Blood on the Highway

I watched this movie on Fantaspoa/2009. It was one of the worst movies in that festival (IMO, obviously). The main story is not bad, the effects are OK, the actors are up to the movie's grade. The movie starts slow, and it doesn't get much speed as time goes by.

But what I really didn't like on it is the movie's appeal to obvious clichés, and to pointing them out. In that same festival I watched "Pathogen". It amazes me the fact that "Blood on the Highway" was boring, while on the other hand a lower-budget movie made in a totally amateur fashion, with little to no planning was not. As stated by "toronaga", it may be considered "The 'Airplane!' of horror movies". It's just that I think it didn't fit. Whoever likes this movie, it's probably for the same reason I didn't.

Well, I was hoping for a nice campy movie, along the lines of a Bruce Campbell or Alan Tudyk showing. You know, self aware, goofing it up. But in a good way.

This is not it, the three leads are barely what i would call actors. I did not bother to look their IMDB up, but I would not be surprised if this was a first role for any of them and if they never did anything again.

There is a difference between hamming it up and just plain bad acting. These three were bad, period. It just looks as if the people making this were using locals that claimed to acting experience or were simply willing to not get paid, just so they could show up in a film.

The only good thing, and just barely at that, was Nicholas Brendan. And after over 100 episodes of a fairly campy dramedy series like like Buffy, you would expect him to to hit his marks and deliver his lines like a pro. He simply was not enough to elevate the movie, for me anyway.

With some other actors in the major parts that were actually up to the task, this could have been really good. As it is, I would only call it mediocre at best.

I have no problem with people that think it is a good or even great movie, "to each their own". There are parts that definitely work, but they are few and far between.

It's always hard to make a good horror comedy. There are a few that I would mention, Undead Or Alive (2007, a zombedy), Doghouse (2009), Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009) and the best one so far Tucker and Dale vs Evil (201O). This flick here I came across on a sci-fi and horror convention. Sadly I don't have it for US comedy but I was glad I picked it up.

This goes sometimes over the top with stupid situations, too many to mention. But the acting was so believable that it really works. By going over the top this flick didn't fall in those stupid tricks like so many US spoofs did. naturally they also had in mind that it should work for horror buffs so a lot of red stuff is added. The gore isn't gory because it is all shown in those funny situations. Even the part were the doorbell rings and a voice says, it's a blond girl standing naked before your door, help, did work because a few seconds later after another scene we really see her standing before that particular door.

On part of the acting, they were all okay even as it has a few new names to the genre like Robin Gierhart (Carrie) who gives her first performance here. There are even names from bigger flicks like Nicholas Brendon (Chase Sinclair) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Tom Towles (Louis Debois) from House Of 1000 Corpses.

I enjoyed it and that is really a good point because normally I don't like US comedies. I'm more into British comedy but this here is a must see. I laughed out loud.

Gore 3/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 4/5

Blood On The Highway is an excellent independent horror comedy. If you like to see what a team of talented writers, actors and directors can create without a committee of Hollywood suits turning it into a boring safe money maker, this is your film.

This film is for fans of Evil Dead, El Mariachi, Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, Clerks or Cannibal! The Musical.

The story is original, the script is well paced and doesn't feel like it is shaped around a tiny budget. The characters are well developed and portrayed. The jokes are frequent, big and well written, I found myself laughing hard and quoting some of the lines with friends. Comedy is very hard to pull off in movie and these guys have got it. The soundtrack is well thought out and occasionally funnier than the film. I've been to three screenings and always bring someone new with me to watch their reactions. I've bought three copies of the DVD, one for myself and two to give to friends.

This isn't a big budget Hollywood polished film. This is a film done quick and cheap. If you need to see Tom Cruise blow some stuff up every time you watch a film, this is not the movie for you, but if you like to watch a group of independent film makers really nail it, get a copy of this film.

I expect more good things from these guys in the future.

Being that Vampires are so "in" these days, it's pretty much common sense (for anyone who isn't a pre-teen girl) that this modern Vamp-trend is bad news, and should be avoided at all costs. But not so fast! If you didn't know, you need to know that the world of B-Entertainment has also jumped on this bandwagon. A bandwagon which just got a lot bloodier. Blood On The Highway is a micro-budgeted Horror/comedy which flaunts a rotten attitude from beginning to end. We start out with an unlikeable, mean-spirited cast. An annoying wuss, his angry, gold diggin' girlfriend, and his so-called best friend (who is obviously sleeping with the girlfriend), head out for a road trip to a concert. Unfortunately, said wuss gets car sick and vomits all over the map, which only causes the little fella to get bullied even more. It doesn't take long for the pointless trio to wander in to a town of Vampires, only to be rescued and taken to a house of "survivors". Most of which, make the vampires look normal.Blood On The Highway is a Troma-ish Vampire version of Shaun Of The Dead. And despite having a description that makes it sound slightly goofy, Blood On The Highway has a very clever humor about it (I realize I just called it Troma-ish AND clever, but just go with it). Never getting too funny to stop being dark. The three main characters lack of concern for each other, along with their interaction with the other humans, never gets old. And neither does the gore! And if you're now convinced that Blood On The Highway is your kind of movie, but feel it could use a companion piece for a double-feature, Chris Seaver's Taintlight is waiting. So, in closing. If the Twilight saga makes you as sick as it does me, and you happen to love constant tear-inducing comedy, you're gonna wanna give Bloody On The Highway an honest chance. You just might love it. Nevermind the Vamp-trend. Support real independent cinema! 8/10