Slew Hampshire

Review by Golden State Haunts and Events

In American Backwoods, four months after one of the most brutal slaughters happened in American history, four friends, Kid (Jeremy Isabella), Dude-Guy (Tyler Rice), Buddy (Shawn Thomas) and Bro (Dayo Okeniyi – The Hunger Games and Terminator: Genisys) travel from New Hampshire to the Canadian border to visit a private strip club in a rite of passage after a party they were to attend gets raided. They never make it to their destination after their car spins out and Officer Girth (Matt Hish) deems it unsafe to continue. The four friends are then taken captive and what ensues is a violent film filled with gore and violent scenes of rape.

With everything going on the movie is somewhat hard to follow so viewers must pay attention to all the subtleties and undertones. Director/writer Flood Reed has created an ultriovelent film that covers several topics spanning from mythology and horror to comedy. He even has a few scenes in the film. The scenes of gore seem more high budget using practical effects. Once the movie kicks into high gear it may offend and repulse but it offers a little for everyone. The only thing we didn't like was the complexity of the movie as we like our horror films to flow more smoothly and not have to try to peel back confusing layers.

So let me start by saying that if you look at the breakdown of the high rating, over half gave it an eight, nine or ten, which it obviously is not. And, obviously, those artificially high numbers are from people who are most likely associated with the production. About the production- bad camera work, bad lighting (night scenes are barely discernible). No drama builds in this movie, poorly acted (for the most part), what little pre-violence plot setup there is drags on forever. I stopped watching (even after it got a tad interesting) because the low production values, etc just made it too painful to watch. Don't waste your time

Review-American Backwoods has the honor of being the first film I have ever witnessed that made me feel like I was using drugs when I was not. One thing for sure, director Floor Reed is a much messed up individual but my god is he very creative and genius. This film has some of the most insane dialogue I have heard in a horror film; let me rephrase that, in any film this year. There is a scene in the film when the radio is playing a "sexy song", and that song is so absurd that you feel obligated to join in the catchy feel of it. You would never guess from the opening sequence this is a low budget film. Mixing a genre like horror with comical elements is always a hard pill for most horror fans to swallow. The results and reactions are usually mixed at best. I feel this film that film in the early stages had a direction, but as the film was filming that direction went out the window in favor of making the viewer guess where the film is heading.

This film revolves around the simplest premise, the premise of four college students making their way to a strip club. We learn as this film starts going, that the group has a past together. Bro it seems was injured one time when they were on snowmobiles. There is really not much in terms of substance and character development when we see the college guys interact, but this is horror and we sort of expect it. The film finds itself when it comes to both the horror element and also the humor element. What shocked me the most was as bloody and disgusting this film gets, you always feel like they are winking at you. Well our college boys find a bunch of redneck hillbilly types who seem to enjoy hunting for human beings. Well, they also practice the lost arts of raping and killing as well. As we think the hillbillies and being raped could be our worst hope in this side of the world, there is something out there as well that seems to be a bigger threat.

The one word that stuck out to me the most in this film was "unique". This film really does not mind taking gambles and hoping people can follow. This film is not afraid to test boundaries. This film gives you plenty of sick and disturbing moments that fans watch a film like this for. The pacing in this film was a small issue I had, it seemed that as the hour mark hit, the film lost some of its humor flare and felt a little too similar to other films like a Chainsaw Massacre or a Wrong Turn. I really liked the last ten minutes of this film, and felt that it made a good statement about what we just witnessed. This film to me was a great welcome to a director I feel has his head in the right place, and his heart firmly in this genre. This is a horror film that can only be pulled off by a true fan of the genre. While this film is far from perfect, it does deliver in good doses what we watch these little films for. With any justice, this film will get some good word of mouth from both buyers and critics. Slew Hampshire is a odd place but boy was it fun to visit.

