review: WINTERBEAST

Winterbeast Entertainment Group  //  Buy from Amazon.com Welcome to the Wild Goose Lodge... where forest rangers battle living totem poles, tree monsters, Indian mummies, and the legendary Winterbeast! Female campers fight for their lives as the twisted lodge owner, Mr. Sheldon, carries out his bizarre rituals designed to unleash a parade of nightmare demons on an unsuspecting mountain town. Filled with stop-motion animated creatures, over-the-top performances, and a crazed fever-dream plot, this unique 1980's low budget feature is now considered a cult-classic by a whole new generation of fans. It's one movie that really must be seen to be believed! Not sure where or when I first read about "Winterbeast" online, but somehow I found out about this little-known film coming soon to DVD and reached out to the director to request a copy for review... Once I sat down to watch this uber-cult-classic, my mind was warped, my brain was blown, and my world was forever changed. Make no mistake about it: "Winterbeast" is not a good film in the traditional sense -- stilted acting, choppy editing, and special effects that only barely sync up with the live action taking place. However, it is precisely because of those points that I so loved this film, as it is truly a schlockfest extraordinaire! (I should also point out that while the special effects will "fool" no one, they are amazing - I can't imagine how long it took to create & shoot all of the zany & creative stop-motion monster scenes, but they're a hoot to behold!) When you factor in that it was first released nearly 20 years ago, you'll undoubtedly gain an even deeper appreciation for the end result, as this was all before crappy camcorder do-it-yourself flicks became all the rage... this film exemplifies the true indie filmmaking spirit, and the fact that the end result is so awful(ly) good, well that's just icing on the cake. If for NO other reason, you need to watch this for the scene of the creepy dude putting on the pig mask and singing along to the little kiddie music while he caresses a rotting corpse - that ghastly image is going to haunt my dreams as long as I live!! Video Presented in its original full-frame glory, the picture quality of this film is all over the place, with scratches and skipping frames galore. However, as with the acting/editing/special effects, that only adds to the charm of this film, and so I think it looks fan-freakin'-tastic! Audio Dolby stereo mix delivers (most of) the dialogue and effectively creepy soundtrack in audible fashion. Extras audio commentary w/ producer & director deleted scenes & unseen footage making of featurette soap opera version Closing Thoughts Truly epic, mind-blowing b-movie goodness + surprising number of extra goodies = unbelievable mindwarp that absolutely has to be seen to be believed!