The Undertow

A group of friends go camping, but they're soon to find out that the locals don't take too kindly to city folk. Ok, it's far from an original concept, but I'm always delighted when I find an independent film that exceeds my expectations. Especially an indy of the horror genre, which is abundant and for the most part all crap. But this is one of those rare birds that stands head & shoulders with the "big boys". Taking me back to the glory days of '70's-type horror films. It lacks action for a good half of the film, but the characterization more then compensates. And when the gore DOES arrive, it does in spade! In many (if not all) ways better then the same year's "Wrong Turn"

My Horror Grade: B+

DVD Extras: Behind-the-scenes; Blooper Reel; Deleted scenes; Stills gallery; two versions of the theatrical trailer; Trailers for "Christmas Season Massacre", "China White Serpentine", "I spit on your corpse, I piss on your grave", "Insaniac", "Savage Harvest", "Ice from the Sun", and "Scrapbook" PLUS 3 Easter Eggs for you to find "River Hound" (short clip of a dog); "On Location" and "Bonk/ Stanze"

This is a very good variation of the usual (can I say more than usual) friends in the woods that get stalked by a masked crazy, made with a very low budget, but generous on gore and with a couple of good chills. Six guys and girls go in a solitary wood where they find death by the hands of a brute - born through consanguine union. Shot on video, the movie is better that several of its clone (even the more expensive ones). Sure, it is not a masterpiece of terror, but the tension is good, the acting better than you may thought and even if the quality of the images is fair at best and some of the gore really ludicrous, you may watch it and have fun with your friends.

I just watched the movie and to be direct, it was a waste of time. I sensed it after the first 20 mins or so, but I guess I had plenty of time to waste so I kept on till the end.

Not a fan of the genre anyway, but I tell you this movie ain't gonna be fun for anyone else but those who cant stand their day without some gore before their eyes. Cause thats what it was after all.

First half of the movie was a boring trip and a lil introduction to the boring "heroes", while the second one was about running, hiding and guess what.....killing/dying.

Still its always nice to see few ppl trying to make a movie. I cant blame them for trying to make the new "Blair Witch..." but..... guys next time better try with a whole idea of your own.

The movie's been out for 3 years, so if you needed to see it you would have already. If not, take my word, don't bother.

For an extremely low budget movie, this flick was pretty good. The sound is shoddy in spots (a boom Mic could have been the answer)and the night (dark) scenes appear a little grainy. The acting wasn't terrible(not saying it's good either), but the actors themselves were pretty ugly. There's some effects that made no sense to me during dialog, like when Billy visit's the campers and tells them of what's going on in the town. During her story they kept cutting to the campfire with an annoying high pitched noise. I'm not sure what they were trying to achieve with this. However, I like the story, as it has that classic early 80's babes in the woods getting stalked by maniac that has an obvious deformity type of plot. The killer is very reminiscent of Jason in Friday the 13th Part 2. It's kind of like a Jason and Leatherface character mixed together. There's plenty of gore in this one too.

As you all know I am a big supporter of the independent scene. Now and then a gem pops up and them I am glad to have it in my collection, mostly signed and personalized by the director. But sometimes the trailer is better than the movie itself. This flick have this problem. When you watch the trailer you have seen it all, and the teaser that Eric Stanze (Scrapbook) is involved only makes it worser. By involving Stanze geeks are really thinking that they will get gore from beginning until the end. It isn't, the movie fails in delivering a hillbilly gorefest, due the storyline and due the performances. The storyline can be told in a few sentences. Six friends go camping but at the wrong place at the wrong time. End of story. When they've been killed the acting fails. When one of the girls is seeing her friend dead,his head smashed by the killer, the way she reacts fails. The other problem with the movie is when you start watching it you can see immediately the low budget problems. When they walk into the sun, the iris of the camera isn't correct, they don't use ND filters. Wrong, and when they scream the sound goes into red. But you can see through this by saying, okay, no budget, but the car scene is too long, the cop scene, too long. In fact it takes the last 25 minutes before something really happens, before the slaying starts. But when it starts it's all done in a gory way. Intestines flying away, heads crushed by bricks. Girls smashed in their face with bare fists. And that's the only reason why I gave it a 4. Could have been much better.