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Overall Rating : 3/10
Directed By : Corbin Timbrook
Jim Fitzpatrick (Elizabethtown)
Dayton Knoll
Season Hamilton
Madeleine Lindley
Supplied By : Xenon Pictures
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : July. 10, 2006
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| PLOT Four college students and an Iraq War vet, lost on a desert highway, encounter a terrified young woman with a black van on her trail. They survive the ensuing chase but their car doesn’t, forcing them to seek help at a nearby ranch. Only when it’s too late does the group learn that it’s crossed the threshold into Hell! |
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| THE REVIEW Imagine you are on your way to a rockin' festival, only to find out that the road you were planning to take is about to be closed for construction. From the advice of a gas station attendant you take an undisclosed road, where you find a beaten and bruised teenager, on the side of that very road only to be later chased by a bunch of crazies in a black van - well that's exactly what happens in BLOOD RANCH. During the chase with the mysterious black van, their car gets trashed, so the group, (excluding Jason, whom stays behind to keep an eye on the troubled hitch-hiker) go look for help, which lands them at a ranch located in a very isolated area. What they don't know is that they have actually come full circle and that the ranch is inhabited by the same maniacs that were in the black van - the leader "Spider" appropriately calls this ranch "the web". From then on out, it's a fight for survival for the youngsters, because Spider has many games he likes to play with his victims in "the web". Remember how I said a couple of reviews back, that since the TEXAS CHAINSAW prequel is forthcoming we would probably see many films that closely draw inspiration? Well BLOOD RANCH is yet another such film. The film actually has the group picking up 2 hitch-hikers - the first being an English war vet, whom they befriend, he just so happens to be going to the same festival. When I first saw they were picking him up as a hitch-hiker I thought "This is just another TCM rip-off" And then later they pick up a girl that looks like she's gone through hell and escaped, so I immediately thought of the CHAINSAW remake then.....so i'm not sure what they were trying to do here - whatever the case it's unoriginal no matter how you look at it. I did like the idea of the van, and the ranch, in fact the film starts to get better once the kids enter into the ranch and meet Spider, who is the film's principal villain. Spider says "the only way to get out of the ranch, is death", and by the look of the place you would believe him. They did do a good job of creating something rather creepy, as he keeps female victims locked in cages.....there is also a midget woman(who is obviously a male dressed as a female, which is weird - I guess people of smaller height were in small supply that day) whom he keeps in one of the cages and obviously has sex with....don't ask me folks, I just review these things..... Spider and his "disciples" as he affectionately calls them say they love human meat and love to make human furniture, although we rarely see any flesh nor do we see any so called furniture at all. The film tries to draw it's suspense and shock value from films like the previously mentioned THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES (this is apparent in a faux rape scene - in the vein of it's remake) and also to sell itself on the torture displayed. The torture is good and well and also at times decent, and would have worked if it were accompanied by proper sound effects, effects of which were terrible beyond belief. I don't complain about sound effects often but hitting someone in the face does not sound like bouncing a basketball on the pavement - also there are also a lot of sounds that are dubbed and repeatedly used....it's painful to hear the SAME EXACT sound effect more than 2 times in a row. The acting is not terrible, but far from excellent. You can always tell that there are no dialect coaches on these films. As the main character Jason has a southern accent, while his sister Jen does not....if they were believable siblings they are sure to have the same accent - but it's not much to complain about. At first I hated Jim Fitzpatrick's character "Spider", I thought it was a little too over the top, but sooner or later he grows on you with his hilarious dialogue - it should be one of the only reasons to watch this film. Overall I can't decide whether BLOOD RANCH tries too hard or just not enough. I believe the intentions were good and at times, it tries to shock the viewer, but it's both done unoriginally, and more importantly unbelievably to pass off as a film that should be taken serious - and from what I could tell, this one wasn't a Horror/Comedy. |
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| GORE
METER 3/10 It's called BLOOD RANCH, although you don't see much of it. There's a hanging, a severed head, and piece of flesh cut from one's body that comes to mind, but most of the action is done of camera. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 2/10 I don't remember much of a soundtrack, as it's not really used as major part of the film, but I do remember some kind of a tame rock at the beginning. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM I expected something great in this film after reading all kinds of positive reviews about it. But after seeing this I can honestly say "Don't believe what you read" - i'm just hoping you will believe me... BLOOD RANCH is an ok effort, but it is just another watered down TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE influenced film....this film is the potatoes but there is no meat anywhere in sight - sorry to seem harsh but it's my honest opinion. Also I agree with many visitors on the Internet Movie Database....the ratings for films there are more times inaccurate - which I believe them to be in the case of this film. |
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