Backroad. 2009. Reviewed by Brian Kirst
With powerful performances, some stunning cinematography and writer-director Wayne Slaten’s obvious desire to play a bit with horror film conventions, Backroad has much about it that is highly commendable.
Unfortunately, lead character Jasper Hawkins (subtly played by Matthew Carter) is less compelling than emotionally repugnant and it is difficult spending the length of a film with him. Slaten’s twist ending is also broadcast ahead of time with some obvious imagery and one wonders if this nicely put together piece would have worked better as a shorter segment in an R-rated Twilight Zone type anthology.
Still, individual scenes compel – especially when a Jane Doe (Elizabeth McCain, who actually gives one of the film’s more tentative and awkward performances)finds herself caught by the hair (as it were) and in a violent roadside battle with Jasper – and when a mysterious femme emerges from a hotel room’s shadows to comment on a recently trysting Jasper’s soul.
And while Slaten’s multiple sex scenes are richly violent and potent – just like the recent heralded horror independent Dead Girl one can imagine the multiple female, gay and progressive horror fans (of which there are many and whom may need to be taken into consideration now) crying foul (and/or misogyny) as there is nary a male buttock in sight while the women are often vulnerably visible. (This situation is remedied somewhat, for example, in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist where both Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg are equally sensitively exposed in their explosive sexual encounters.)
Slaten’s religiosity (whether intentional or not) might also find some fan’s scratching their heads – but is one of the things that encouragingly points him in the direction of being somewhat a maverick filmmaker – and that (along with a touching and risky performance from Julie P. Oliver-Touchstone as Jasper’s mother)may be a reason that some viewers might fully embrace his artistic vision for Backroad, as well. (Although, one might wonder the fate of Slaten’s agnostic considering the ultimate fate of his atheist –albeit a murdering atheist.)
Based on this review I am really looking forward to seeing this. Unlike Mr. Krist, I like a supernatural element in my horror (“The Satanic Rites of Dracula” By Hammer Films anyone?).
While a maniac with a chain saw, is, I’ll admit pretty terrifying, it takes the supernatural to produce the true villains of horror, i.e. vampires, Satan, Nixon and so on.
I goggled “my space backroad evil” and found their my space page. It has some very cool trailers. The link is https://www.myspace.com/backroad_the_movie
One thing I can’t find is a release date or DVD info. I get the impression that they are looking to do a festival release.
“The blood is the life”
While thrilled that my review has opened ‘Back Road’ up for dialogue – something I feel I pointed out it deserved in my final paragraph – I must question the dismissing of my review as being one of a purely 80’s slasher loving hobo. I love horror films from every spectrum (with one of my all time favorites being “Picnic at Hanging Rock” – a superbly dark drama with some mild supernatural overtones – check ‘er out) and feel I praised the director’s attempt to do something different but, as noted, felt the supernatural element was broadcast too vividly beforehand. Most importantly, I felt the main character was lacking the interest of – say Michael Rooker’s Henry, for example – and that was my main problem with the film.
Once again, as I found Back Road’s director to be on the verge of being an important filmmaker, I am glad people are taking an interest in his film- but I do resent the frequency of horror fans to attack and/or assume the negative when given this sort of forum as an outlet as opposed to just simply expressing their opinion. BK