Okay, it’s a pretty odd wraparound for a horror anthology. Three pieces of trailer trash—what looks like a nutty professor, a cute pig fucker, and a sluttier Daisy Duke—sit in their trailer and pop in a DVD before each short film, which gives the slutty Daisy Duke a chance to shove her tits and ass into the camera.
Then we get to each movie. Volume 1 runs about an hour and includes 4 shorts ranging in style, tone, and horror worthiness.
“Franky and the Ant” – This is more like a quick Tarantino revenge flick than a horror film. The most effective “horror” element is the short scene in which a toaster is used to deliver a good creepy moment. After that, it becomes an early grave revenge tale with a little visual humor and slight twist.
“Doppelganger” – Using old school stop-motion and simple skeletons (think the original Jason and the Argonauts) this brief clip features an orchestral soundtrack and one single skeleton happening upon his doppelganger. It has a quirky little ending, but I really could see this more as something you’d check out on YouTube than as a short film that should be included on a horror anthology show. Even so, it does give the collection some variety.
“Amused” – Damn. This one is where the serious horror perfection comes in. The isolated snowy country setting adds to the bone-chilling atmosphere. The film uses no dialogue. A woman arrives at her house, makes a grisly discovery, and is soon being chased by a giggling freak wearing a human scalp for a wig. WTF? It’s freaky as hell, with top-notch suspense, some gore, and a dastardly twist ending. It brings to mind the feel of the classic slasher film Luther the Geek.
“The Nest” – The longest of the films in this collection, this one is a close second to “Amused.” Shot in a striking sepia tone, “The Nest” is a fresh twist on the killer bees genre, giving it a backwoods touch. A lady who runs a diner also keeps bees to make her delicious honey—and these aren’t your average sized bees! And man does this swarm do some damage. I love this one. Aside from a few moments of CGI that reveal budget limitations, it’s a visual stunner.
What the pig fucker looks like when you take out the trash…I’ll take that wraparound!
While Hillbilly Horror Show Volume 1 is definitely a hit and miss collection depending on your taste in subgenres, as a lover of horror anthologies and short horror films, I was more than satisfied with it and will definitely be picking up volume 2, which is coming out soon. Check out the official website for more info about the show.
