Scream Park

This movie pays homage to horror movies from the past. Though it's not entirely sure which decade it really is looking up to (70s or 80s, which is something the trailer also mixes up when it compares it to some of the films back then). But being slithery to a point one can not pin you down to something specific, does not mean it's something bad. But if you copy something from the past, try to distill the best from it.

Budget wasn't that high I reckon (I saw 40.000 as a number somewhere, not sure if that's true), but the movie has a lot of issues. The location isn't one of them. The framing and the cinematography on the other hand combined with the lack (or absence) of acting ... That's something you feel. The effects are decent ... by 70s standards. Same tricks from back then are being used, maybe even the 60s. Not a selling point either. And the ending is rather predictable ... or if you're nice, is being pointed out throughout the whole film. And how many times can one mask be used for jump scares? Way more than one too many in this one ...

There's something charming about committing to making a movie without any prior experience, and on a shoestring budget. However it turns out, whatever one's opinion, one has to admire the gumption. There's no mistaking that 'Scream park' looks and feels like the small-time production that it is, including pacing that could perhaps generously be described as "difficult," and the inexperience of those involved does shine through. Earnestness goes a long way, however: the effort is there, and while far below the standards of major studio fare, I don't think anything here is done poorly. So long as one is open to the level this is operating, I think it's pretty good!

Though restricted by low production values and a consequent struggle with authenticity, this is classic slasher fare, including the narrative, scene writing, characters, and dialogue. The blood and gore looks fairly decent, and any violence generally, though again at a lower level. I find no especial fault with the cast's performances beyond the noted limitations, with Wendy Wygant standing out in what is effectively the lead role. Filmmaker Cary Hill's direction strikes me as no less capable than his writing, and even Nathan W. Fullerton's cinematography seems unexpectedly adept. From top to bottom the nature of the feature is "as plain as day," as the saying goes, but so is the love and care that went into it.

The difference between 'Scream park' and a home video made among friends isn't all that great; the flow of the film from A to B is less than perfectly fluid. Yet everyone involved puts in the work, with palpable heart and sincerity, and the result is frankly better than it has any right to be. There are no real surprises here, and like most slashers this is built for grisly entertainment more than any major thrills, but that's just part and parcel of the horror genre. Of course I had mixed expectations when I sat to watch; however, I've seen plenty of movies from first-time filmmakers, or that had emphatically minimal resources, but still came out astonishingly well. And so it is again: what 'Scream Park' lacks in polish, it makes up for with passion and honesty. It's up to each individual viewer to decide if that's enough for them, but I for one really like this!

If you can believe it. This movie was filmed on a budget of $40,000 raised through kickstarter. Donations were mostly made by friends and family members in the same way you buy a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies from your friend's daughter. With kickstarter, this sense of "social guilt" was somehow thick enough to raise quite a bite of money--too bad it was all squandered.

This movie isn't worth reviewing. The other IMDb review, although overwhelmingly negative, was much too long and almost gives the film legitimacy. It makes the mistake of giving this hastily put together "film school thing" credit as a film.

It's not a movie; it barely has a plot, the acting is terrible, it's not scary, it's not gory, the special effects are almost nonexistent, the sound and lighting are not even intentionally managed, and there is no cinematography. Most of all, and to summarize, there's simply no point. Cary wasted 40,000 dollars on...something? I can't tell where it went.

But for me, I already own this movie 15 times. Being in an amusement park doesn't set it aside enough to make me care about the characters or plot. The plot is weak and most of the characters are paper thin. The one thing all indie films should EXCEL at is a great script. This film does not deliver.

Almost every character is so bland that I couldn't find myself invested in any of them.

That's not to take anything away from some of the actors. The two leads (Wendy Wygant and Steve Rudzinski) both excel at the roles they're supposed to play. Wendy is a very capable lead, making me believe in being frail but badass while Steve is perfect as a really nice weasel. Doug Bradley does great in his five minute cameo, as should be expected from one of the greats. Nivek Ogre also certainly brought his character to life in a great way, I hope he keeps doing more films as he was a perfect maniacal killer.

