For a low-budget horror movie, this one has it all. You really do get what you'd expect in an outing by a director known far more for his visual effects and make-up resume (Goldmember, Bad Boys II, From Dusk 'Til Dawn, In the Mouth of Madness, Cabin Fever, among many others) than for his directorial talents (Wishmaster): blood, gore, and boobs. And, honestly, what more can you really want out of a low-budget horror movie?
The storyline is vague...two sorority sisters and two pledges visit a house in the desert for an initiation weekend, along with the requisite two leading men. But, of course, this is no ordinary house in the middle of the desert - there are rumors of a treasure hidden somewhere on the property by one of the guys' ancestors, and leave it to the caretaker of the property to start digging up the basement in search of this buried booty. And booty is, in fact, what he finds...though the booty belonged to the ancestor's first wife, a Native American woman who cursed the family when she was...hold on...wait for it...BURIED ALIVE!!!
But you really don't watch movies like this for the plot, do you? If you do...well, I'm surprised you're capable of reading this far into my blog posts, honestly. But for the rest of us, there are some very well-scripted scares here and there, and enough gratuitous boob shots to keep even the most red-blooded teenager happy. The blood and gore is well-done, and even though there isn't much to the plot, it moves forward pretty quickly and fairly consistently.
This is a good attempt to invoke many of the themes and fun of the 80s slasher films, and for the most part it succeeds at what it is - an homage ot those good ol' days of blood and gore. Compared to Hatchet, however, this one just doesn't quite make the grade. Nonetheless, it's a lot of fun and highly recommended for fans of low-budget horror films.
