Where in the hell did this movie come from?
When I requested a copy of Trailer Park of Terror to review, I knew two things about it. First off, I had heard it was actually pretty fun, and the quotes on the box seemed better than you’d expect. Secondly, I knew it had a lot of gore. What I was expecting to be an adequate 90 minutes with some amusing kills turned out to be, well, something pretty damned great. I mean… I mean it was pretty damned great.
A 15, 20 minute opening sequence taking place years before the rest of the film sets the rather moody tone. With the whole cast speaking in thick Southern drawls, the lack of excessive camp is really refreshing. Sure, the dialogue throughout the film is funny, but it’s more clever than you’d expect, and never out-and-out mood breaking. The cast, I should mention, is almost uniformly stellar, relishing their roles, but they never make it seem forced. The characters all have personality and energy, and there really aren’t many weak links in the cast.
Holy crap, who shot this awesome flick? It’s not often I mention the Director of Photography in a review, but Jeff Venditti deserves it. Some of these shots are simply damned beautiful, never letting the close to 100-minute runtime bog the film down. A lot of the compositions for relatively simple shots are frankly ingenious, and the more complex stuff is pulled off without a hitch. When I legitimately admire the way a man films a door knocker, when I’m genuinely caught off-guard by a simply beautiful rack-focus, I know he has something special.
Here’s the thing about Jeff Venditti: He commonly works in music videos, as does director Steven Goldmann. So if these guys can film such awesome shit and keep a story like this interesting all the way through, then why the hell does everyone have such a problem with music video directors working in horror? Friday the 13th ’09 director Marcus Nispel absolutely sucks shit, but that shouldn’t be an indicator of Goldmann’s talent. I can tell you without hearing a word from the director that a ton of the pretty minor shots in this movie were hell to get in the can.
The sound design here is just amazing. The soundtrack is full of moody Southern rock that really makes the film stand out from the pack. 2001 Maniacs from some years ago had a few nice gore effects, but I didn’t remember anything about the film except a disappointing ending and a pair of braces. I have no idea what songs were used in Trailer Park, but I can tell you the feeling I got watching the film and straight through the end credits lingered on hours later. Southern rock isn’t something I listen to very often, but Goldmann used it to awesome, awesome effect here.
Oh damnit, I love the effects in this movie. Apart from ensuring I won’t be getting an Asian massage anytime soon, the seriously for real, no-shit makeup effects in this movie kicked my ass again and again. Goldmann and screenwriter Timothy Dolan clearly wear their Herschell Gordon Lewis and Tom Savini inspirations on their sleeve, but unlike a lot of low-budget horror directors you could say that about, they made an utterly kickass movie.
DVD Bonus Features
Sadly, the only extra on the disc is a 10-minute featurette with the actors being interviewed in character. I would’ve loved a commentary or something, but regardless, the film is worth whatever Best Buy’s charging for it. If you don't agree with me, well, blow me.
"Trailer Park of Terror" is on sale October 21, 2008 and is rated R. Horror. Directed by Steven Goldmann. Written by Timothy Dolan. Starring Nicole Hiltz.