The rest of the acting is an extreme range though. On the GREAT end you have Alicia Marie Marcucci and Kyle Riordan, both were a joy on screen. On the HORRIBLE end you have Kailey Marie Harris and Tyler Kale, who seemed to have gotten their parts based on their looks alone and never went through an actual audition. To round out the kids we have both Nicole Beattie and Dean Jacobs, neither of whom are bad but are seen so little that they never get a chance to show off who the characters are.

"So that's all well and good Andy, but what about the rest of the movie?" Well since the biggest issue I have is with plot and characters I'll keep everything else to a minimum.

The movie is a combination of great looking and poorly shot. There aren't many "bad" shots, just that often times there's a chance for great establishing shots in a terrific park that we never get, too much of the camera is right up in character's faces. This is purely subjective, but the best shots in the movie were things like the wide establishing shot of a killer on the other end of a body of water or a victim on a carousel. Great mood setters that were too few between.

Pacing in general is fine except for a painful Act 1. Never before have I wanted to kill a character we never meet more than Blake, as he is the entire focus point of all of Act 1. Which is even worse given that the pay off is really a let down. Otherwise Act 2 and 3 move along nice and brisk. I appreciated that the killing is also sprinkled throughout a good chunk of the film, as opposed to being all in the end (some indie slashers suffer from this).

The kills as a whole are okay. Some look great, some look bland. The best was by far the one with the axe you don't see coming until it's too late. Body count is a grand total of 9. For most people this will be plenty, for me I felt like I wanted more.

The music in the movie is great. It was wonderfully creepy and well done.

Editing is also for the most part really good. There are definitely times when there's some poor shot usage or off scenes, but I've seen enough movies to know that there's only so much an editor can do sometimes with what he has. Although in the copy I had, there were full blown unfinished effects in a surveillance room. Marking tape was clearly visible where footage was supposed to be, footage that would appear randomly. I really hope this is a case of it being an early copy and not what will end up being released.

The killers are good, but I can't help but feel I'm giving them a pass due to Ogre's amazing performance. I think it's more than possible that anyone less great than Ogre would have made the killers really bland. BUT, since Ogre is in fact in the movie and his performance is in fact amazing, I do like the killers in the movie. Both are just different enough and the outfits are pretty interesting.

So would I recommend this? No. To be fair, this isn't a BAD movie. Objectively it's pretty average, I should score it a 5/10. But personally, I just didn't like it. Especially since it really seems like they had a lot of money to make this (the actors and location), yet I've seen plenty of movies made for under $5000 that were better. That shouldn't happen, Scream Park should have been better. That alone, for me, is enough to knock off that extra star for it to be a 4/10.

For the average slasher fan you may very well enjoy the movie. It has a great location, a few great kills, and a few great actors. But personally, I just didn't like this.

There's certainly potential and I do look forward to what comes next from the writer/director. Hopefully Cary Hill can learn from the mistakes he made and the next film he makes will be even better!

An old amusement park in western Pennsylvania is shutting down soon, so several of the employees decide to have an after-hours party. Unfortunately they start getting slain one by one, but who's doing it and why? Will anyone survive to see the morrow?

"Scream Park" is a micro-budget slasher that debuted for a special screening on Halloween, 2012, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, with a 'world release' in Pittsburgh on January 6, 2013. The singer of Skinny Puppy, Nivek Ogre (aka Kevin Graham Ogilvie), has a pretty significant role while Doug Bradley, who played Pinhead in nine "Hellraiser" films, has a minor part.

It was the debut work of writer/director Cary Hill who got his training from the University of Pennsylvania, which is where the Doug Bradley cameo was shot. The movie was otherwise filmed at the old Conneaut Lake Park in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Despite the low-budget vibe with some questionable sound here and there, the movie honors slasher traditions established in the early 80's craze, starting with "Friday the 13th" (1980). The no-name actors do a fine job and the story pulled me in. The score and soundtrack are also decent.

Wendy Wygant is likable as the main protagonist and Steve Rudzinski does well as the young, somewhat nerdy manager of the doomed park. Winsome petite blonde Alicia Marie Marcucci stands out as Allison on the feminine front and the director doesn't fail to tastefully highlight her beauty. Nicole Beattie is also notable as the glum Goth chick, Missi. Another actress has a top nude scene, but I found her more scary than alluring, although I'm sure she's a wonderful person and I give her credit for her chutzpah (just a heads up).

The film runs 1 hour, 24 minutes.

GRADE: B-/C+