Since IMDb displays a User Rating which ignores the actual mean score in favor of a mysterious, much lower "weighted" average, it seems only appropriate to also display some of the high praise that the film has been receiving from actual horror media/critics:

"Goriest Scene Of The Year . . . a sumptuous visual feast" - Rue Morgue

"An intense and gory little surprise of a horror film . . . Highly recommended" - Ain't It Cool News

"The kind of indie horror movie every filmmaker should aspire to make." - The Film Splice

"One of the most gleefully gruesome movies you're likely to see this year." - Attack of the Couch Potato

"A high-tempo celebration of backwoods depravity" - Film Threat

"Gnarly, graphic and in your face" - Film Bizarro

"Brilliant style . . . a truly joyous experience for all fans of splatter!" - Extreme Horror Cinema

"A gore lover's delight . . . a stunning celluloid achievement" - Thy Demons Be Scribblin

"An ultra-gory, in-your-face, Deliverance-inspired backwoods nightmare." - Johnny Veins

"Gloriously gory . . . a wicked sense of black humour." - Haddonfield Horror

"If you are a gore hound, you absolutely have to check out the film." - Dreadworld

"Remains tense and entertaining throughout . . . Definitely worth a look!" - Search My Trash

"The story is elevated, next-level insanity" - A Southern Life in Scandalous Times

"Like a car wreck you can't look away from, and don't want to" - The Horror Honeys

"A must watch!" - Horror Movies Blog

"This is one you will want to put in your collection." - Horror Society

"This movie is a bloody gem." - Rogue Cinema

"Made me feel like I was using drugs when I was not" - Wicked Channel

"I watched this movie and got a wicked case of the fuzzies." - Reel Bloody

"Makes 'Deliverance' look like a nice vacation in the woods." - Horror News Network

"This massacre is surely one that should be sitting on your shelf." - Killer Reviews

"Keeps viewers glued to the TV" - Splats of Blood

American Backwoods: Slew Hampshire is the deranged brainchild of Flood Reed, who, according to his IMDb profile, is a circus performer and subconscious drifter who likes to appear in the nightmares of children and the occasional LSD-induced hallucination. However, when he's not scaring kids and enhancing trips, he sometimes acts in, writes and directs movies. One such movie is the topic of this review: a demented dose of backwoods debauchery that's already received critical acclaim by winning Rue Morgue Magazines, "Goriest Scene of the Year Award" and Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Editing at the 8th Annual Shockfest Film Festival.

A fitting way to describe American Backwoods: Slew Hampshire would be Deliverance (1972) meets Jack Ketchum's Offspring (2009), although comparing it these films is only a brief indication of what to expect here. American Backwoods is a lethal concoction of hillbilly horror, cannibal caper and creature feature, infused with black humour and copious amounts of violent carnage to create one of the most gleefully gruesome movies you're likely to see this year.

The story follows a group of 4 guys who set out for one last hurrah at a strip club before college life separates them for the foreseeable future. They're a fun bunch of miscreants who just want to see some boobs and find some loose women to engage in sexual acts with; very similar to groups of friends we've seen in countless other horror flicks. Along the way they encounter a creepy professor, an unpleasant gas station attendant and a homosexual police officer who doesn't appear to be who he says he is. After deeming their vehicle unfit to drive, the police officer calls a mechanic who takes them to his trailer – and prepares them for the hunt.

Up until they reach the trailer American Backwoods is an offbeat bro- comedy that wouldn't seem out of place as a Harold & Kumar sequel. The strip club is their White Castle and on their journey they meet some oddball characters. Kudos have to be given for leading the viewer into a false sense of security; just as we start to think it might be a lighthearted romp, it does a complete 180 and drags us by the teeth into the abyss. Once it gets going it's an unrelenting nightmare of inescapable danger at every turn – involving rapist yokels, cannibalistic cave dwellers and a mystical beast. With so many ingredients in the pot, it risks becoming a convoluted mess: I'm happy to report that it makes for a tasty treat, effortlessly shifting gears with unforced, natural ease.

More often than not, low budget independent horror suffers from the same pitfalls: bad acting, below par production values, paper thin characters, etc. In American Backwoods every actor is solid and convincing in their roles, with the majority of characters being given ample amounts of screen time to make an impression and flex their chops. Most of the characters are given enough of a backstory that they actually come across as people and not just bodies to be slaughtered. Furthermore, the movie looks great: visually it's clear to see what's going on, and at times, it's reminiscent of an Oliver Stone movie. As for the gore, well that's just outstanding: there's one gag in particularly that'll make you think twice about receiving oral sex in a trailer again anytime soon. Let it be a warning to you hillbilly rapists out there.

All in all, American Backwoods: Slew Hampshire is a violent, visceral treat that takes a well-trodden formula and gives it some extra layers. This is a must see for those who like their horror unapologetic and sleazy, while creating some laughs at the expense of heinous acts without ever losing its horrific edge. Excellent acting, a good script, an ambitious story and interesting characters provide a solid foundation for the mayhem to spray blood and spill guts all over, making it an unhinged, filthy little gem waiting to be discovered. 8/10