Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter’s Cove
with Rhett Giles, Tom Nagel, Kristina Korn
Directed by Gary Jones
Written by Gary Jones, Jeff Miller
by John Bikowski
My first reaction was “why?” but my final reaction is “oh my!” I’m speaking, of course, about the Alexandre Aja remake of the 1977 Wes Craven classic, The Hills Have Eyes. 20th Century Fox recently released the full uncut version on DVD along with some nifty features like a making-of, trailers, commentary, and production diaries. But it’s the film itself that is worth the purchase.
You may already know the basic story: A nice family is taking an extended vacation and opt for a shortcut through the middle of nowhere only to fall under siege from a band of post-nuclear, cannibalistic freaks intent on raping and torturing them in no particular order. The film unfolds with tons of style, tons of graphic interpersonal mayhem, and plenty of disturbing scenes to have the weak of stomach tripping to get there asses out of viewing range. I loved the way the film creates that feeling of wanting revenge. It’s engrossing to watch an innocent person fight to the death to defend loved ones. Kudos to the director and the actors for exuding pure blood rage onto the screen. Not for casual viewers, but a must see for those who know what to expect.
Another fine view is aptly titled Dead End. This film keeps you guessing as to what the hell is going on at all times. A family gets lost taking a shortcut, and makes the mistake of picking up a wandering woman and her child. This lady has some serious issues that somehow connect the massacres in the story. Part humorous, part drama, and mostly creepy with the added bonus of Lin Shaye as the mom. You may remember her as the nasty old landlady that Roy Munson reluctantly “services” in Kingpin.
Also worth checking out is the recent release by Dark Sky Films of the 1978 film Magic. Anthony Hopkins is amazing in an early role as Corky, a magician down on his luck and short on his sanity. Corky’s claim to fame is his ventriloquist act starring the dummy named Fats. Feeling the pressure of his rising stardom, Corky cracks and runs off to the Catskills to look up his high school love by the name of Peggy Ann Snow (Ann Margaret, who can be seen naked). She’s married to a rather large, jealous husband, but she falls for Corky’s seduction. The love triangle gets even more intriguing as the bodies start to pile up, leading to a tragic ending. This film works on many levels: A sad love story, a psychological horror film, and a suspense film. Besides, the puppet is freaky as hell.
Another film to check out is the very silly but fun Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter’s Cove. The releasing company is The Asylum, and this is the perfect companion piece to Pirates of the Caribbean. Yeah, right. Essentially, a demonic zombie pirate who spouts one-liners is released from a treasure chest. He then embarks on a gory slashfest through the descendents of all those who murdered him. Watch as the bloodthirsty matey tries to negotiate a strip club lap dance and then settles for just bisecting one of the honeys. Good effects, good cheesy times, and great to make fun of.