Feeding Grounds

Two cars full of twenty-something friends head out for an excursion into the desert, passing many abandoned cars along the way. Little do they know their own cars are about to be abandoned as well...

Feeding Grounds is ultimately a frustrating film. As viewers we don't get a single glimpse of the creature(s) who have entrapped the characters. (Unless you count one clawed hand.) It seems the characters are drugged and confused by their attackers, for they continually turn off of the highway onto the same dusty road, and some seem to hallucinate. But your guess is as good as mine, if you dare to watch this film.

The acting is, for the most part, well above average for a low-budget film. Special effects are sorely lacking, except for a few bits of gore. Only the occasionally artistic camera shot kept me from falling asleep.

If you like watching college kids bicker, and hate the sight of monsters, this is the movie for you.

but with ambiguous creatures instead of a witch; and a side of pro-veganism. That pretty much sums up 2006' "Feeding Grounds," a micro-budget horror flick about eight bickering youths in Southern California who get stuck in the desert and encounter the unknown.

To get anything good from "Feeding Grounds" you have to be able to acclimate to its low-budget style and limitations. I did and was able to find some rewarding elements, but it's mainly a tedious and one-dimensional barely-a-budget horror flick. Despite the lack of funds, there's some evidence that the filmmakers have talent. Parts of the movie have an eerie, arty ambiance in a good way. So the filmmaking is noticeably better than the do-it-yourself amateur (non)tone of the similar "Delirium," which came out just after "Feeding Grounds."

There are a couple of things that make the movie worth investing in, like the voluptuous redhead in the opening act, Rachel (Rebecca Gannon). Unfortunately, it's just a glorified cameo and you have to endure an eye-rolling lesbian romance sequence to appreciate her. Secondly, and more importantly, there's a notable rock/metal song that plays during the end credits. While the credits list the five or six songs that appear on the soundtrack I was unable to pinpoint which is the one that plays during the final credits. It's obviously a no-name band, but it's outstanding; very creative.

The eight youths that make up the cast are diverse and believable in their roles, not spoiled college kids, Just ordinary people, but they're only so-so interesting; and mostly not. If the script was tweaked they might be more compelling. Plus there are no real babes aside from the aforementioned Rachel from the brief prologue. Still, I appreciated the distinctions between the characters and their overall realistic portrayal.

As for the attackers or creatures, it becomes clear that they have a way of initially infecting the victims via some kind of bite or sting (or whatever) which makes them sick, semi-drugged ripe prey. Now and then you'll hear a radio broadcast that provides info on what may be happening – unknown disappearances in the desert and the theorizing thereof, which is reminiscent of the occasional TV broadcasts in 1968's renowned "Night of the Living Dead."

A few plot holes: Why do the creatures allow the police to come & go without attacking them? Why does one driver refer to the lack of "exits" on the highway when it's a two-lane road, not an interstate? Speaking of the road, why is it paved with people occasionally driving by and then mysteriously morphs into a dirt road and (I think) back again?

The film runs 82 minutes and was shot in Southern California.

GRADE: Borderline C- or D+ (3.5 out of 10)

If I could give this a -1, we would be in the ballpark. First review for a movie online ever. It was very special indeed. Please for the love of all that is holy, if you like horror, b horror, bad movies ala mystery science theater do yourself a favor and save yourself the time. A few of the women were mildly attractive, other than that, absolutely no redeeming qualities what so ever.

All of the other reviews I've seen say something positive about the "film", which is why I had to write this. The acting was non-existent. As was the cinematography and special effects. I'm at a loss for words as to how to describe how unbelievably cheated I feel of my time here.

and you are welcome. Have a great day, hope you got to this before watching the movie, provided you could sit through it.

1st watched 9/5/2011 – 7 out of 10(Dir-Junior Bonner): Effective scary movie that starts off looking pretty run-of-the-mill with a lesbian couple being the first victims in an initially sub-par looking killer movie. Next, there is a group of young folk heading off to a vacation destination and you know they are going to come upon the same fate. What sets this movie apart from others of the like is that it keeps you guessing to the very end and beyond as to what or who the killer is. The characters, although they are typical horror-movie types, don't do stupid things at stupid times – which is the norm for most movies of this genre. The movie, also, does scare you like it is supposed to. The attacker seems to have a way of infecting the victims first and making them sick and weak – which makes them ripe for the killing. In the background, occasionally you hear a radio broadcast where they are discussing unexplained disappearances – which gives you more data to help the viewer question what is really happening. Even when the movie is over, you really don't know what the victims have faced and to me that is good filmmaking. Otherwise, it's a pretty basic scary movie -- but it is pulled off well by the directors, writers and actors and it puts a nice twist on the genre that really works well once the movie gets rolling.

A motley group of young people head for a remote desert cabin where they plan to kick back for a couple of days, which means drinking even more, and using even more drugs, than they're consuming before they get to the cabin; and where the guys plan to put the move on the girls, except, of course, for the clearly defined sharp-tongued Plain Jane. Naturally, something hungry is lurking out there in the desert; something that makes an awful lot of noise chewing and swallowing.

The average episode of SpongeBob Squarepants has better writing and acting, and more depth and complexity, than this dreck. It's as if the cast, director and crew who are making this movie are out there only as an excuse to do for real BEHIND the camera what the actors are pretending to be doing in FRONT of the camera: namely, cursing, drinking cheap booze, and taking a variety of drugs, while the guys haplessly strut about putting the moves on the girls, who act suitably coy, until they get tired of acting coy, and so of course suffer the usual fate of pretty young women in movies like this, which is to be devoured a minute or two after foreplay has started. (Actually, calling them "actors" is being generous.) The filmmakers did themselves and their film no favors by naming their production company Brain Damage Films.

Actually, now that I come to think about it, this dismal dog of a flick has improved my life, because watching it, I had to confront the question of whether I really, truly, absolutely, positively have nothing better to do with my time than to watch drivel like this.