The Redsin Tower is a throwback to the teen horror films of the mid to late 1980's. The movie that it takes its major cue from is Night Of The Demons. We all know the story
bored young people decide to go to party in a place that they really shouldn't be hanging around. In this movie that place is an abandoned structure known as the Redsin Tower. There are stories that it is haunted and that makes it an even more enticing place for our group of potential victims to go to and party.
The first 45 minutes of Redsin is your standard fare, seen before in countless other films. What stands out this time around however, is the realistic partying that takes place. I mean, there is a lot of dope smoking going on. And it's not just two characters sneaking off to catch a buzz
everyone is getting high. In one scene two characters in a reefer induced haze talk about the best way to roll a joint. I found this very realistic because I have been involved in that very same conversation more than once in my misspent youth. Unlike in any other film before it, the folks in Redsin Tower really look like they are getting pretty wasted.
Another riff the film rides in its first act is the jilted, psychotically jealous boyfriend of one of the partiers. Once again we have all seen this character before, but the portrayal here is totally unsympathetic. This guy is a real asshole and you can see why the girl dumped him. I found his over the top performance to be one of the highlights of the first half of the film. The rest of the acting is pretty decent for a low budget film cast with a bunch of unknowns.
Once our group of stoned out party animals get to their destination is where the Redsin Tower begins to differ from the films that it is obliviously riffing on. The murders are very graphic. These are not your typical 'gore gags'. They are nasty ultra violent attacks that haven't been seen in a slasher film since the early eighties heyday of Lucio Fulci. There are also some of the most intense scenes of demonic possession that I have ever seen. I mean, it really looks like it hurts and in one disgusting scene I actually cringed. Only one special effect didn't do the trick for me, but other than that, hats off to FX guy Jeremy Cruise for grossing me out on more than one occasion.
The other thing that separates Redsin from the rest of the splatter pack is the look of the movie. The set design is excellent, as is the cinematography and direction. Give these talented folks more money and a more original concept and I think you will really see them shine.
The Redsin Tower is a low budget shot on video horror movie that is heads above the rest of the crap that is being released on a weekly basis from companies such as Lionsgate, Brain damage and Asylum. Is it a great film? No, but it is very entertaining and I can confidently recommend it to any hardcore horror fan out there looking for a good time.
