review: HATCHET

Starz / Anchor Bay  //  Buy from Amazon.com Hatchet spins a terrifying tale of tragedy and comeuppance from beyond the grave. Victor Crowley is a hideously deformed boy, living in seclusion with his father (Kane Hodder) in an isolated cabin deep in the Louisiana bayou. When a Halloween prank initiated by local kids goes terribly awry, Victor is accidentally killed in a vicious twist of irony. Years later, a tourist group visiting New Orleans' "haunted swamps" stumble upon the remnants of that shocking event, transforming an evening of seemingly innocent fun into a horrific nightmare, from which there may be no escape. While (admittedly) not the most original of stories, "Hatchet" makes no bones about being a love letter to the 80s slasher film, so rather than copying or recycling, it's actually paying tribute to a fun genre, and does so in a very entertaining fashion. The film opens up with an intense death scene right off the bat, sinking its teeth into the viewer's eyeballs so as to keep them holding on for the first 1/3 of the film, which is all character development and getting the main characters into the appropriate setting for the bad guy to show up and start doing what he does best. Once he does, you'll squeal with delight as the axe goes a-flyin' and the blood starts a-squirtin' -- some very creative, and highly entertaining, death sequences here. Lots of fun, very entertaining - can't say that about many movies these days, but "Hatchet" is definitely worth a couple hours of your life. Video Presented in a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer, the results of which are first-rate through and through. Anchor Bay can always be counted on to deliver quality transfer, and this one is no exception. Audio The included Dolby 5.1 surround mix is very nicely done, with the surrounds kicking in for some intense rumbling during the more exciting scenes. Extras audio commentary w/ director, cinematographer & actors making-of featurette "Meeting Victor Crowley" featurette "Guts and Gore" featurette "Anatomy of a Kill" featurette "A Twisted Tale" featurette gag reel trailers Closing Thoughts Fun, rollicking homage to 80s slasher flicks + tons of entertaining extras = well worth checking out