Carver (2008) - By Brian Morton

Film Reviews: Carver (2008) - By Brian Morton
Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 @ 20:33:51 Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

Any time I hear about a DVD that has a 'scene that horror fans are already buzzing about', you've got my attention. Yes, usually these things are strictly hype and usually I'm left feeling a bit foolish and confused, but in the case of the new movie, Carver, I was surprisingly pleased...and slightly nauseated!

This 'based on a true story' movie is the story of five people that go camping to a place where 'campers never go anymore', once there, they come across a diner and are asked to help the owner move some items in exchange for free booze for the night. Well, being good young people, this deal is struck quickly and it's off to work they go. When they get to the barn where they are supposed to do their chores, they come across some homemade horror movies, some truly grisly stuff, so of course they sit, get stoned and enjoy some homemade horror (sounds a bit like a good weekend for the ol' Bad Movie Guy!). Well, when one of the guys begins to believe that these aren't just horror movies, they're films of actual killings; he steals one of the reels. Well, one thing leads to another (as is often the case in these movies) and eventually the kids begin to die one at a time, in very bad ways. And, when I say very bad ways, let me just say that I, the hardened horror fan that I am, found myself turning my head away on more than one occasion...of course, I had to then rewind the DVD and watch what I'd missed, holding my own head still...but, let me say, this movie lived up to the hype that's built around it!

Although I'm usually suspicious of any movie that's 'based on a true story', this one is very good. And, while this movie doesn’t really break any new ground, it’s a good old fashioned gore movie that hearkens back to the glory days of the original Texas Chainsaw, the characters are well drawn, and the scares are amazing! My only complaint is that the movie dragged a bit through the middle, I was ready to get on with the horrific murders once they'd begun, and that's very minor, the last half hour of this movie will have you on the edge of your seat...it did me! I'm giving Carver four out of four cigars, because despite the lag mid-film, it delivers what it says it does, and I'll never used a pair of pliers again without flinching! You can get a copy for yourself by heading over to the Allumination Filmworks web site. So, until next time, when I'll be seeking therapy for the things I've seen, remember that the best movies are bad movies.