Short Cut Road (2003)

Oh hell no.... is what I thought as soon as the movie started. It's a shot on video film done with one camera and sound that is often overpowered by ambient noise. Most of the movie takes place at night. The scenes that are lit, appear to have light provide by car head lights - in other words, no lighting was used.

Jim and his girlfriend pick up their friends to go to this years Rock Stock festival.  Jim, who also goes by Jimbo, wears a stupid hat and I hate him. In fact I don't like any of these characters so I don't particularly care when they die.

The gang spends the day driving to Rock Stock, (which turns out to essentially be guerrilla filming at a local fair).  They arrive 15 minutes before the show starts, but take their time wandering around the carnival even though it's supposed to be this huge event.  As the Sheriff says when he calls in one of the Deputy's on his day off, "The crowd is going to be a lot bigger this year.  That one band that all the kids like is performing...."  Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!

Most of the movie consists of people sitting around at the fair or driving and walking down a dirt road which is a short cut that they used the year before.  The scenes of the kids at the festival feature lots of empty space, a few shots of a far away stage on the other side of a chain link fence (complete with some older folks in lawn chairs), and absolutely no music.

Now Short Cut Road is a great title since you know that anytime someone in a horror movie takes a short cut they're going to be greeted with death.  But holy cow, this is a hard movie to watch. It's not interesting and the effects are minimal since all kills are done off screen. Plus the whole reason for everything that happens is revealed in exposition because there is no way in hell we would ever know why this movie existed otherwise.  Also I have to admit I couldn't take watching every scene and fast forwarded through some of it.

Not a good start

This is some of the best lighting in the film

Jimbo and his stupid hat

The incredible Rock Stock-can they ever find a place to sit?