Review of Deadwood Park (2007) by Todd S — 11 Nov 2007

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]2007 US Director: Eric Stanze[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]Score: 6[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]I?m considering this one an early Christmas present. Really, I am. An Eric Stanze movie that does not have even one scene of pornographic level nudity or rape, a plot that doesn?t get dragged under and drowned by massive amounts of filler shots of trees or buildings (although the stuff in the closed amusement park started to push it), and no acting that seems to belong on amateur improv stage night. This means something people!! Eric Stanze has made a real horror film! What the hell? Seriously though, I am not only surprised, I am quite happy. I had, based on my past experience with Stanze?s movies, not been expecting much of anything from this one, and it did surprise me in a good way.[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]This film did a good job to set up some very eerie atmosphere and it had a couple of ?shiver up the spine? moments in it. There is plenty of gore at the end, and it is well done, but it is not the reason this film is a real horror film; it is the atmosphere that makes it that. As I have come to expect from a Stanze movie, the SFX, especially the afore mentioned gore effects, are very well done. There is even a great WWII battle scene in this one. Stanze finally got a decent budget and he did some great things with it. The music score is also a notch above what I was expecting and it helped with the atmosphere building that made this film worth recommending.[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]The plot and how it is edited does have its problems, I?ll be honest. Let me preface by adding, the problems, while still some of the same old issues I?ve had with other Stanze films, are vastly improved in this release. Most of the stories I have seen this director put on film would have made excellent twenty to thirty minute short films but they were stretched to 90 minute length by padding them out with shots of every bit of scenery they could shoot. This film has some of that going on as well, but not nearly as bad as I have seen it get. I also didn?t get a clear sense on how, really, the pastor (Callahan) became an almost unstoppable child killing monster. The WWII scene, while well shot, kind of muddied up the story and threw a strange creature into the mix that never really got much of a clear explanation.[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]These few shaky points do not bring the movie down enough to keep it from being enjoyable. The actors all do a good job with their characters. The main protagonist especially is excellent in conveying the terror of some of the more spine chilling situations he is caught up in. The sheriff is another well performed characters. In a nutshell, this independent, low budget release is not with out its flaws but it is interesting and well acted. It gives us some chilling atmosphere and something that gore hounds will like as well, both in a good balance. For the first time since I have started reviewing films for fun, I am recommending an Eric Stanze movie. Horror fans should check this one out for sure. Some horror film makers who have, shall we say, supposed ?higher credentials? should look at this one to see how it is possible to balance gore with tension with out one covering up and swallowing the other (I?m looking at you Eli Roth). Yes, give this a viewing.[/size][/font].

[font=Times New Roman][size=4]NOTES: XV-HL Suggested Age: 16+[/size][/font].