Harvesters

You will enjoy every cheesey second of this cinemagraphic tour-de-force! This movie has the best blood bath scene ever! Joe Ripple not only directs this masterpiece but also has a costarring role as a U.S. Marshal. There are special effects that you won't believe as well as an incredible surprise ending that will leave you stupified. Wake up if you don't have a DVD player and go get one today, because the special edition of this one of a kind film has a 30 minute documentary filled with interesting facts about the making of The Harveters, something I assure you, should not be missed! Lucas beware, CGI has a new master and it's name is Time Warp Films.

If this film weren't shot on mom's camcorder, which lends a certain amateur quality that isn't the "fun" kind, it might be a sort of minor trash classic. It's flamboyantly sleazy but also hapless, which is good, so the sleaze feels entertainingly faux. (Rather than, y'know, icky.) The performances are bad but committed, the story moves along despite a lack of real surprises, and the violence is ample--even if the gore is pretty much Halloween-party-grade. In other words, it's a guilty pleasure...just not a memorable one. It does seem to be a step up from the director's prior work--I tried something called "Fiend" first, and that was a little too much on the "unwatchable" side.

This movie is nothing but a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I can't believe that a film like this never made the theaters! The plot was good, the acting was great, and the special effects...THEY ROCK! Hot chicks, cool deaths, and kickin music make this film a must see! You got to get the DVD though, just for the behind the scenes documentary. Joe Ripple, Don Dohler and Sean Quinn put everything they had into this film, and it shows! You guys ROCK!

I'll waste no time and spare misunderstanding and start by saying this: This work is an INDEPENDENT FILM, not a Hollywood production. With that said, let it be known that all opinions and critiques that follow are based NOT on "Hollywood's Standard," but rather the appropriate Independent Film Standard.

Small town artist and Independent Film cult icon Don Dohler follows up his cinematic return ("Alien Rampage," or, "The Alien Factor 2: Alien Rampage") with his first project shot entirely on Digital Video. Based loosely off his 1987 horror/thriller, "Blood Massacre," "Harvesters" depicts the classic situation of two sets of baddies unwittingly pitted against each other.

This film (despite being shot on Digital Video, I will refer to this as a film) for all it is worth is a great effort and compared to most independent works, this work is something to be respected. For the resources at hand, director Joe Ripple and Don make do very well. Albeit the use of Computer Generated Imagery was over done, and a selection of the actors' performances was sub par, the film itself successfully puts the message of tension and conflict well enough. The physical make-up effects used were for the most part believable.

Although "Harvesters" may not be ready to go to Oscars or be penned in history's books as a great, it is still worthy of mention and of viewing, especially if you are an aspiring film maker.

I give this film a 6.5 out of 10.

Watched it both on VHS & DVD! This is Don Dohler's best ever film and guaranteed to please his long time fans as well as new recruits. Joe Ripple deserves kudos for his directorial debut and should be motivated to do another film as quickly as possible. Here is hoping that Dohler and Ripple team up again to scare the "crap" out of us and make our "guts" churn with heart thumping mayhem! Don't miss this bloody epic!