Hatchet

Hatchet, directed by Adam Green, promises to be a return to "Old school American horror."  I am not even sure what that means.  Universal era monsters?  60's and 70's genre films like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist?  Slashers from the 80's?  I think Director Adam Green is going for the later.  And although his heart is clearly in the right place, Hatchet is a little too jokey to be "Old School."  It's more like a "homage" that is a little more scary and authentic than the Scream films.

Here's the set-up.  Two friends (Joel Moore as Ben and Deon Richmond as Marcus) decided to take a "Haunted Swamp Tour" while they are visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras.  On the tour they meet Marybeth, a local who is taking the tour to find her lost Brother and Father.  Also on the tour is a guy shooting a "Girls Gone Wild" type porno with two ditsy actresses, one of whom is played by Mercedes McNab, who was the bitchy little girl scout in the Addams Family films.  I had to throw that in there because it was driving me crazy trying to figure out where I had seen her before. 

Marybeth tells everyone the legend of Victor Crowley, the deformed, demented man-child that haunts the swamp.  Crowley doesn't take too kindly to strangers invading his space, and wouldn't you know it he has a taste for killing.

Crowley is played by the AWESOME Kane Hodder.  Hodder also has a rare, non make-up role as Crowley's father. 

Long story short, there is a lot "death by hatchet" scenes and running around the swamp while the unstoppable monster keeps on coming.  The best part of this film is the humor.  It is hysterical at times.  The gore is also totally over the top--always a good thing.  I was more in the mood for a "true" old school horror flick, so I was a bit disappointed.  But it really did like this flick and I am looking forward to seeing Adam Green's next, much more serious looking film, Frozen.  I will probably see that in about two years, f-ing On Demand and Blockbuster Exclusives and theaters that won't play horror.