Death Stop Holocaust

At first I thought it was a 80's slasher revival, judging by it's retro poster and traditional plot. Though, it's not quite the stereotypical slasher film after all. It's definitely a modern take on the sub- genre we all love. Mainly the audiovisual vibe is far from classic, which is probably one of the nicer features in this film.

Justin Russell is not a well known guy in the industry, though I think it's just a matter of time. I took a peek at his other work and it sure stands out. The Gremlin (2007) is obviously one of his first projects as the style of that flick has no personality. And 'The Sleeper' (coming soon) seems to be the real tribute to the 80's slasher. DSH stands in the middle, but is it more than just a step towards the 'good stuff'?

It's definitely more. I can imagine a lot of people will disagree, but I think I felt exactly what Justin was trying to do here. We meet the two protagonists named ''Elizabeth'' and ''Taylor'', whom are played by Lisa Kreninsky and Jenna Fournier. And for those who care, Jenna will also star in Russell's ''The Sleeper''. Easy on the eyes, but barely capable of doing anything besides screaming. Lisa Kreninsky is a great scream queen!

They're on a road trip, bladiebla, and it all goes to poop in some weird little village. There's a rather haunting soundtrack. Hard to describe, but it sounds like a distorted 'wind' blowing constantly. It never gets annoying because the piercing shreeks and low frequency tones often shake things up to optimize the vibe to each and every scene. He often drops the noise and brings the viewer complete silence, which has an amazing effect and definitely creates some sort of tension.

It's not brilliant, but it stands out from the low budget horror crowd. They rarely look + sound the way I like it. It almost makes me forget about some of the weaknesses. For instance, it tends to get rather repetitive near the end and they are all (including the killers) way to clumsy to be taken seriously. It's not a film that is meant to be taken lightly, it's pretty serious. Which is also surprising since most of these 'slasher' films tend to over-do on the camp sauce instead of bringing some ideas of their own.

Justin Russell proofs to be a worthy director, who deserves some more attention. Again, I can imagine only few people will agree with me, but that's almost always the case now isn't it? Check out the trailer and who knows...you might be the next one to cheer for Russell. Don't expect the next Ti West though, you'll be disappointed beyond believe.

Welp, what is there to say. If you're a horror fan, you can appreciate the slow building horror this film has to offer. It's definitely more of a B rated horror film with slasher/Rest Stop overtones. The film though released in 2009, has 80s film effects. Such as grainy film quality in some scenes. Also, the hairstyles and clothing of the two leads can be homage to the 80s and hairglam metal era. The acting in the film is decent. The actress that plays Liz has a New York accent. Take it or leave it but when she starts screaming, you may need to earmuffs. The makeup effects are okay. Nothing to write home about. Some of the effects are okay and other scenes there is a clear lack in creativity. The soundtrack is indescribable. For real. It's like instruments, shrills, an ekg machine, ultrasound machine, wind tunnel, turbines, wind chimes and crickets kinda remix. The film's action is continuous with only a few lulls. It's not a bad film. It's slasher horror and can hold one's attention. I rate 5 stars.

Just saw this at a late night screening in Columbus. It was set up to promote the DVD release and the director was there to introduce the film. As for the movie, it was a well made little slasher with plenty of gore and a great atmosphere reminiscent of a late 70's early 80's giallo. The opening act sets up the main characters well, and when the killing begins we are invested in the characters. Other strong points include the analog synthesizer score, and some unusual cinematography and weird Northeastern Ohio locations. On the downside, some of the dialog is a little bland, but that is not unusual for this genre. Overall, a fun night at the movies, and definitely recommended.

By picking up Justin Russel's old school slasher "The Sleeper" I came across this flick. This is also a horror but not really a slasher, this is more one to come across drive-ins back in the days.

As in The Sleeper nothing is really explained but don't worry. You will get what you are waiting for. This really works due the acting abilities even as for Lisa Krenisky and Jenna Fournier doing their first appearances. There's a lot of screaming but not only that, there is also a lot of red stuff and even a bit of gore, a thing Justin let out of The Sleeper. This flick is a slow builder so you really get into the characters. It take a while before thing s go wrong to even awry and nasty.

The score is done by Gremlin and that do ring a bell, Goblin, anybody?? Why it is more an ode to the grindhouse is the way it was edited just like Quentin Tarantino did with his Grindhouse ode.

I liked The Sleeper a bit more but this also is worth watching for the grindhouse drive-in buffs out there.

Gore 3/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Nothing ground breaking here, just some killers in masks totally brutalizing people..... it damn it if this isn't one of my favorite movies of 2009. This low budget shocker is a love letter to the 70's grindhouse slashers. Some of the acting is a little weak but it is forgivable because the movie hauls ass. Definitely not a slow burn. I really liked it a lot.