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Released by: Film Chest
Released on: April 3rd, 2018.
Director: Dylan Reynolds
Cast: Jamie Bernadette, Stacy Danger, Jim Storm, Vanessa Reynolds, Justine Wachberger, Marissa Pistone
Year: 2018
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The Movie:
When 4/20 weekend rolls around, Jess (Jamie Bernadette) and four of her friends - Aubrey (Vanessa Rose Parker), Donna (Stacey Danger), Rachel (Justine Wachsberger) and Michelle (Marissa Pistone) - decide to celebrate her birthday by going on a camping trip out in the remote woods of a national park.
Things are going just fine at first. The weather is nice and everyone is having a good time. They pay no mind to the Rick (Jim Storm), the Forest Ranger that warns them not to go into the hills. They head up to do some hiking and run into a guy named Buddy (Mark Schroeder), clearly running for his life and only too happy to pass off his stash to the girls. Regardless, undeterred the ladies decide to setup camp for the night and party a bit.
And then the girls come face to face with the guy (James Gregory) who is guarding a fairly massive pot farming operation and who is less than happy to see them in the area…
4/20 Massacre is well done. Writer/director Dylan Reynolds' script wisely avoids the typical stoner movie character clichés, there aren't any Cheech & Chong inspired burn outs here, and that helps to make the characters feel more realistic and human. The movie also doesn't overdo the humor. While it is frequently very funny, the comedy and the horror work hand in hand, never really overshadowing one aspect more than the other. It starts off kind of goofy, but after the opening scene (which ties into the film later on), Reynolds and company play things just straight enough for this to work. The film also sets itself out a bit by putting women in very strong roles and by managing to portray a lesbian relationship in a genre movie without playing it for titillation.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that the film makes good use of five female leads that are both talented and attractive. Jamie Bernadette, who has been very busy in the indie film scene over the last few years, brings an impressive physicality to her role. She's a good actress and she makes for a fine lead here. Stacy Danger, Vanessa Rose Parker (who appeared in Samurai Cop 2 and who worked on Reynolds' last feature, Nipples & Palm Trees), Marissa Pistone and Justine Wachberger are all also quite good here. Some drama erupts between the girls at one point, and they handle this aspect of the story just as well as they do the comedic parts and the more traditional slasher movie parts. Jim Storm, probably best known for playing Gerard Styles on Dark Shadows or for a few hundred episodes of The Young And The Restless, is also fun in his supporting role. James Gregory as the killer cuts an imposing frame and also handles his role just fine.
Reynolds keeps the pacing tighter on the film, letting us get to know the characters enough to make them interesting but still delivering some quality kill scenes with some amusing low budget practical effects work. The cinematography is rock solid and it does a fine job of capturing some great locations. The score can be a little much sometimes but that's minor complaint. Overall, this is a really entertaining low budget slasher movie that succeeds in bringing something a little different to the table.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Film Chest's DVD release of 4/20 Massacre looks about as good as you can expect a standard definition transfer to look, framed at 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen. Shot digitally, there's no print damage to discuss while detail is quite strong throughout. Colors have been tweaked in post to give the movie a bit of a sepia toned look, which works well enough in the context of the movie, while black levels stay strong.
The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track on the disc is also fine. Dialogue is clean and easy enough to follow, levels are properly balanced and the track is free of any audible hiss or distortion. No complaints here. Optional English subtitles are provided.
Extras start off with a commentary track from director Dylan Reynolds, actress/producer Vanessa Reynolds and director of photography Kyle Stryker that is quite enjoyable. Lots of talk here about where some of the ideas came from for the shoot, heading out to do much of the photography on location, working with the cast and crew assembled for the project, some of the kill scenes and stunts used in the picture and loads more. It's a pretty busy, active track with a lot of good information in it and it is delivered with a good sense of humor at times.
The disc also includes a fifteen-minute collection of interviews with the five lead performers who speak here about their experiences on the shoot, the difficulties of working around live forest creatures, thoughts on their characters and more. A separate thirteen-minute interview with actor Jim Storm is also on the disc, where he talks not just about his work on 4/20 Massacre but also his experiences on Dark Shadows and a few other interesting projects form throughout his lengthy career.
The Final Word:
4/20 Massacre is an effective mix of horror and comedy that makes good use of a strong cast and that delivers solid production values and an entertaining story. The DVD release looks and sounds quite good and contains a few decent supplements as well. Recommended.
