Swamphead

Director - Dustin Drover and Justin Propp
Starring - Josh Harmon, Andrea Smith, and Theodore Koepke
Release Date - 2011
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Proof there is such a thing as bad head!"
Format - VHS (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few months back I came across the Facebook page for Briarwood Entertainment.  I was checking out what films they had to offer and one caught my eye.  The film was called Swamphead and it fucking looked amazing.  I watched the trailer on youtube and then sent the page a message.  However, after a few days no one messaged me back and I lost hope in viewing the film.  A few weeks later I randomly met Derrick Carey who worked on the film in many different roles.  We started talking about his current project, Hole in the Wall, and he sent me a link for a screener so I could review the film.  Coincidentally, the Briarwood Entertainment page sent me a message about the same time asking if I wanted a VHS screener of the film to review.  I agreed and when the VHS arrived I immediately threw it in.  So thank you Derrick and Briarwood for taking the time to send me a screener.
     The film is about the re-animated head of a knight that died a long time.  His family was killed by Indians while he was away at battle.  His head is brought back to life when a diver finds a mysterious knife while snorkeling.  The head kills the man that discovered the knife while he was trying to get a little strange in a hot tub.  Later, a group of twenty-somethings go camping when they cross paths with a mysterious man that hunts the paranormal and a battler for their lives begin.
     This movie is the perfect example of all the problems that indie films and film makers face when trying to release a film.  This movie was released in 2011 with the original run being limited to minimal copies.  The film then went out of print until Briarwood Entertainment took over distribution of the film.  BE is currently working to release the film soon on DVD and VHS.  I personally find it sad and it should be illegal that the film was not released sooner.  I honestly loved the look and feel of the movie.  The technique used was an easy ploy to remove that low budget look and I love that.  I know most of the movies I watch are cheap but I like to see some that don't look that way.  The acting in this one is not consistent.  Some of the main characters are painful to watch while some of the supporting cast members do an amazing job.  More experience would have went a long way in regards to cast members.  The story is silly and completely absurd...and I fucking love it.  Sometimes you just need cheap and crazy to really entertain and this movie is proof of that.  Finally, the special effects are nothing special but they do flow well with the film.  We get a lot of blood and on screen deaths even though the special effects are not top notch.  Overall, this is an over-the-top bloodbath that will leaving you asking "what the fuck did I just watch?"  I highly recommend it.