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Released by: Image Entertainment
Released on: 5/8/2012
Director: Eric England
Cast: Ace Marrero, Katie Stegeman, Nick Principe, Colley Bailey, Matt Mercer
Year: 2011
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The Movie:
A car load of college aged kids goes to a redneck podunk town researching the legend of Damien Ewell, a sadistic murderer who runs around in a pig mask. They get more than they bargained for when they come face-to-face with the stalking lunatic prior to being dispatched through violent and various means. Who will die and who will escape? That's pretty much what this one has to offer. It's typical, run-of-the-mill indie slasher stuff that borrows from many but offers nothing new. But, here's more details anyway.
Nah screw it. It doesn't really matter. You know the way this one is going to go, other than whom (if any) survives the morbid hunt the legend-come-to-life silent killer is conducting. And the little twist at the end can be seen a mile away, as well as the inevitable set-up-for-the-sequel stinger at the very end. And don't come to this one hoping for a heaping helping of gore, as it's not all that bloody. Sure the acting is pretty good, and none of the characters seem deserving of the fates that befalls them, but slasher movies need more than that. Especially since it's a genre that's been done to death. If you can't bring anything new to the game, at least make the movie visually entertaining with clever kills and naked coeds. But sadly this one tries to take a higher road than its sleazier counterparts and seems to trying being more than just a slasher movie but it just misses all the marks.
The movie does have something going for it though. The filmmakers made it look like a bigger budget picture than it is though the use of some nice photography. The ability is there to make a decent movie, and the director obviously has an eye for making a movie look nice. Taking little money and making a movie look more expensive is certainly a fine talent to possess, and in many circles is quite admirable. Unfortunately, the target audience is most probably not the film school crowd, and appreciation for how well they did with the production end of things will surely be lost on the 15-25 year old demographic slice-n-flicks aim for.
Madison County is a pretty big miss in the world of indie horror. It's sad because you know these guys were really trying to put out something decent. But without something to make your movie stand out amongst the gluttony of horror movies out there, you just look like everyone else.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The movie is shown with a 2.35:1 ratio, and overall it looks decent. The low budget roots result in a less than stellar video image, but for the most part the detail is good and the image is clear. Black levels are inconsistent but not off-the-charts horrible. No pixelation was noticed, and there seems to be no authoring issues. It's an average DVD image that works out just fine. Same with the audio. It does the job with a 5.1 surround track, but won't win any awards. The balance seems correct though at times the volume of the dialogue is low. Good subwoofer action and the music bed plays out nicely during the scenes it's utilized for in attempting to create some mood. There are no issues with hissing or the like to report.
The extras include an audio commentary by the director, producer, and one of the lead actors. It's pretty standard stuff, but good for those into independent filmmaking. There're no revelations to be heard, but it's not a bad commentary. There is a nearly 20-minute Q&A session included, filmed at Screamfest in Los Angeles in 2011, and also the trailer for the feature.
The Final Word:
It's forgettable, but it isn't awful. It's simply the same old same old with nothing juicy to keep your attention.
