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Review of Savage Harvest 2: October Blood
November, 2007
I haven't seen the original SAVAGE HARVEST, but in reading up on it, I got that writer-director Jason Christ took over the helm from Eric Stanze for the sequel. Stanze is now one of the stars of the sequel, which builds from where the first film left off. That I believe makes SAVAGE HARVEST 2: OCTOBER BLOOD probably the most meta horror film since the SCREAM trilogy.
SAVAGE HARVEST 2 isn't your average horror film. In fact, it's anything but average. For starters, the nearly two-hour running time is longer than most in its genre, but that ties into the next point: the first two-and-a-half acts are centered on dialogue. If I didn't know the title in advance, I would have thought I was watching a drama with creepy overtones. The drama is sometimes a little dry but I thought it was very gutsy of Christ to take this approach. It was an experiment that paid off simply because it's different and still wholly watch-able. The slow build only makes the third act more memorable
For those wanting blood, SAVAGE HARVEST 2 does eventually cash in on its title, and once it gets going, the film refuses to let up. There's some shots that might have been corny if they weren't put together just right. Christ and his special make-up effects artist Patrick Voss deserve particular kudos for bringing together a good balance of schlock and shock to bring out the horror.
Video: How's it look?
The film is shown in its original full screen format. Shot digitally, the transfer is clear and crisp for the most part. Lighting presents limitations in some scenes, but the film works through it well.
Audio: How's it sound?
Sound is a bit of a disappointment. Presented in Dolby stereo there's a lot of background noise throughout the film, particularly in the outdoor scenes.
Extras: What additional goodies are included?
There are three different commentary tracks on this loaded DVD. The first is exclusively with writer/director Jason Christ. It's an honest and entertaining mix of anecdotal and industry ramblings about the state of horror film and filmmaking in general. The second teams writer/director Jason Christ, executive producer/star Eric Stanze and special effects artist Patrick Voss. There's some overlap in the stories and Christ does often dominate the conversation, but there's still added insight with the new voices. The final commentary is from actors Emily Haack, Benjamin Gaa, David Propst, and Stanze. This track is definitely the most conversational. It's also the lightest.
An hour-long making-of documentary breaks the film down into several parts and guides the viewer through the production process.
Five-plus minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary from Christ.
Outtakes.
A photo montage.
The "medical video" used in the film.
The short films THE QUIET PLACE, BLURRED and VISION. THE QUIET PLACE comes with optional commentary from Christ.
Two trailers.
Bonus trailers for DEADWOOD PARK, SCRAPBOOK, ICE FROM THE SUN, SAVAGE HARVEST (the original), THE SEVERED HEAD NETWORK, and CHINA WHITE SERPENTINE.
Closing Thoughts:
SAVAGE HARVEST 2: OCTOBER BLOOD is a must for any indie-horror fan. The film is a welcome change of pace for the genre and the DVD is loaded with bonus features, some of which are a little tedious, but several are outstanding.
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