Walking in on his wife and another man, J.M. (Barnes Walker III) blows his top and kills her with a baseball bat. He is subsequently horrified by his actions, and is unable to part with the corpse of his wife. He takes off to his sister’s farm with the body, thinking he will be alone. But some nosy locals turn up, and more murders follow.The film’s tiny budget is certainly apparent, and viewers will also face stiff performances and a slow pace. But there is plenty of atmosphere, a…d writer/director Brian Avenet-Bradley shows some real talent here, as well as in the such wordless sequences as the brutal flashback to the actual murder. The film’s original title was Freez’er.
Audio
Tiny indie as the movie may be, Heretic Films has still given it a 5.1 soundtrack. The constant, moody music is very strong, and while the sound from the rear speakers may be a bit loud (it threatens to drown out the front), the effect is still one that plunges the viewers into a very dark aural space.
Video
The aspect ratio is a non-anamorphic 1.85:1, and this is where the low budget is most apparent. There is some artifacting present, but primarily the picture is very soft and grainy. This is, however, far more likely to reflect the movie’s limited means than a flawed transfer.
Special Features
The commentary track is provided by the director, joined by producer/DP/corpse Laurence Avenet-Bradley and Walker. Their discussion is plenty informative, though the technical detail can be a little dry. The making-of featurette is the usual sort of thing, but surprisingly professional for such a small picture, and better than many of its ilk. There are two deleted scenes, cast and crew bios, the trailer, and Easter Eggs (mostly unused footage) scattered about the menu (six in all). A different kind of extra is “The Music Behind the Story” – production notes about the music in the film, accompanied by the audio of the tunes themselves. The menu is scored.
Closing Thoughts
Certainly worth watching, thanks to a very compelling sense of atmosphere and place.
