Director – Jerry O’Sullivan (The Slasher Nurse, Killer Campout Part II)
Starring – Jeffrey Forsyth (Star Trek Phase II, The Vicious Sweet), Ron Bonk (Johnny Z, The Night of Something Strange), and Edward Mastin (House Shark, Joe Vegas)
Release Date – 1998
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 4/5
I have a horrible habit of buying horror films to add to my collection and never watching them. It’s not because I have no interest in it but because I never have the time to watch everything I add to it. Many years ago I bought the DVD for the 1998 horror film Gut Pile from SRS Cinema during a holiday sale. It looked like a film I would love but I just never had the time to check it out.
Fast forward many years and the awesome folks over at Saturn’s Core has put the film out on blu. I try not to double dib but the price wasn’t bad and I’m a huge fan of TV so I snagged a copy. I decided to finally check the film out and it had to the this new release from Saturn’s Core.
**Spoiler Alert** The film begins with a hunter who accidentally shoots someone. He buries the body in a shallow grave and keeps it to himself. The next year he returns to the same spot to hunt with some of his friends. A fun weekend of beer and hunting soon turns deadly when something sinister awakens in the woods wanting revenge. **Spoiler Alert**
Gut Pile is a film I’ve seen very few people talking about and even fewer exclaim that they like it. This made me a bit nervous but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Honestly, I knew nothing about the film prior to watching it but if I knew that the film was as Evil Dead like as it was then I would have watched it a lot sooner.
The acting in this one is solid but there is plenty of room for improvement. The cast, for the most part, didn’t have a lot of on screen experience prior but they did go on to appear in more films after this. As inexperienced as they may have been, I still enjoyed the characters they portrayed and the performances in each scene.
The story for this one is simple and stretched a bit thin even though the movie only has a 50 minute run time. I really liked the premise with the hunter hiding a body and going back a year later. I also liked he flow of the film and the small talk. It doesn’t take away from the film like it does in other films. In fact, it works with the story to progress. With that being said, the film is padded to extend the run time. The film has no reason being more than 30 minutes with the story we are given.
Finally, the film has some deaths with some blood and make-up effects. While they are nothing memorable, they fit the film and work. Overall, Gut Pile is a surprisingly enjoyable cabin in the woods type horror film. It might not be the most gruesome film I’ve seen but it is a lot of fun. I highly recommend snagging tis on blu from Saturn’s Core. Check it out.
Special Features:
Region Free Blu-ray
New audio commentary featuring writer / director Jerry O’Sullivan and actors Ron Bonk, Ed Mastin, and Jeff Forsyth
“Spilling Guts” -an interview with writer / director Jerry O’Sullivan
“Analog Diva” -an interview with actress Sasha Graham
“Hunting Season” -an interview with actor Jeff Forsyth
“Within the Family” -a round table chat with writer / director Jerry O’Sullivan and actors Ron Bonk & Ed Mastin moderated by actor Jeff Forsyth
“Make it Gross” -an interview with FX artist Jeff Meyer
“Gut Pile: Behind the Scenes”: Archival featurette
The Axe (1979) -Jerry O’Sullivan’s early Super 8 short that inspired Gut Pile
The Scarecrow (1980)-Jerry O’Sullivan’s early Super 8 short that inspired Gut Pile
Trailer
Reversible sleeve with newly commissioned artwork by Don England
English SDH subtitles
