|
THE FINAL TERROR (1983)
Directed by Andrew Davis
905 Entertainment DVD
Reviewed 02.02.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Imagine waking up in a dew-soaked
sleeping bag on the floor of a muddy
river bank. My god, that's disgusting.
Well, I'm willing to suspend my
cleanliness, just as long as roasted
marshmallows, Daryl Hannah, and
gigantic hatchets are involved.
This is my lucky day.
Wooded slashers. They all ripped
off Friday the 13th. Everybody
knows WE'VE SEEN IT ALL BEFORE.
People can hem and haw with facts
and theories from here to yo' mama's
house, but really, nobody cares.
From The
Forest to The
Burning to The
Prey, 80s slashers set
in a woodsy environment are quintessential
entertainment. The more derivative,
the better. There’s no reason
to question that fact. All we need
to do is poke around and decide
on what's what. With The Final
Terror, a very late bloomer
from Sam Arkoff's American International
Pictures, the process is very simple.
Outstanding atmosphere. Unquestionable
scares. Not a full on slasher, but
close enough. See? Grab the parkas.
A group of young environmentalists
make their way into an enormous
mountain region with lots of trees.
It's not clear what these people
are doing, but it all makes for
good conversation. Especially the
late night marijuana raids. There's
level headed leader Mike (Mark Metcalf,
Neidermeyer from Animal House),
no-lines needed Windy (Daryl Hannah),
British femme Margaret (Rachel Ward
from 1981's Video Nasty slasher
Night School), beret-flaunter
Gerone (Adrian Zmed from Grease
2) and crazy freaker Egger
(yes, Joe Pantoliano from The
Goonies!). Several others tag
along, but they're not semi-famous.
As the forest becomes more forboding,
the tone grows more serious, thanks
to an unknown killer and several
unsettling sequences. It's all about
survival, so please...stay away
from the shack.
The Final Terror is decked
to the nines; confident acting,
enveloping ambience, and mysterious
hooks galore. Think Summer Camp
Nightmare on loan to Jeff Leiberman
for a weekend trip. While the pace
isn’t exactly electrifying,
the thick and sinister scenery more
than makes up for that. Ditto for
director Andrew Davis’s creative
camera placements. There's no real
gore or pointless nudity to get
in the way of what is, for the most
part, a serious little survival
thriller. As a result, shadowy glimpses
and jumpy camera thrusts create
welcomed shivers, both unexpected
and natural. Unfortunately, the
trip can't be all roses.
At one point, Daryl Hannah screams
"I can't see a thing!"
What a coincidence. The last 20
minutes of The Final Terror
are bathed in a finite blackness,
the likes of which would make Humongous
balk. It's slightly irritating,
considering the nifty build-up.
Luckily, a somber, violent ending
emerges and kicks you right in the
shins. Wake up! It’s morning
and we’ve got to keep moving.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The major ghosting, occasional blips,
and murky, full frame print all
point to one thing: VHS fever. Not
taken from an actual tape, but probably
sourced from a master. The mono
sound was hissy and took a leap
up in level around the four minute
mark. Overall, probably similar
to what you'd find on a 1985 Vestron
VHS, just minutes after shedding
the shrinkwrap.
EXTRAS
Menu screen, four chapter stops,
and two poached eggs (one for you
and one for me).
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you feel tingly about forest-set
slashers, the frightening The
Final Terror should find a
nice place in your home. It’s
not perfect, but that doesn’t
matter. This chincy DVD is probably
an under the table release, but
until something better comes along,
zip up the hoods and pray it doesn't
rain. |
Ain't she a beaut
Behold The Darkside Of The Forest
New sharpie
Talking heads
|
