Review of Just Before Dawn (1981) by Scott S — 02 May 2009

Just Before Dawn (1981) -- [6.5] -- It may be just another slasher film, but it's a pretty good one. I'm a sucker for horror movies that take place in the woods, because the woods always scare me.

I love that this is shot entirely outdoors, in the beautiful mountains of Oregon. The cast of teenagers are all likeable enough, and the movie isn't too quick to begin dispensing with them, opting instead to (gasp) build a little suspense.

Brad Fiedel's music is pretty minimal, but that electronic whistling noise is scary enough all by itself. If you like 'Friday the 13th' movies, this movie is better than most of them.