Midnight Skater

Director - Lucas Campbell (Demon Summer)
Starring - Cory Maidens (Demon Summer), Mike Neeson (Demon Summer), and Nick Jackson (Demon Summer)
Release Date - 2002
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline(s) - "What does he have to do with a psycho killer and a college campus full of blood-thirsty zombies" and "Skate or die"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Skinned Alive 4 movie set)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometimes word of mouth is not the best way to learn about movies.  Everyone has different tastes in cinema and letting someone else talk you into watching a movie because they love it is not always the right thing to do.  Sometime ago I picked up a four film set because the movie Skinned Alive was in it.  The movie by itself was close to $20 but this set was less than one dollar.  I collect movies and not special editions and when I found out I could get 3 other movies with one I really want it was truly a no brainer.  Around that same time a friend on Facebook reached out and told me I should check this film out.  It was on that same set and I told him I would.  I was going to review it a lot sooner but lately I have been kinda popular.  A rather larger number of directors and indie labels have sent me a good number of films to review and I feel very privleged to be able to do so.  However, this film had to take the backseat until I was able to complete (most) of the reviews.
     The film follows a group of ragtag college students that are sick of a young man that has been riding his skateboard around campus at midnight.  However, the group have their priorities all wrong.  The campus is also home to a bloodthirsty savage that kills unsuspecting women and once their are dead he has his way with them sexually.  To make matters even more worse, there is a new drug on campus that turns the user into flesh hungry fiends.  As the group works frantically to capture the midnight skater they quickly realize they are far worse things on campus than a thrill seeker...a thrill seeker that actually fights for the campus instead of against it.   
     Some films are like train wrecks or catching two fat women kissing in public.  Both are horrible but for some sick reason you just can't seem to look away.  That describes this film perfectly.  When you witness a car crash, train crash, or two hideous ladies kissing in public you keep watching to see what happens next.  Simple as that and that is what happened to me with this movie.  The movie is bad but the shock factor alone gives you plenty of reason to finish it.  The acting is bad and I mean bad.  It borderlines with being the worst I have seen yet.  The only cast member that had any convincing qualities about them was the fat drug dealer.  The story is fucking amazing.  It is very ambitious for a no-budget film and it was almost pulled off and they have the acting to blame for that.  Finally, the film is filled with practical effects and on screen deaths.  I was utterly shocked when I found out how much blood and guts were in this one.  I honestly was not expecting all that blood and gore.  The effects are nothing amazing but do add some entertainment and color to the film.  Overall, this is a bloody and wild film but sadly the acting ruins it.  I recommend it for at least one watch.