I’ve seen a lot of pictures and ads for The Hills Run Red and just noticed it was available for downloaded rental on the PS3 and thought I’d give it a go. This is one of those rentals for me that I’m pretty much basing it on very little premise and the movie cover. And along with all that I’ve seen on different websites, looks like mission accomplished for them. They succeeded in getting my attention with their marketing. The movie itself doesn’t sound so bad either. Three friends embark on a journey through rural America to discover the twisted truth about the origins of an obscure horror file from the early 1980s. That’s the summary given in the download.
So far Warner Premiere and Dark Castle Home Entertainment are responsible for this movies production. So far so good there. I think Dark Castle does a pretty good job over all. Also responsible for House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts, Ghost Ship, and House of Wax to name a few. The director Dave Parker wrote and directed the awesome Dead Hate the Living. Dave Parker has done a lot of horror movies with another genius Charles Band. With that in mind, I’m feeling pretty good about the movie over all.
It starts out with a film student Tyler (Tad Hilgenbrink) wanting badly to find a movie made back in 1982 that was pulled from the theaters because of its ‘graphic depiction of sadism and murder’. Its funny seeing Tad play this part. He has a couple other horror movies. Amusement and the Lost Boys sequel. But, one of his roles that I can’t get out of my head was the one he played in American Pie: Band Camp as the Stifler brother. Wilson Wyler (William Sadler) was the controversial director that disappeared along with all prints of the movie, and all the cast. The only thing that was left of the movie to keep its existence alive was a short promo trailer made to promote its release. Enabling the help of his two friends. Tyler sets out to find the only person that can help him locate this movie and its director. Non other than Wilson’s daughter, Alexa, who he recruits on his mission after he can get her to keep her clothes on and the needles out of her arm. His obsession over the movie takes him and his friends on a very predictable road trip to a town that’s not on the map of course. Its also funny to hear the ‘survival of a horror movie’ speech from his buddy Lalo. Talking about how the characters head out to the middle of nowhere. Phones won’t work, nobody brings a gun. All stuff we joke about when watching these things.
The Hills Run Read is not only the name of this movie, but, its also the name of the movie they are looking for. Its about a killer in the woods they call Babyface that tortures and kills people in some pretty sick ways. All while wearing a blood stained baby mask. During their adventure we find out little bits of how the movie was made, how our sick director decided to cast for the film, and how horrific it really was. I’m actually surprised they couldn’t squeeze another film related plot into this. Its a movie about movie makers looking for a movie and its maker. Too bad for them, they might just find everything they wanted.
To me it seesaws between a 4 and 6 outta ten. There where a few times I was getting into the movie, and then all the sudden the.. ‘Wow, saw that coming’ part of the movie happens. Predictable doesn’t even begin to explain this.. Its not a really bad waste of an hour and a half however. But, I wouldn’t recommend buying it. It takes a while for any real action to get going. And when it does its a constant wonder if its the end? Nope, how about now? Not yet.. maybe this time? It tries to work the ever popular twist ending, but, works it to death. Finally I’m hoping for the end so I can move on to something else.
OVERALL SUMMARY
At the end of the movie I didn’t really feel like I wasted the $3 or so it took to rent this. Most of us have probably seen this movie before. Texas Chainsaw, Wrong Turn, Cigarette Burns, Monster Man all thrown together for some entertainment on a boring Sunday afternoon. Special effects where just good enough to be ok with. Acting was as good as you would expect from a straight to DVD slasher like this. A little over done. But, it does provide a good enough back story to keep you entertained and watching long enough to see just what happens next.Because, it did create that kind of curiosity for me. Babyface was pretty creepy. I’ll give them that. I wanted to see what the train wreck under his mask looked like the whole time. Check the movie out if you get bored and need something else to watch that doesn’t require you to think too hard. I’ll give it the benefit of my indecision and go with a 3 out of 5. Since I can’t do a 2.5 and 2 might just be a little too low.That and I like what Parker has done over all. And I will look forward to what he does in the future. Its just a halfway entertaining movie that I think some people will really get into, or it may cause some of you to… run for the hills.
