Trail of Blood

Director(s) - Joseph Guerrieri (The Jackalope) and Justin Guerrieri (Rocketboy)
Starring - Robert Picardo (Mansion of Blood), Tim Barraco (Jericho), and Trevor Torseth (American Horror Story)
Release Date - 2011
Genre - Horror
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometimes a relatively unknown horror or exploitation film will get a big name director, actor, producer, etc to "present" the film opening it up to an even bigger audience.  One of the most recent examples of this is Quentin Tarantino presenting the first Hostel.  Director of Hostel, Eli Roth, was coming off the the success of Cabin Fever and had a decent fan base by this point, however, by throwing Tarantino's name on the film the audience base grew tenfold.  That brings me to my next review for the film Trail of Blood or as the poster artwork and DVD calls it Joe Dante Presents Trail of Blood.  Joe Dante has made a name for himself in the horror community, as well as, other genres.  However, directors Joseph and Justin Guerrieri has not done so and in order to have this film reach a wider audience the company releasing the film had Dante attach his name to is.  After watching this movie I have to say that Dante did the right thing!
     The film follows a group of twenty-somethings as they head out for a camping trip. One of them plans on telling his girlfriend that he is joining the Marines but she is hoping he will ask her to marry him.  Sadly, their trip turns south when they come across a campsite covered in blood.  While they are looking the site over another couple comes by brandishing a gun and a knife and accuses them of committing the crime.  The pair holds the group captive where they push them to their limits of sanity.  After killing some of the group the pair admits they killed the other campers and the man is actually a Marine himself that is on a cross country killing spree.  Chasing after him is a detective of some sort who partners up with another officer of the law.  Before the homicidal couple can kill everyone in the group the surviving members start to fight for their lives.  When the authorities arrive they then have a hard time time discovering who the real murderers are and who are the victims.
     As a reviewer I am always receiving films to review that I have little to no knowledge of.  From the two years I have been writing reviews I have noticed that if I have not heard of the film then it is for a good reason.  If you read my earlier reviewer here or on my blog before HS then you see me always meet these films with an open heart and excitement only to be crushed beneath the weight of a shitty film.  Though it is rare to come across a relatively unknown film that exceeds my expectations it can still happen.   Boy, did that happen with Trail of Blood.  When I saw that it had "Joe Dante Presents" before the title I assumed that this would be a below average flick relying on the credibility of someone who has already established themselves in the horror genre.  Instead, I was treated to a film that has just as much if not more tension than the original Last House on the Left.  I have seen so many films in my short life but very few films were able to show such savagery and hostility among mankind like Last House on the Left.   With that being said, Trail of Blood came damn close.  The film showed no moral restraint when it came to death and really showed how fragile human life can be.  This film is the perfect example of real life horror.  The acting in this film is top notch.  Every actor and actress really gave the film their all but one actor really stood out.  Trevor Torseth made his character seem real which is scary when you really think about it.  He plays one convincing killer and I loved that.  I really hope he can find roles similar to this one in the future because it would be a shame if he does not.  The story for this one is not something original but this one is fun.  The film, like I said earlier, does flow like the original Last House on the Left.  However, that is not a bad thing because the directors behind this film was really passionate about their project and it shows tremendously.  Finally, those looking for great on screen kills will find a few here.  Sadly, it was not as much as I would have liked but it did not take away from the overall flick.  The special effects that do accompany those deaths were great.  They really made the deaths even more enjoyable.  Overall, Trail of Blood is one unrelenting horror film that shows how far mankind can be pushed before they push back!  I highly recommend it.