It may not be an Oscar contender, but Hillside Cannibals (the latest film from The Asylum Home Entertainment) is an entertaining little horror flick. At times, it is even down right funny – even if you have to be a little sick and twisted to see the humor.
The movie is directed by Leigh Scott (Frankenstein Reborn and The Beast of Bray Road) and written by Steve Bevilacqua (When a Killer Calls). Fans of the horror company will recognize some of their favorite Asylum actors – including Erica Roby (Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers), Tom Nagel (Jolly Roger), and Tom Downey (Shapeshifter).
The movie’s plot (which was inspired by the Sawney Bean clan of Scottish cannibals that also inspired The Hills Have Eyes) follows a group of five friends that decide to go camping and cave exploring in the desert. Naturally, the group runs into a clan of flesh eating cannibals – who all resemble modern day cavemen in bad need of a dentist.
The cannibals cut through three of the friends without blinking an eye, one of the men is captured and taken back to the caves, and one woman escapes – thanks to the help of one of the male cannibals (who must not have been hungry). Of course, she returns to try and save the day, and more gruesome killing follows. Along the way, the clan’s leader (who they gruntingly call Sawney Bean) dies, has his face cut off, and a new king takes the bone throne – through more killing and gore. Later in the film, some help (I mean more victims) arrives, but the cannibals prove hard to kill.
While this movie is far from the best film that Leigh Scott and Asylum have produced, it does manage to entertain the viewer, and lives up to the gore requirements that would come along with a title like Hillside Cannibals. I have never been a big fan of the whole “cannibal” genre of horror films, and will admit that I wasn’t looking forward to sitting through the movie.
Hillside Cannibals has some comedy but also the gore needed to match the title
About 20 minutes into it, I realized that I was having a good time, and ended up enjoying it by the time the credits rolled. The film follows the clichés that fill the genre (lots of people eating other people, machetes in the head, and body parts being thrown around), but also blends in a bit of comedy – even if you have to be a little warped to see the joke.
The clan of cannibals (which have a very caveman meets the 90’s grunge movement appearance) speak very little, but grunt, growl, shout, and make rude gestures to communicate. The actors all do a good job, but it is next to impossible to distinguish their character’s names - that really isn’t the point of the film anyway. This is quite honestly a film that you can shut your brain off, and just enjoy as a guilty pleasure. Scott and Bevilacqua make sure to put several scenes of dark humor - such as when one member cuts off Sawney Bean’s face and wears while doing an impersonation of the dead leader or when Erica Roby shows her great parenting skills with a toy baby doll. These scenes help keep the movie enjoyable through some of the duller parts and help you over look some of the shortcomings of the plot.
The film also has some problems that do take away from some of the enjoyment of watching the cannibals at work. The biggest problem is with the lighting. While the most of the movie takes place at night and in the caves, the film uses a “natural” kind of lighting to help the caves seem lit only by fire and lanterns. This adds to making the scene believable, but also makes it extremely difficult to see some parts of the movie. The biggest problem with the lighting is when an actor moves in close to another character to do something gruesome. Often, it creates just a big shadow and it is hard to see what is going on. We know what is happening from the screams, and then the piece of torn flesh that the cannibal holds up to the screen. While normally lighting isn’t a big issue with a film, it becomes a bit of a distraction with Hillside Cannibals.
Even cannibals need love
Another problem is the film is very light on scares. The cover looks great and all the elements are there. Scott has proven in past films that he knows how to put a scare into his audience, but there are very few times when you will jump from fright in this film. There are some disturbing scenes that may make you feel a bit queasy, but I never really felt a cringe of fear while watching it. This is really only a problem if you go into the movie thinking it will be truly scary, and not just for an entertaining time.
The movie’s plot also has several holes, but with a title like Hillside Cannibals (or any cannibal film for that matter) you should know what you are getting. The film isn’t meant to be Shakespeare or to challenge you in deep debate after the credits roll. It is simply meant to entertain a certain kind of audience, and it does manage to accomplish this goal.
The DVD is presented in 16:9 widescreen and 5.1 surround sound. Special features include trailers for other Asylum films, cast and crew commentary, and a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie.
The behind the scenes look is almost as much fun as watching the movie. It shows you how the actors really had a good time playing the cannibals (umm isn’t that kind of scary); the different props that were made to be used as spare body parts; and the cold conditions that the cast and crew endured shooting in the desert. There are also interviews with the actors and Scott that give a look at how they approached the film. Scott even talks about how it is supposed to be scary, but also seems to be kind of funny if you are sick and twisted.
The movie is light on scares, but might make you queasy at times
While Hillside Cannibals may not be a classic and appeals to only a certain kind of audience, it does manage to be entertaining and even a little creepy at times. The film has some dark comedy in it which makes up for some of the other faults, and is worth watching if you are into the genre. Asylum and Leigh Scott fans will be pleased even if it isn’t the best that has come from the studio and the director.
Hillside Cannibals is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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