Cast: Leah Rachel, Erin Lokitz, Tobin Bell, Terence Jay; Director: Robert Kurtzman; Producers: Deborah Del Prete, David S. Greathouse, Gigi Pritzker; Screenwriter: Art Monterastelli; Music: Terence Jay; Editor: Cary Coughlin; Genre: Horror-Suspense; Cinematography: Thomas L. Callaway; Distributor: Dimension Films; Location: New Mexico, USA; Running Time: 90 min.;Technical Assessment: 1.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
Six students take a trip to the middle of the desert as part of a sorority initiation. They are to reside at Zane’s house (Terence Jay) which incidentally is haunted by a woman seeking revenge after she had been buried alive. Meanwhile, Lester (Tobin Bell), the caretaker, who has been searching secretly for the treasure disturbs the undead woman in the process. One by one, the kids are killed except for Zane’s cousin, Rene (Leah Rachel) whose mark on her back seems to have a connection with the undead woman.
This is another generic low budget mindless film trying hard to be scary with a couple of slashers and some shock factors. The first two thirds of the movie is wasted on a flimsy storyline and a mediocre script, exacerbated with bad acting, clichés, borrowed themes from other horror movies, slow paced development of the story and a shaky editing. The characters are flat stereotypes that you will neither sympathize nor root for. As a horror movie, there is not much scare or suspense going on save for some five minutes of the zombie’s appearance put together. The characters spent more time making out. In fact the movie at one point looked more like a sex film with the constant nudity, sex scenes and vulgar language. It is a total waste of time and effort to watch this movie.
The movie projects the young as being brazen, guiltless and mindless with nothing more interesting and productive to do than to make out, get drunk and wasted or play cruel games in the name of initiation. They got what they deserved for all their shamelessness. This does not set a good example for teenagers and young adults as it implies that they are expected to make out as soon as they have a little privacy.
On the other hand, horror films seem to have some elements of sex and nudity these days in order to sell. (At least the not so good ones). This implies that producers and directors are taking the short cut to sell their movies and rely on gore and sex to market their movie, instead of being creative storytellers and resourceful artists.
Parents should not allow their young children to watch the movie or the DVD version. Adults could use their time and money for other movies or forms of entertainment.
