|
|
|
|
An earlier effort from indie horror filmmaker Eric Stanze (ICE FROM THE
SUN and SCRAPBOOK), SAVAGE HARVEST while not a classic in any sense of
the word, is most certainly a valiant stab at the indie horror genre.
It may seem a bit cliché and outdated by today's standards, but the fact
that SAVAGE HARVEST was made about 10 years ago is actually quite
impressive to say the least. An example of originality SAVAGE HARVEST
most certainly is not; it stands as a new spin on a familiar mythos.
However, what the film lacks in the originality dept., it more than
makes up for in just about every other department it dips into. This
includes performances, special effects, and most importantly... style.
All of these combined efforts make SAVAGE HARVEST more than essential
viewing for fans of indie horror, past and present.
We've seen this story a thousand times over and in many different forms
as well. A group of friends, stranded in the wilderness are hunted down
by an ancient and oh so evil Indian spirit. These "demons" if you will,
hunt down our hapless victims and proceed to chomp down on their
delicious human flesh. Our friends in turn become demons as well
(surprise). Who will survive? Who won't survive? Oh the drama! Like
I said, there's really nothing new here. It's just another variation on
a familiar theme. The execution of the events and storytelling
techniques involved is where this film really shines.
What I did like about SAVAGE HARVEST was the way the story was handled
and how the action was executed on screen. Stanze has proved himself
many times over to be an extremely talented filmmaker and SAVAGE HARVEST
is no exception to this rule. SAVAGE HARVEST is quick, fast paced, and
it's shot and edited well. SAVAGE HARVEST never plays off like a cheapo
home movie. Obviously made for very little money, this fact never comes
across from the activity presented on the screen. The performances are
all convincing... it's amazing how Stanze almost always manages to find
a great batch of young actors and best of all, they look like real
people, not glossed over bastardized children of Hollywood.
This brings us to the special effects, which for the most part are quite
convincing as well. I don't know if any of this was intentional, but I
found the effects to appear quite similar to the work done on the
aforementioned film DEMONS (Bava). Aside from the demon make up effects
(which are a little too close for comfort to the demons of Bava's
DEMONS), one can expect to see plenty of bloodletting on screen to
satisfy. Stabbing, impaling, beheadings - you name it, it's all here,
and the blood flows freely. Nice.
Extras include two full-length audio commentaries, the first with
Director Writer Producer Eric Stanze and Producer DJ Vivona (pretty
interesting). The second is a cast commentary with 5 cast members
participating (not so interesting). Other extras include a nifty behind
the scenes segment split into 6 chapters. Covering nearly every aspect
of the production, the segment is definitely a bonus and welcomed
addition to the disc.
Also included are 2 trailers for SAVAGE HARVEST as well as a trailer for
both SCRAPBOOK and ICE FROM THE SUN, a still gallery and a music video.
Quality wise we get just about what one would expect. Yes, it looks
like a SOV film that was made just about 10 years ago. There is some
video noise and black levels are not quite as solid as one would expect.
Colors come across a bit dull, but that's just video technology of
yesteryear, nothing we can do about that. There is some slight evidence
of artifacting but nothing too distracting. There's not much that could
have been done with the film to improve the transfer. I'm sure the film
looks as good as it could have on this DVD. Audio is presented in a
Stereo Surround mix that once again, serves its purpose. Nothing too
mind blowing here either, considering the films original budgetary
restrictions, we couldn't have expected much more.
Stanze has proven himself time and time again as a true talent. SAVAGE
HARVEST, one of his earlier films, is definitely worth a look. Fans of
indie horror will surely dig this flick and all it has to offer.
SAVAGE HARVEST can be found at many online retailers including Best Buy
and Amazon. You can also visit www.b-movie.com or wickedpixel.com for
more info as well.
|
|
|
|
