The Legend of Bloody Jack

Inept. Inept. Inept. Inept.

Geez - this is what you get when you decide to take a chance on a direct to DVD slasher! The cover looks cool - the comparison to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" obviously comes from someone associated with the film 'cuz no one in their right mind would compare those two - and the story doesn't sound too bad (for a slasher). But do not be fooled (like ME!) - this is total and utter CRAP.

It's hard to take a few things out and point to their ineptitude but here's a quick rundown; Acting is bad - effects are bad - dialogue is beyond belief and overall script is pure toilet paper - things like atmosphere and suspense are not present.

Personal faves; The movie is supposed to take place in Alaska where for some reason the sun never sets. Well OK, so we'll have a daylight slasher - at least that's new. Wrong! Interior scenes always show total darkness when looking at the windows yet when the folks go outside it's always bright. But the biggest laugh comes when a state official uses a torch to see where he's going in complete daylight. Also an encounter with a woman driver near the end has to be seen to be believed.

Maybe the film is best enjoyed when you know what you're getting into. Don't expect anything remotely good and you might have a few laughs Ed Wood "Plan 9" style. I've seen some bad slashers but I can't think of one that tops this turd. Perhaps the biggest laugh comes when watching the supplements on the DVD when the crew responsible for the flick praise it like it's a modern masterpiece of slasher cinema. How clueless can they get?

Seven youths go to a cabin-in-the-woods to have a good time, but a mysterious man with an axe puts the kibosh on their plans.

"The Legend of Bloody Jack" (2007) is a slasher in the tradition of "The Prey" and "The Final Terror," both released 24 years earlier. While not quite on the level of "The Final Terror" (which isn't exactly great), it's about on par with "The Prey." It's thankfully superior to the lousy "Don't Go in the Woods," but not as effective as "Berserker."

The reason I mention those specific flicks is because this is cut from the same cloth. Unlike "Don't Go in the Woods," the characters are fleshed-out a little, although not as well as in "Edge of the Axe." The dramatic scenes are superior to those in the obscure "The Ridge" (2005), but the thrills in the second half are nowhere near as compelling.

On the feminine front, ScarJo-lookalike Erica Curtis stands out as the redhead protagonist Dawn. Alicia Klein is worth a mention as insecure Shelly. Meanwhile there's a top nudity sequence involving blonde Jessica Szab, who plays Lisa (just a heads up).

Regrettably, there's too much padding. For instance, the intro unnecessarily drags on too long. The flick would've worked better at about 73 minutes. As it is, it runs 1 hour, 28 minutes. In other words, fifteen tedious minutes needed shaved off. Still, if you're an aficionado of cabin-in-the-woods horror, it's proficient enough to check out.

It was shot in the hills northeast or north of Los Angeles (Los Padres National Forest, Pine Mountain Club and Angeles National Forest).

GRADE: C.

Starring an unknown cast which seem likely to remain that way, this "film" is yet another cheap slasher flick which amazes me how this was released. I have no problem with horrors and slasher flicks in particular, in fact they are my favourites. But when they are done THIS BAD, it really does take the monkey and its no wonder the genre has such a hard time. The story is as clichéd and without imagination as possible with a bunch of people in a cabin out in the woods being slashed and hacked up by this zombie/ghost guy. Its not the story that sucks the most, its the atrocious acting and dialouge, home made directing quality and an awful soundtrack. Not to mention laughable effects and some incredibly lazy film making - these morons are outside in clear daylight yet we are meant to believe it's night?? What the hell was the director thinking with this move? What, he had only one day to film all this in? He was scared of the dark? ( Is hilarious seeing a cop walking around in pure daylight with a torch acting as if its pitch black, though)

I guess the positive side for the actors is they look like people who work in the local supermarket so at least they could possibly escape from this film without ever being noticed. Im sure one of the "teens" plays bingo down the local pub - but she's 40-45.

Anyway, good for a laugh but just another waste of film and time.

Usually threads posted in the forums are pretty harsh but in the case of "The Legend of Bloody Jack", they are richly deserved.

The acting is horrible, the "special effects" aren't very special (it looks like they pillaged a Halloween party supply store), the dialog is laughable, and the plot is non-existent.

Bloody Jack, or as the credits list him, Lumberjack is the most non-threatening and ineffectual slasher I have ever seen. He basically looks like a regular guy who went into Kmart to buy flannels, Dickie's work pants and a pair of CAT boots. On his way out, he remembered that he needed a hat and a face-warmer so he picked those up too. The ax was an impulse buy at checkout. He's just a regular guy that went crazy after too many lonely Alaska winters. All that seems legit. Oh...except that the Netflix description of this movie says "Bloody Jack" is 400 yrs old.

Hell, the IMDb description says "The legend of Jack The Ripper comes to real when one of his descendants revive him." Really?? When did this happen??? Did I see a censored version of this movie that left the gore and nudity in but edited out any and all major plot points? I will give this movie one plus; the girls in it are relatively attractive and they all bare their relatively nice breasts. But that's it. That is it! No more pluses.

Don't even get me started on the ending...

Follow the majority of the reviews and do not waste your time with this. If you wanna see relatively nice breasts, you can easily find them faster and easier on the internet.

Considering this movie has all new talent, a new writer and a new director, it's not bad. I think it's a good "dark stormy night at the cabin after a few drinks" kind of movie. It's got everything needed to make a horror movie, it has a few scenes that will make you jump, and a few scenes that may make you laugh (may not have been their intention), and some nudity, all mixed in with a good theme. I know I'll be thinking twice about taking a leak out in the deep woods. It's a fun to watch horror flick! We dressed as lumberjacks and had a great time with it... It maybe the next cult classic, be the first one to get all the lines down, with all your own comebacks... Enjoyed it for what it is!