Review - Husk (2011 - Dir. Brett Simmons)

Another one from After Dark Films. Like Prowl, it looks like this was made for a small budget. Not necessarily a bad thing. The director of photography does a good job of making a cornfield look suitably appealing. The leaves are used to frame the actors and depth of field is used well to create... well, depth. One of the problems with Husk is that it is too beautifully shot. Horror films need a bit of grain and grime to create an unnerving atmosphere. The dirt in this looks too clinical. This seems to be an issue will all new horrors on Blu-ray.


So, here we have another killer scarecrow film (see Dark Night of the Scarecrow for more bird scaring action). Five teenager types break down, due to some suicidal crows, and have to walk through a cornfield to a creepy house for help. So far, so standard issue.


Husk does some things well. The characters, for once, are not too irritating. You don't immediately want them all to die. Another plus point is that the characters don't get killed in the order that you would expect. The design of the big bad scarecrow is suitably creepy. You know that he is going to slowly turn his head to face the camera and he doesn't disappoint. There are some low-key funny moments, my favourite being when they are looking for their lost friend:
Scott: "Johnny's gone."
Chris: "What? Do you mean you found him?"
Scott: "Yeah, he was upstairs in the sewing room."
Chris: "What the funk is he doing in there?"
Scott: "Sewing."


What are the problems then? It's just not scary. Most of the jumps are of the loud noise variety. If I want to be scared by loud noises I could go and stand next to Brian Blessed. There is one good jump in there but I won't spoil it for you. I was quite bored at times during the film. There is a limit to how much 'running around in cornfields' I can stand. The ending's a bit of a duffer too.

You've got to give After Dark Films credit for bringing new horror to the screen, but I can't help feeling they would be better pooling resources for one good film rather than two below average ones. I would think twice before watching another. Don't believe the front cover either; it's not 'filled with grisly gore'.
4/10
evlkeith



If you like this you could also try:
Prowl, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, The Pack.

Review - Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981 - Dir. Frank De Felitta)

This one is not strictly a film but a TV movie. The cover looks promising though, even if it does make it look like an early 3D film, so we'll give it a go. 

It starts off well enough. Bubba (played by Larry Drake of Darkman fame) is a 'Lennie' type character with his 'George' being  a little girl called Marylee. She teaches him songs and how to make flower chains. Aw. Then there's a large incident involving dog teeth and suddenly Bubba is on the run from a gang of crazed vigilante farmers and mechanics including Mr Hazelrigg (Charles Durning), their leader, and Harless Hocker (that is his proper name, honest, and it's the second obscurendure appearance for Lane Smith too - see the Prison review).

Everything goes pear shaped obviously and the vigilantes become stalked by the alternative evil dimension version of Wurzel Gummidge. Except without the pointy beard. You can then delight in the game: 'Which order are they going to get killed in?'. 


The deaths are extremely gore free. It was for television remember. The main problem though is the pace. Everything takes so long to happen and it's not that suspenseful when thing finally do occur. I don't mind your villain only being fully revealed in the latter part of a film, but this takes that idea to extremes. Maybe it's the cover that builds up your expectations. I was rubbing my little hands expecting pitchfork death and plenty of it. Sadly, you don't get it.


If you want a gentle horror thriller for all the family then you might like this. Well maybe not all the family. I can imagine it being fairly scary for younger viewers, like the best episodes of Doctor Who. No age rating on it either. I'd probably say it is a 12.
4/10
evlkeith
 


This is only compatible with televisions that can cope with NTSC.

If you like this you could try:
Children of the Corn, Pet Sematary, Husk.

Actually, I'd be afraid of mailmen if they're all as creepy as you mate.