Deadly Daphne's Revenge

Four middle-aged guys in the Los Angeles area are set for a weekend of partying and hunting at a remote vacation home. They pick up an alluring blonde hitchhiker on a whim to spice things up, but the unbridled celebration results in life-changing events.

"Deadly Daphne's Revenge" starts and ends as a cabin-in-the-woods flick, but it's also a crime thriller and legal drama (minus a court room) with a little horror/slasher. Despite the 1987 copyright, the production can be traced to 1981 and looks like it was shot in the 70s with its Columbo movie aura; just edgier with slight nudity, racial slurs and so forth.

The title is eye-rolling and unfitting in a way, but no one can argue that it's totally irrelevant. It was called the more ambiguous (and superior) "Hunting Season" during shooting, not to mention released to video as such in at least four countries.

The male protagonist, played by Richard Gardner, looks like a taller, more rugged version of Lee Majors. Gardner also cowrote and directed the film, based on a book. His only other screen credit is as the writer of the novel that "Scandalous John" (1971) was based on. Except for a glorified cameo by James Avery, the other key actors don't have many movies to their credit and, usually, only this one.

Some critics call it a "snoozefest," perhaps because they were expecting a rape/revenge flick, like "I Spit on Your Grave," yet that's not what this is. Sure, there's a rape, and revenge does fit into the story, yet this is way more creative and unpredictable, as well as thought-provoking.

Being low-budget, it's clearly a 'B' flick with melodramatic portrayals, particularly shapely Cindy with her 'troubled brow.' Nevertheless, I found the characters true-to-life in an exaggerated way. I also found the story compelling throughout. The closest comparison would be Peter Fonda's "Open Season" from 1974, which had a bigger budget and is understandably more technically impressive, but this is the better movie in all-around entertainment.

What's the moral? The folly of hubris. But there are other quality insights as well, like the domino effect of bad decisions. Some complain that the quasi-hero looks to be at least 40 years-old and yet he's willing to make it with a female who's a week from being 18. However, that's what happens when people drink and experience an undeniable attraction, not to mention there's uncertainty about so-and-so's real age. Besides, a little later in the story she's fully 18 and ordering liquor at the bar. Moreover, it's not like a difference in age of 20-some years is unbelievable; look no further than Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas.

It runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in SoCal.

GRADE: B.

This film begins with 4 young men picking up a hitchhiker by the name of "Cindy Langely" (Laurie Tait Partridge) while on their way to a cabin out in the woods. However, rather than letting her off once they get to her requested destination, they all decide stop off at their cabin to relax and drink some beer instead. Eventually, one thing leads to another and, even though one of the men named "Charlie Johnson" (Anthony Holt) has been rather insistent about sleeping with her, she decides to spend the night with another man named "Steve" (Richard Gardner) who seems to be much nicer and has assured her that Charlie has passed out on the couch and won't disturb her anymore. Unfortunately, once Steve leaves her alone in the bedroom, Charlie and another man come in and rape her without Steve knowing anything about it. The next morning, Steve is told by Charlie that Cindy had left several hours earlier but, prior to that, she voluntarily had sex with Charlie as well. Although initially puzzled by this, Steve eventually takes Charlie's word for it and, after a couple of days in the cabin, they all return to their homes. Not long afterward, they are all indicted for rape--and that's when things get worse for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that was a rather strange rape-revenge drama which suffered to a certain extent from its haphazard plot and all-around bad acting. Likewise, although it was supposedly produced in 1987, it has the look and feel of a film produced in the late-70's--or possibly the early-80's. I'm not sure why. In any case, I wasn't too impressed with this movie overall, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.

This film wasn't so bad really, it's about TV movie level, not as exciting as you'd hope for from a Troma pick up at it's best (and nothing like the synopsis on the box) but nowhere near Troma's worst, either. Relax! The highlight was the scene where James Avery shows up, best known as Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince and the voice of Shredder in the original 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. It's nifty when a sort-of star like that shows up in a Troma film.

The film, by the way, is clearly a lot older than 1987. James Avery is considerably thinner than he was in either Fletch (1985) or Fresh Prince (which began in 1990), plus everyone's wearing flares, the woman has Farrah Fawcett hair...I imagine it was shot the best part of 10 years earlier.

Just so you know what I'm all about: I love drive-in shlock exploitation "B" films and find most mainstream Hollywood productions to be quite lame and boring...

Not your usual Hollywood garbage,but boring none the less.....Sloooooooow paced crime drama pawned off as a horror film.It has a lame "made for TV" production feel to it.Not what you would expect from the fine folks at Troma at all.The first reel had me thinking it was going to be interesting,then it takes a sharp turn for the worst into a crime drama .Let's put it this way: I'm typing this review as I watch the film,just to have something to do!When is something going to HAPPEN already?Fighting off sleep now....stay awake you can do it...Finally (1:15:00 into the movie) the maniac shows up!Can she save this waste of film?Nope....forget it.Shame on you Troma!....and you thought "Manos" was bad ,at least it was watchable.I can't even say that for this film.....do something more entertaining like stare at a wall.I think I hurt my brain watching this junk.

This total waste of time came in the otherwise watchable 3 DVD set "Toxie's Triple Terror #1" Watch the other 2 DVDs and use this one for a Frizbee or coaster.

1/10 on the Drive-in freak-o-meter The DVD makes a handy coaster.

I guess this might qualify as a grindhouse flick.

Seventeen-year-old obnoxious girl who looks forty gets picked up at a truck stop and is taken by a number of hicks in a cottage.

One of the guys is actually named "BoBo!"

The acting isnt horrible, but the story is bizarre. The first scene is another woman who got out of an insane asylum. Then it cuts to the girl who gets picked up. She's a bad actress and annoying.

Then there are loooong segments with lawyers and such and then the movie is putting you to sleep until the final quarter when it takes a turn, making it all the more bizarre.

Not really sure why on Earth this movie got any backing. It couldn't have made money. And it definitely could not be made today.