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Review of Savage Harvest 2: October Blood
November, 2007
Following the accidental death of one of his actors on set, independent film maker, Tyge Murdock (Benjamin Gaa), returns to his hometown to re-evaluate his life. Before long he runs into his old flame, Ashley Lomack (Emily Haack), who is trying to come to terms with the suicide of her sister, Mikki (Lisa A. Morrison), the only survivor of an unholy massacre that occurred 10 years previous. With their old friends Deke Myrick (David Propst) and Zack Ledanakoh (Eric Stanze), Tyge and Ashley try to unravel the mystery of the Cherokee curse and demonic possessions that threaten to return to wreak havoc once again.
More than a decade after the release of Eric Stanze’s riotous blood bath; SAVAGE HARVEST, Jason Christ makes his full length directorial debut with this entertaining and polished sequel. I was very curious to see how SAVAGE HARVEST 2: OCTOBER BLOOD would turn out. As enjoyable as the original was, I didn’t really see much point re-visiting it, but instead of simply re-hashing the story, the director’s creative talents have been focused into developing characters, relationships and atmosphere. The first half of the film is very well written and quite ambitious for a cast with mixed acting abilities and experience to take on, but on the whole the performances are superior to what you’d expect from a low budget, independent film. Eric Stanze, who comes across as confident as an actor as he does behind the camera, and Benjamin Gaa, who has a background in theatre, are both natural and believable. Emily Haack turns in yet another fine performance, as the troubled Ashley. I can’t think of a more accomplished actor to have emerged from the underground scene.
The reference to October in the title is more than just a catchy slogan, the autumnal mood is captured well with some very competent photography and although a lot of the horror takes place at night, the daylight scenes are equally menacing. Another big plus point is the evocative film score. Obviously, it’s not all talk, and when the action kicks in we are in familiar territory with chainsaws and axes hacking and slashing limbs and demons ripping their victims apart. It’s great fun and, of course, being a SAVAGE HARVEST sequel, the infernal carnage was always going to be an essential part of the film, but to be honest, I was more immersed in the whole build up to the bloodshed.
Amongst the many extras on this packed DVD release is a superb experimental short entitled THE QUIET PLACE. Jason Christ has impressed me with his directing and writing skills and he can take a lot of positives from this experience into his next project.
Wicked Pixel continue to lead the way by producing the finest independent movies to come out of America, and SH2 is another worthy addition to their catalogue of quality releases.
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