Review of Blood Creek (2009) by Ali A — 30 Aug 2010

Original concepts in horror films today are difficult to find, yet Blood Creek certainly manages to escape that rut. Now while this ?B? movie certainly has its original concept, by no means does it make any sense. Nazi occult experiments, keeping the dead alive, Viking runes, quasi zombies, Iraq war vets, and vampirism are all elements of this entertaining film. Yes, I said entertaining because all this crazy stuff seems to work, especially if you are a fan of this genre.

Evan Marshall (Henry Cavill) is a paramedic in rural West Virginia who cares for his invalid father even though his father resents him. His father blames Evan for the loss of his war hero son Victor who has been missing for two years and presumed drowned in a boating accident that happened when the two brothers were fishing. The movie really starts when Victor (Dominic Purcell) arrives back at the house unexpectedly. Without explanation, he tells Evan to get all the rifles and ammo and pack for a trip that will last several days. Ominously, Victor tells him that if he chooses to go, he will never be the same again. Without a second thought, Evan?s in the canoe.

They arrive at a farmhouse that is preserved from the 1930s, covered in red symbols. In the farmhouse lives a German family that has been kept alive exactly as they were in 1938 when they were visited by Richard Wirth, a Nazi author who was experimenting with the occult for the Third Reich. Wirth now has been turned by his experiments into a zombielike creature that must live on the blood of live humans. This is where Victor?s been the past two years, a source of food for Wirth. Seems Wirth is trapped on the farm by the markings on the perimeter and prevented from entering the house for the same reason. Now come the zombie dogs, horses and people who Wirth uses to attack the house since only he is prevented from passing the rune markings. His occult work is coming to its conclusion and the brothers must act to prevent it.

The filming is OK and the set is creepy enough to create a suitable atmosphere for the film. Grade B horror films (or any horror films lately) can be so hit or miss that I was pleased to have been entertained by this one. All the assembled story pieces that make no sense all seem to work. So if you like horror films and want to try a guilty pleasure like this, I would recommend it. However, after seeing this film, I believe horror filmmakers have milked the Nazis for just about every crazy thing they have ever done?.