Release Date: June 14, 2011
Studio: Sideshow Pictures / Chaos Squared / Lionsgate
Genre: Slasher / Horror
Rated: R    1 hr 23 mins

Blood Night

June 23, 2011

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

*Comments:

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After screening at the Monster Mania festival in 2008, the rather impressive low-budget slasher/ghost story Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet finally gets a wide, albeit direct-to-DVD, release. Even with genre stalwarts Danielle Harris (Halloween franchise, Hatchet II) and Bill Mosley (The Devil’s Rejects, Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2) in tow, director Frank Sabatella pushes a rather simplistic horror yarn above the water mark.

Poor Mary Mattock wound up being an axe murderer due to complications with menstruation.  First, she hacked apart her family as a young girl.  Then she went on another rampage after being raped in an asylum and one more time after the ill-conceived baby was stillborn.  Killed while tossing severed heads at the cops, Mary Mattock became known as Mary Hatchet and a disturbing urban legend was born.  That is until college kids started celebrating “Blood Night” on the anniversary of her last rampage/death.  Some 20 years later a group of teenagers decide to try the only Ouija board trick at Mary’s resting place to up the ante for the annual mischief night.  As usual, nothing happens until the teens settle in for a party night full of sex, booze and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Blood Night should probably have been titled Breast Night as the main character spends the vast majority of the film in several states of provocative and distressing undress.  Not only her, but the other ample chests of the cast members really ups the breast factor in the flick.  Gratuitous nudity aside, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet does have plenty to deliver outside of skin.  First, Mosley and Harris prove to be true professionals and steal the screen.  Alex (Nate Dushku, Eliza’s older brother) does an excellent job as the hero.  In fact, most of the acting is exceptional.  Even the screams of Mary’s victims are effective. Secondly, the gore and violence are great even when aided by kneejerk edits used to either mask the limitations of the budget or augment the scares. And the best aspect of the film is that it does not take itself too seriously at all.  Harris delivers a line of dumb dialogue masterfully and the sex-sequences are more comedic than titillating. Even the kills range from cool to comical. 

The film does have the usual soggy spots where the gags and gimmicks fall flat. But for a quick 83 minutes, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet becomes legendary by being watchable.  Most direct-to-DVD horror these days ranges from purposefully bad to unintentionally awful, leaving horror fans annoyed by most of what hits the cineplex. Amazingly entertaining, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet is a surprising cut above the rest.  Recommended.

CAST:

Danielle Harris:  Alissa
Bill Mosley:  Graveyard Gus
Nate Dushku:  Alex
Samantha Facchi:  Mary Mattock
Alissa Dean:  Nicole
Samantha Hahn:  Lanie

DIRECTOR:

Frank Sabatella