After the release of GRINDHOUSE a plethora of movies were
released all using that format as tributes to the movies found in those 42nd
Street theaters or drive ins across the country. A few weren’t too bad but the
majority of them were terrible. It’s nice that film makers wanted to keep that
genre of film alive but they often overdid rather than catch the essence of
those films.
LOST AFTER DARK attempts to capture that sort of movie and
for the most part does a fine job. If you grew up in the eighties and watching
the tons of slasher films that were released at that time then chances are
you’ll enjoy this movie. Not only does it do a fine job of recreating that
atmosphere quite well it also turns it upside down at the same time.
Taking place in the eighties the movie revolves around a
group of teens who are skipping the high school dance and heading for the cabin
in the woods that belongs to Adrienne’s (one of the girls) father. Adrienne
represents the good girl, the one who hasn’t done “it” yet and who may do so on
this trip with her boyfriend Johnny, the jock of the group. Yes, there are
designated stereotypes among the group. To get to the cabin the group steals a
school bus which sets off the schools vice Principal Mr. C (Robert Patrick).
On their way to the cabin the bus stops running, It turns
out they’ve stolen the one bus with a broken gas gauge. Sean, the tough guy of
the group, forces Tobe, the nerd and supplier of all things weed related, to go
find a gas station or help. He send Marilyn along with him knowing that Tobe
has a thing for her. Of course they bond while walking. They’re going leaves
behind Heather, the rich girl and Sean’s girlfriend, Wesley, the token black
friend and Jamie, Adrienne’s friend, and the aforementioned trio.
Tobe and Marilyn find an old house with a mailbox out front
that reads JOAD that seems abandoned and look for a phone but the place is
devoid of all things modern. They head back to the bus and take everyone back
to the house with them. Why they think this ramshackle place would be safer
than the bus or that they could find something more useful here than waiting
for someone on the road is one of those now famous plotline that never make
sense but set up the story perfectly.
Tobe and Marilyn are looking in the barn when she begins to
ask him if he thinks Wesley might be interested in her. While he’s crushed by
her comment Tobe offers her support. As they leave, he loses his glasses and
she goes ahead. Unfortunate for him because Junior Joad still hangs around the
house and ends up using barbed wire to strap Tobe to the barn door.
In the house while searching for flashlights or anything
they can use the group discovers an upstairs room where a sort of altar has
been created using skulls, human bones, jewelry and I.D.s from numerous people.
This is when they remember the stories they heard long ago about the Joad
family of cannibals who lived in an old house in the woods. Marilyn rejoins
them and before they can hightail it out of there they hear Tobe’s screams.
Finding him stuck to the barn door they’re torn as to whether they should help
him or go for help. When Junior turns up the decision becomes much easier. So
of course they run back into the house.
So there you have it, the set-up of the story complete with
the newest member of the ever growing family of film slashers. What happens
from here on out should be simple enough to figure out since almost all slasher
films are the same. The kids run, the kids hide, and the kids get killed off
one at a time. But who and when becomes the interesting part of this movie.
As I said from the start this movie is pure tribute to those
classic slasher films of the eighties. What’s good about this one is that they
capture the fell of those movies perfectly, from the characters involved to the
setting the movie takes place in. To cap it off the acting is actually quite
good even if portions of the performances are done so over the top bad as to be
done on purpose. The cinematography is well done and we’re able to see well
enough in the dark here to know what’s going on at least.
On the down side the movie uses the whole “scratched film”
from time to time to make it seem like this is an old drive in classic. Had
they done that from start to finish it might have worked but instead it happens
at the beginning and end as well as several times in between. They also have
the film catch in the projector and burn resulting in a “missing reel” warning
flash on screen. Had these things not been overplayed after GRINDHOUSE they
might have added something, now they just seen like the norm.
All in all the movie is a fun time. No, it won’t be found on
any Oscar list but it does do a better job of capturing the feel and look of
those old slasher films better than most. It doesn’t set out to reinvent the
genre but does pay tribute to it in the best way possible. If you’re a horror
fan then my guess is you’ll have a good time with this one.
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