Backwoods Marcy

Director - Dawn Murphy (Before I Die)

Starring - Dave Castiglione (Psycho Sisters, After Midnight), G. W. Lawrence (Love is a Stranger Again), and Dawn Murphy

Release Date - 1999

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "She's homeless and hungry for sex, blood, and revenge!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When Vinegar Syndrome announced their partnership with Saturn's Core I was so fucking excited.  I knew I wouldn't be a fan of every release but I was still excited to fill that S.O.V. void that many of us indie horror fans need to be filled.  When I saw the news that they would be releasing 1999's Backwoods Marcy I was fucking pumped.  I had never seen this one before I had seen several genre fans share copies of the film on VHS in different Facebook groups.  I pre-ordered it and wanted to see it when it arrived but movies sent to me for review took up most of my time. However, when I saw an opening in my schedule I was quick to toss it in.

     The film follows a city boy who finds himself traveling through some back roads when he comes across Marcy.  A wrong turn quickly turns deadly when he accidentally hits her with his car.  Soon he finds himself kidnapped by a bloody Marcy and forced to do whatever she wants.

     I never heard horror fans talk about how good this movie is or see anyone claim to love it so I knew it was going to be a rough one.  However, I was hoping it would be more enjoyable than it actually was.  I did like the idea behind the film but I still struggled to finish it.  The acting in this one isn't the worst I've seen but the cast is mostly inexperienced by this point in their careers and it shows.  The dialogue is awkward through most of the film and the emotions they portray are not convincing.  I've seen a lot of S.O.V. and no budget horror films that could have been filmed in someone's backyard for fun so I'm very well versed in indie cinema.  This one isn't the worst I've seen but there was plenty of room for improvement.  The story for this one could have been an interesting spin on hixploitation horror.  However, it failed to actually deliver a story that pulled the viewer in.  A guy driving for a good chunk of the film before being caged and abused just isn't that enjoyable.  If the characters had a little more personality and the story had a little more meat on the bone it could have been fun.  Sadly, the way it was made for a pretty difficult flick to finish in my opinion.  Finally, if you expect a bloody mess of a film you will be greatly disappointed.  There is a small bit of blood but that is the extent of it.  I was hoping for some enjoyable no budget effects and craft kills but this one did not deliver on that.  Overall, Backwoods Marcy was not enjoyable.  I love a good S.O.V. film and this one was not it.  This release is worth your money just for the bonus film but I would skip the film.