Lake Nowhere (Short, 2016)
Starring Laura Hajek, Wray Villanova, Nathan Andrew Wright
Directed by Christopher Phelps and Maxim Van Scoy
I remember sorting through hundreds of my grainy VHS copies of horror films when I was a little turd back in the 80’s, and for all intents and purposes, those were the days. Now I can certainly appreciate the touched-up, buffed to a fine shine reworks that have been offered up to our beloved classics, but there’s still something about watching a B-movie as if it was shot through a cheesecloth.
Enter co-directors Christopher Phelps and Maxim Van Scoy, whose latest short film, Lake Nowhere, takes us back to the Reagan-era for an ultra-unpolished return to those days of low-level horror on cassette.
As the film begins, we’re treated to some incredibly small-time commercials and movie trailers that are enough to make you feel as if you were sitting in your living room watching a Saturday midnight feature on your local cable station – well done, fellas. The plot of the film follows a small group of friends taking a Halloween holiday jaunt to a far-away cabin by a lake… nowhere, perhaps?
As the booze begins to flow and amorous emotions begin to take place, the evil begins to creep in – there’s something infinitely sinister at this clandestine millpond, and it begins to pick off the group one by one, almost rendering them into Evil Dead-like lunatics – now this is officially a party! The film paints by the numbers of a typical slasher for the majority of its 55-minute runtime, then turns things on its head quite expeditiously, almost plot-splitting the film into two conclusions – quite the interesting decision, but it works, and it’s ultimately fun to check out.
This one might not appeal to all fans of modernistic horror, but the acting is apt for the timeline that it’s trying to settle into, and the gore works on a budgeted plane. It all adds up to an entertaining throwback to the days of “be kind, rewind” – funny how the youth of today looks at you like you’ve got two heads when that quote is uttered.
-
Film
Categorized:Reviews
