review: EVILMAKER

Tempe Video  //  Buy from Amazon.com THE EVILMAKER (2000, 99 mins.): First time available on DVD! Serena returns home after escaping an abusive relationship to spend time with three of her friends from high school. A weekend at the beach seems like an ideal way to relax and relive the old days until their car breaks down near an abandoned house. What starts out as a creepy night turns into three days of hell as they experience terror around every corner while they fight to survive The Evilmaker! ABOMINATION: EVILMAKER II (2003, 79 mins.): A year after tragic events struck four close friends, the mystery of their disappearance still has not been solved. One family member dares to hurl herself into a web of darkness and evil in order to find out what really happened. The evil unleashed from her actions will have a terrifying consequence for everyone as they combat The Evilmaker! Say what you will about the production values of low-budget, do-it-yourself filmmaking, but if you're any fan of b-movies, you're undoubtedly a fan of the mighty Tempe Video. Always counted upon to bring truly independent films to its legions of eager fans, Tempe serves up another double-fister with the "Evilmaker" 2-pack, and this pair is sure a doozy! While the first film follows a bit of painting-by-numbers by going down the "friends get stranded in the woods and happen upon a bad house" road, the sheer hutzpa of the filmmaker for attemping to deliver on such an ambitious production with clearly such severe impediments to budget, acting ability of the cast, production values, etc. It don't matter - this is a story that needs to be told - wavy VHS lines and all! - and that's why you're going to love it for all its faults! As for the sequel, not nearly as strong an entry, as it seems whatever good faith the viewer is willing to extend a low(wwwwww) budget production gets used up by Part 1. Throw in the fact that the story is a bit jumbled and confusing and the sequel unfortunately ends up the weaker of the two. Still, you can't complain about the value (entertainment and dollar) afforded by Mr. J.R. Bookwalter in bundling these 2 films onto a single shiny disc for your viewing pleasure -- now get out there and support true b-moviemaking! Video It would appear that each film was shot on VHS, and is faux-letterboxed to a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. While definitely not THX quality, somehow the low production values add (positively) to the overall viewing experience. Audio Dolby 2.0 stereo mixes for each film is about what you'd expect, given the production values & budget for these films - mostly audible, with the occasional muddiness at times. Extras audio commentary on both films w/ director & cinematographer blooper reel behind the scenes (of Part I) making-of featurette (on Part II) trailers Closing Thoughts Entertaining pair of low-budget b'ers + nice assortment of extra goodies = definitely worth your time & money