So I took a break from theme parking this evening and instead decided to attend a movie down here in Orlando, Fl. Instead of hitting some of the wide release horror flicks out right now, I decided to hit up something that I could probably only see in very few places. Since Paranormal Activity is sold out at the only theater playing it in the area until NEXT WEEKEND, I decided to check out Joel Shumacher’s Blood Creek, which pretty much got the shaft from Lionsgate, and was given a release similar to Midnight Meat Train – that is, being released in a handful of second run theaters throughout the country with next to nothing in publicity.
I got lost both going to and from the theater last night – that’s how damn hard this place is to find! But I was determined, and even though I got there less than a minute before showtime, made it in time (and for a measly $2.50 ticket price!).
In Blood Creek, Henry Cavill (The Tudors) plays Evan Marshall, a paramedic who lives in a trailer behind his sick father’s house, and who is still reeling from the disappearance of his brother two years prior. They were on a fishing trip and got separated in the woods, and though Evan followed his brother’s screams, they never found him. To help himself accept the loss, Evan even had a tombstone created. Of course, this was premature, as one night, Evan is woken up by his brother Victor (played by Prison Break‘s Dominic Purcell) who basically tells him to grab the guns and the boat – it’s time they got some damn revenge!
See, Victor’s been tortured the last two years, his blood slowly taken from him from time to time to feed a nazi creature that has been living in Town Creek (the original title of the film) since 1935. He manages to escape, and wants to go back and, basically, blow everyone to kingdom come! Of course, nazi zombies aren’t terribly easy to put down, and neither are zombie horses, dogs, and the pending apocalypse!
Like Midnight Meat Train (which this film will always be compared to because of the similar releases), Blood Creek won’t set any records for being a spectacular film. Still, unlike Midnight Meat Train, I’d watch this film again, and I’d even recommend it to friends, and you, our dear readers! The film is really a darn good flick. It’s intense from beginning to end and rarely lets up. The mythology of the film, and its ties to Norse mythology, are not only smartly written and well done, it sets up nicely a franchise we’ll (sadly) never see. At the end of this film, I was all ready to see a Blood Creek 2 and, if anyone was smart, they’d do a direct-to-DVD sequel, or a comic sequel, after the word on this film gets out when it’s released on DVD.
It’s got plenty of gore for gorefans and the acting is pretty solid all around. The direction by Joel Schumacher is good, but really, didn’t really demand a name like his. This didn’t look like a Joel Schumacher film, but then again, what does? He directed 8mm and Batman Forever, so he’s got a little bit of range! The camera work is solid and the film is dark and scary, as it should be, without feeling like it’s ripping off the camera work of Saw or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The true star of this film, however, is the story. You don’t get the background of the story until almost halfway in (other than a mysterious set-up sequence before the main storyline kicks in) and, despite being left in the dark for so long, you’re invested in the characters and the intensity. And as I mentioned, the mythology behind the horror is really great stuff.
It’s a shame Lionsgate treated this one poorly. While it may not have done hugely popular in the box office, I’d venture to say that, with the right publicity, it could probably have made in the $20-30 mil range. Still, with advertising costs, they’d be lucky to break even. A good film that deserves an audience. If it’s playing around you, make an attempt to catch it. Otherwise, definitely see it on DVD!
Paul’s Awesomeness Score – 7 out of 10!