Blood Reservoir

Mark Anthony Del Negro is the director screenwriter and the general force behind Blood Reservoir. He put it all together with a standard horror story, some seasoned performers with experience in films of fear, and some interesting locations in Western Massachusetts.

Not too surprising we get to watch a group of young folks who are headed for a camping trip in land that has a warning not to enter. Blood Reservoir is on that forbidden property. The name is said to have come about because of a history of strange deaths at the site. The campers are out for romance on the surface but some of them are determined to search for an old hidden Indian treasurer.

Early on we observe a local Mayor from the past killing a young woman he has fathered a child with, it is not clear how that scene fits in with the present time at Blood Reservoir. But at the beginning we watch a young girl head into the cold water at night and quickly begin to call for help as a fog fills the water around her.

From there it's all very standard, each of the characters are picked off by characters who don't appear to have motivation to slaughter but vigorously take on the task with stones, and knives until the end.

This is Del Negro's first film and he may look back at this as one observes their picture in an old high school year book. Did I really look like that?

His star Felissa Rose has experience in blood letting films and while she looks a bit dangerous at times she appears a little too attractive and regular for the total scope of her character Angela Stone. The Sheriff (Maximo Gianfranco Sorrentino) has some difficulty presenting himself as the law of the land in the county where Blood Reservoir exists. The two young women Hannah Landberg and Jessica Mazo look great as is usual for this style of film but their lines appear to be very simple and ineffective.

The music is edgy and effective by Kevin MacLeod and Red Sky Mary and the dark scene at the beginning with a girl in the water feels like Jaws.

Pumpkin Jack is referred to and appears at the end to begin the haunt all over with success we could see him again.

Just awful. Horrible acting. Very low budget. Does seem like he put effort into it. Just seem like it was put together by a group of high school kid with their friends trying to make a movie with their mom video camera. Don't waste your money you can kind it for free on YouTube.

I really enjoyed this movie, I have worked with Mark Del Negro in the past as he helped me cast talent for my commercials. He has a keen sense of finding raw and natural talent that being; Andi Balser, and Edem Kwakumey who make their first on screen appearances.

Then he put together a legendary cast with Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten who are no strangers to good old horror movies. Therefore he had horror movie royalty, some mid level people and the newbies which is great for this kind of feature.

I like the storyline, it was very well thought out and played out like an old school twilight zone mystery. I really did not notice any technical difficulties as did another reviewer and I love the off screen kills, Del Negro has mastered it in his first film. I think that should become one of his trademarks while he continues to make horror/thrillers. There are two really good off screen kills, one in the first scene and the second in the very last scene. He therefore starts this film and ends this film with a bang!

I highly recommend this film for anyone who enjoyed watching Psycho, The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcock presents and of course Friday the 13th.

Very good Indie Film which is why it received distribution so quickly, I look forward to more films from Mark.