There is a slight sub-plot to try to explain some of the actions, although this is not clearly explained, and creates confusion more than anything else. When the film does get to the interesting bits (ie blood and guts) it is actually quite good, including (given the low budget) some nice gore sequences such as scalpings and dismemberment, which are well done, albeit few and far between. The acting is not bad especially given that most of the cast are unknown. Ultimately however there is nothing original in this movie, and the occasional decent scene cannot compensate for the slow pace and plodding which never pulls you into the film. The film is a straight to DVD release (by Anchor Bay) and you can see why. Don’t be tempted by the tagline either of ‘This is as scary as it gets’ which is made by none other than George A. Romero.

Unfortunately the film is one to forget. Whilst there is a few decent special effects and gore sequences, the film overall is disappointing. This is a shame as high hopes had been expected given the pedigree of the Romero family. Whilst Cameron probably does have some potential for the future, for now it’s probably best to stick to George and his zombies to satisfy your horror appetite.

Dino Marabese.

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