15 Years Anniversary Review Of Hatchet

I always wanted to live out in the swamp. Just imagine everything that you can do there, every single day. You can hunt alligators, wrestle with them, chew on trees, swim among snakes, build your own tree house and invite your latino lover Fredrico Hernandez ( don´t tell anyone that i already did, it´s just some fun time between romantic men ). You can of course practise playing your banjo, in case you are prepared for a future banjo duel. Another great thing about swamps is that there are insects, so you will have no problem finding a snack. I did find out something very interesting about the tropical storm Irene, when it took place in 2011. The wetlands in Vermont actually reduced flood damage by 95%, wich saved up to 450.000 American dollars in clean-up costs. So this really proves that wetlands is very important, helping out in crisis, while this is another proof why wetlands is the place to live in. When it comes to horror films that takes place in a swamp, we have quite a lot of titles to choose between. So i decided to go through a list of films, and pick one that i personally enjoy. I decided to pick out the 1976 horror film known as Eaten Alive ( also known as Death Trap, Horror Hotel ), from legendary director Tobe Hooper. If you never heard of this film, i think you need a lesson from me. You see, this is one of those B movies that you should see, because it is quite different from most film you have experienced. Eaten Alive tells the story of Starlight Hotel, located deep in the remote swampland of rural Texas. This is where the hotel´s mentally disturbed proprietor Judd ( Neville Brand ), attack and brutally kill visitors, where his pet Nile crocodile also feed on human flesh. The thing that makes Eaten Alive quite different is the tone of the film, how often do you see a hotel out in a swamp with a hillbilly killer, that even have a crocodile pet? And the concept actually works, thanks to legendary director Tobe Hooper. I have to mention that legendary actor Neville Brand as the disturbing character Judd, is definetely a experience out of the ordinary. Legendary actor Robert Englund can be seen in this film as well, in a fun role as the character Samson Dunston. My suggestion is that you pick up the Arrov Video blu ray release of Eaten Alive, wich have some fun special features as well. A film that´s definetely fun, if you appreciate low budget horror films. Speaking of independent horror, let´s go back 15 years to the year of 2006. This was the year when director Adam Greene introduced a new horror character known as Victor Crowley. Imagine the cannibals of The Hills Have Eyes, combined with The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame combined into one person, and you have Victor Crowley. I have not seen the first of Hatchet in many years, so since this film turned 15 years in 2021, i decided to revisit the film to see if i still enjoy this film. Is it possible that Hatchet have aged with dignity, or is this a film that have aged horrible and have nothing to offer the audience?

During a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, a group of friends including Ben Schaefer ( Joel Moore ) and his best friend Marcus ( Deon Richmond ) decide to go on a haunted swamp tour. They meet the guide Rev. Zombie ( Tony Todd ) who says he is no longer doing any tours, since he was sued for negligence. He suggests that they try a place farther down the street. They enter a shop where they meet over-the-top swamp tour guide Shawn ( Parry Shen ). He will be doing the tour today, so gather a group of people on a bus out to the swamp. At first the boat tour seems to be going alright, until they encounter Victor Crowley ( Kane Hodder ), a deformed creature who lives in the swamp.

Even if Hatchet is 15 years old, you can tell that the film have aged a bit with the early 2000´s vibe in the air. But i have a feeling that B movie lovers will still enjoy Hatchet for a number of different reasons. Let us begin with the location of this film, and it actually helps the film become more fun in New Orleans. Knowing that this is the place for the Mardi Gras festival, this is a place that is filled with horror influences. And when you add tourists to the plot, this is the right location to introduce a new horror icon. I especially enjoy the tourist boat scenes, where you can tell that nothing is going as planned. The tourist guide on this boat known as Shawn ( played by actor Parry Shen ) is probably the worst tourist guide you have ever seen, and this is why it becomes entertaining to see him do his job. I think if i would ever go on a boat tour in New Orleans, i would want to have Shawn as the guide. Who wants to be bored on vacation, when you have party tourist guide guy Shawn to make your holiday perfect? I actually like the main character Ben, played by actor Joel David Moore. He is that kind of guy who does not care about sleeping around, he rather experience other things and seems more focused on doing something with his life. Joel deliver a natural performance as Ben, without going over the top. Actor Deon Richmond as party guy Marcus is fun, and bring some energy to the boat tour. This film actually have a solid female character called Marybeth, played by actress Amara Zaragoza, who later turns out to be the toughest of the tourists, and she is definetely what this film needed. Legendary horror icon Robert Englund make a fun cameo, that will definetely please you. Let´s be honest though, the highlight of this film is of course Victor Crowley, played by legendary horror icon Kane Hodder. Not only is he really brutal, but the look of Victor is pretty awsome. You could say he is the the result of hillbilly family members moonshine nights, where there are no rules, everything is allowed between the sheets. The brutal kills from Victor Crowley is a true throwback to the slasher films of the 80´s, and it´s hard not to enjoy the insane kills that he does. Director Adam Green knows exactly how to tell the story of Hatchet in a simple, but fun way. I would say that he clearly tried to show his respect with this film to the B movie slasher horror classics that we grew up on in the 80´s, and for that i am truly grateful. Hatchet is exactly what you want to see, if you had a bad day. This film will cheer you up, and let you laugh several times as well over the cheesy dialogue and the brutal kills. Definetely worth picking up on DVD and Blu Ray, Hatchet still deliver after 15 years, and that´s definetely a good sign. 

Rating: DDD