A group of teenagers ends up stranded in the middle of nowhere and stumble upon a dilapidated old house containing crazed killers (one of whom wears a mask) with a taste for human flesh. And soon, the teens begin to die. Sound familiar? I thought so. Directed and written by Pablo Macho Maysonet IV and Brian Rivera, DeadHouse is another in what seems like a never-ending string of Texas Chain Saw Massacre retreads. But it’s definitely not the best of them. It’s not even close.
Sisters Chris and Lisa (apparently played by real-life sisters Cara and Tracey Dalton) and Lisa’s wanna-be boyfriend Brandon (Anthony Carvalho) pick up a hitchhiker before getting stuck in the mud. You can connect the dots from here.
Another in the flood of recent digital video horror movies, DeadHouse is doomed by its script and awful production values. The film’s special effects are not convincing, the acting is amateurish and the sound quality is atrocious. I often had to strain to hear the actors, and many times I couldn’t make out what they were saying at all.
DeadHouse is not helped by the fact that the first person to die is also the best performer in the movie. But all is not lost. Though as writers Maysonet and Rivera are sorely lacking, as directors they do exhibit some visual flair. In fact, the film looks pretty good overall. There are several very nice shots, and the camera is often well placed. They just need to get a handle on the rest of the process.
Having seen several technically impressive DV movies, I know it’s possible to make one. As I’ve noted before, low-cost digital video equipment has leveled the playing field in the independent film world. But that doesn’t mean that anyone can just pick up a camera and start shooting. You need to get a handle on the basics―sound, cinematography, effects, lighting, scoring―and have a filmable script as well as competent actors. Don’t cast your friends, family or the producer because it’s easy. Find some real actors. Almost all cities have colleges with acting programs or a local theater scene. Start there. Although audiences will forgive subpar performances if the script and every aspect of the filmmaking are strong enough, all of these stars rarely seem to align. So protect yourself and get the best actors you can find. It will definitely pay off in the long run.
Also, I’ve noticed poor sound seems to be the most prevalent issue in the DV arena. I watch a lot of these low-budget indie horror films. Well, I should say I start watching a lot of them—I turn off a lot of them because the sound is so bad. If you’re going to actually make a film, you really need to go out of your way to ensure the audience can hear the dialogue. This is so very important. If the audience can’t hear your brilliant words, you’re going lose them.
Sorry. This didn’t start out to be a DV filmmaking primer. Where was I? Oh yeah, DeadHouse. It’s not a very good flick, but it’s definitely better than some things I’ve seen recently (cough, cough, Slaughtered, cough). So, to sum up: If you want to see a bad DV film, rent DeadHouse. If you want to make a good DV film, do your homework and take your time. We’ll all be glad you did.
~Theron Neel
Tags: Brian Rivera, Cara Dalton, DeadHouse, horror, Pablo Macho Maysonet IV, Reviews, Slammed & Damned, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Theron Neel, Tracey Dalton