Hatchet Review Country : USA Year: 2006 Genre: Slasher Format: Cinema Running Time: t/b/a Distributor: Ariescope Pictures In the murky swamps of the outlying New Orleans area, a terrifying legend is about to come to life, and horror is about to be re-christened Victor Crowley as a madman from the past preys upon a group of unsuspecting tourists.... Credits Written and Directed by Green. Starring Joel Moore, Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond and Richard Riehle. Having cut my horror teeth on slasher films, I constantly want more. Actually, it's was more of a need than a want. It was like a drug. I had been given a taste and I liked it. I was in need of a fix. The natural conclusion was to find the ultimate slasher film. After watching Adam Green's Hatchet, I had a sudden craving for a a smoke. Needless to say, I was very satisfied. In Hatchet, a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded in the woods, their evening of fun turns into a horrific nightmare. Hunted by a madman in the swamps. Adam Green doesn’t stray too far from formula, but he really didn’t have to. The stage had already been set many years ago, in my favorite era of horror films... the 80's. Green just takes the reigns and runs with it. Hatchet will take you back to the times when wild hillbilly madmen ran loose in the woods, hungry for blood. He also gives birth to the next horror icon... the result is Victor Crowley in Kane Hodder's greatest role. This is the character Kane was born to play. He is every bit as intense as Jason, but takes it to the next level. With no CGI to be found; John Carl Buechler's special effects are of course brilliant and the soundtrack, by Andy Garfield, play a strong role in creating the atmosphere that Green was looking for. This film looks like a few million bucks. Talk about stretching the production value to the nth degree. 'Heads off' to the cast, the crew, and anyone who obviously worked their asses off to make the best slasher film in twenty years! And while Jason may have been the king of the woods, it's time to hand over the title. Victor Crowley could easily be classified as the MacGyver of the slashers. It does not matter where he is, Crowley can find something to kill with brutal force. Arms and legs are ripped off, belt sanders are taken to jaw bones, heads are torn and twisted off, bodies are set ablaze, and of course the title character plays a large role. The film is also hilarious. You will be laughing one minute and screaming the next. As far as the casting goes....bravo! Apparently Green actually took the time to cast believable characters. Joel Moore as Ben is just great and truly carries the film. Deon Richmond as Marcus is funny as hell; Mercedes McNab and Tamara Feldman are brilliant and have quite a bitchy dynamic. Robert Englund, Josh Leonard, and Tony Todd light the screen up with their brief, but excellent supporting roles. We are also treated to a cameo from the director himself. Of all the sequels, prequels, and remakes of the past years (yes, I own all of them), Hatchet is the most deserving to sit on the classic shelf with the classics such as Friday the 13th, Halloween, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It stays true to the genre while adding to the history of the horror. Hatchet will be a staple for any “horror geek” and hopefully spawn countless sequels for the next twenty years and beyond. OFFICIAL SITE ADAM GREEN INTERVIEW DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS Review by John Gray, for Pitofhorror.com