Family Property (2010)

   
Produced, Edtied, Written & Directed by: Derek Young

Starring:

John Birmingham .... Sheriff Carter
John Rutland .... Jason Porter
John R. Price II .... Tommy Porter
Jeremy Ambler .... George Porter
Kerry Cashion .... Carol Porter
Greg Romeo .... Tim Porter
Danica DeCosto .... Jenna Carter
Alexander Isiah Thomas .... James Johnson
Johnny B. Young .... Tony Young

Special Appearance:

Lloyd Kaufman .... Mayor Kaufman

Release Date: Scarefest: 2010

 

 

Rating:

 

When the cops kill Farmer Jones his son Derek stays hidden to protect their Family Property and keep his promise to his father no matter what! For the first time in ten years someone makes the mistake of stepping on the property, which evokes a killing spree. Who will survive and who will die???

 

The film seems to have a nice little introduction by Troma Team president Lloyd Kauffman which adds some decent humor into what will unravel and then there's the character Derek Jones having a gunfight in which this looked cheesy but fun to watch. Plus there's a mysterious moment at a cheap looking tombstone with a mysterious voice over on someone speaking to the grave and seeking revenge that adds nicely to the story even if this didn't look as creepy as it was supposed to be.
There is a nice effective creepy scene with someone entering the house recording her voice on what is happening inside which was well written in for a no budgeter like this one offering some nice cringing moments having a deep dark feeling that something bad is going to happen as we do see a door slam from behind her which was supposed to make you jump but it doesn't yet it leaves a great suspenseful feeling when she gets scared and runs out of the house along with a hilarious yelling of this killer telling her to stay off his property.

In the story we spot the local county Sheriff Carter telling a local that his son is under arrest as he shows his son only being 2 years of age but then he tells him it's his much older son as the story was trying hard to be comedic almost reminding me in a Troma Team type of fashion but this is missed by a longshot and seems very stale which watching this moment.

There's some other weak spots here like some kids exploring the house along with having a lunch break in which this seems to kill a bit of time but it seems pretty neat when the camera wanders around in the hall showing that they are not alone here which was cheesy fun.
However we spot scene's with these teens being put away showing the killers hands using a machette or other devices but yet either the camera looks dark whenever he plunges his devices or showing a glitch in the pic with the grindhouse style that it's shown here probably due to it;'s weak budget to show graphic violence here.
Many overlong shots on another group of people driving to this farmhouse as with the dialogues you could tell that they were overdubbed since there didn't seem to be a boom mic while they were having a discussion driving in their vehicles. However there's good shots on the trees which looks like that this was shot in the fall time having that gloomy feel to the story indeed.
Lots of long scene's with this group of people exploring the area to kill time once again as well as cheesy one liners on having a bad feeling about the place. There's an interesting moment with the killer picking up a pitchfork about to stab someone or someone else calling out while walking up a staircase to see what they find which looked pretty chilling to watch too. Plus good one liners with a couple making out and then one of them spots someone watching them adding good suspense to the plot.
After all that happens there's a cool shot on a mailbox revealing Home Sweet Home and the title saying The End with overly long closing credits to kill even more time and bloopers after that.
Bottom line is that the film is so bad it's fun to watch and was nearly considered a short film but the overly long closing credits made the flick about an hour and 5 minutes. You can tell that the film was made close to nothing using a grindhouse type of picture which seemed pretty fun to have for a cheesy flick like this one. It's nice to see a start of a filmmaker learning the ropes to make something for the first time. The film alsmot seems to spoof or pay a tribute to old school flicks like Black Christmas, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and even the Blair Witch Project while watching this the whole way through. Plus it almost seems to be a Troma Team film at it's lowest budget too with what we see except no skin or overly gruesome scene's either. But for the fans of that type of storyline may find this one amusing.

The acting was pretty bad in which you can tell that alot of the cast members were family or friends of the filmmaker. Lead actor John Birmingham (Sheriff Carter) seems to get inot his role a little bit showing some energy the odd time but alot of the times he seems to screw up in his character and falls into a slope big time. He didn't seem convincing with his seriousness on an arrest with his speech towards someone else asking for his son in which this really needed improvement with his performance here. He seemed to do well acting cautious and showing a good nervous attitude while searching around the house in which he seemed well frightened and good blocking movements too. He needed some lessons to keep into what he was doing in this flick.
John Rutland
(Jason Porter) is at times way too over the top and seems too slapstick in his performance here but shows off some interesting energy into what he does here. Yet he is quite stale in his performance and it totally shows here. He's too melodramatic in his performance but at times shows some good anxious behavior now and then.
Jon R. Price II
(Tommy Porter) seems to act like a natural ham and can seem a bit funny along with a high paced energetic attitude but yet he doesn't seem to do well by behaving seriously at all. But shows good timing with his sarcastic behavior and uplifting attitude. Seemed to do well turning around and then hollering in fear by what happens to him which shows some not so bad energy here. His perfornance was still a bit over the top like everyone else here.
Kit Hemmings (Crystal Wyatt) had to be the worst performer of them all just saying his lines and it looks like that he wasn't taking his part too seriously either not knowing what to do with his character. It makes you wonder if he was a friend or family member for sure since he seemed totally inezperienced without a doubt. His performance is laughable and not in a good way. Yet in a certain scene, reacts well screaming as well as crying by what she spots bringing this all together in a fair fashion.
Kerry Cashion
(Carol Porter) was the best out of the cast in which she seems to pull off a decent performance into what she does here and is well focused with her characteristics especially when she acts anxious or cautious by the suspense that happens now and then. A great surprised reaction on her by getting distracted in a scene and springing up with an anxious reaction by what she spots which looked good an natural. At times she is a bit rough in her role but nothing too terrible. So a pat on the back for her here.
Danica DeCosto (Jenna Carter) is the worst actress here and just a plain line reader. She makes no effort whatsoever with whatever she does in which she is supposed to be a little spooked out by everything and it doesn't show here at all. She can't act her way out of a wet paper bag no matter what.

A machette is sliced in the head which looked a quite fake
a bloodied slit throat is revealed
Someone is stabbed by a pitchfork
The gore effects here looked incredibly weak and amateurish so if you have a strong stomach you can handle this easily

There's the odd good humming sounds which works for the creepy scene's in the story but yet there's alot of overplaying by some piano chanting in which was overly used and got incredibly annoying. You can tell due to the low budget of this flick that this is all the filmmakers can afford to use which was all done by Etcetera and Randy Gilbert.