House of the Witchdoctor (2014)

   

Written & Directed by: Devon Mikolas

Starring:

.... Leslie Van Hooten
.... Cliff Rifton
David Willis .... Buzz
Emily Bennett .... Regina
Summer Bills .... Patty
.... Thad
.... Tom
.... Peter Van Hooten
.... Irene Van Hooten


Special Appearances:

Dwayne Thorne .... Rose
Howard Maurer .... Emmett

Release Dates: Horrorhound Weekend Film Festival: March 21, 2014; Crypticon Film Festival: May 24, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

Leslie Van Hooten (Callie Stephens) invites her friends over to her home to celebrate their graduation night while her parents Peter (Bill Moseley) and Irene (Leslie Easterbrook) are away on vacation for the weekend but Leslie is disturbed by a mysterious death of her former boyfriend that happened a year before and the killers were never caught.
tThe group of friends also ran into two killer rednecks named Cliff (Alan Kayser) and Buzz (David Willis) as they crash their party by raping and killing some them but Leslie has a dark secret of her own and everyone is in for a deadly and shocking surprise in the end.

 

A nice dark beginning and great close up shots on a guy named John running through the forest panting with a good surprise shot on a hooded killer leaping on him and doing him in as this should please anyone who loves those old school slasher type of tributes and giving the film off to a nice start.
We also spot nice intro to the film with the head redneck Cliff Rifton entering his home and looking rather disturbed in which  this should amuse horror fans that he could be a suspect to what had happened in the beginning of the film. Plus we spot a slightly cheesy but dark discussion between him and his Mom about her religious beliefs as this seems to be fairly well put into the story too making you want to watch for more by what goes on here.
We also spot some cheesy but fun discussions with Cliff and his Buzz in their vehicle about them getting high which also looked nicely paced at the same time in which the shots on them looked good and sharp.
Also a great lighting shot on Cliff and Buzz discussing stuff with some drug dealers as this looked fun to watch and something that's gone wrong which there's nicely focused shots on one of them spitting in a rage but some of this looked a bit too much with the shared rage's between both parties but a nice add on too the story regardless.
Perfect camera shots on the two of them torturing and raping one of them in doggy style although the timing was perfect on this moment happening the intensity and disturbing situations needed to be a bit more convincing. But looked quite strong to watch regardless. A good shot on Cliff firing his gun with cheesy CGI effects on the bullets firing out which I thought looked enjoyable.
Also there's a moment when these two rednecks entering a diner and start tormenting a group of teenagers as this looked slightly off and not too believeable which is one of the only downers I have on this film.
Also there's situations with one of the teens named Regina rushing it to get into a lustful mode with her jock boyfriend Tom as this all looked way too set out. However in another situation there's a couple Thad and Patti that seems bothered by one of their past memories as this showed some nice timing.
Leslie then takes a shower which is a good and long focus leaving an impression that she will get murdered since that's a perfect target for a horror flick. Yet this isn't the case at all when we are watching this and an effective situation on her thinking about her former boyfriend John murdered as this showed decent timing.
There's some nice uplifting discussions with Regina and Leslie by having a nice discussion and making the other one feel better about themselves but then they are sitting at the dinner table which seemed rather slow and needed to be at a bit of a faster pace.
A nice dark mysterious shot on Leslie slowly walking by a dark hallway of the home and threatening the others not to open their parents' bedroom door which makes the moments look truly mysterious to watch as well as leaving a clue that something horrifying is behind this door making this moment looking enjoyable.
There's moments with Cliff and Buzz breaking into the home and terrorising everyone along with their boyfriends being helpless as they're tied up. Plus we spot a moment on Buzz about to take his pants off to rape Regina doggy style as this didn't look fast enough as this girl could've managed to escape in time but does it look good and brutal when he does rape her.
Plus we have Cliff ready to rape Patty when she pleads to him begging that she wants too save her virginity for her boyfriend in which this for sure looked disturbing too finding this poor girl helpless.
We spot some perfect vengeful and tough moments on the Leslie using a bat or other weapons to protect herself from them when they try to get her along with locking herself in her parents bedroom as we expect a terrifying surprise later on since she warned her friends not to go in there.
Plus we spot a great moment with the two boyfriends freeing themselves and one of them seeking revenge by hurting this bastard Cliff but this is a drawing card that he will fail but yet a new twist on the Regina getting vengeful which will make you want to cheer.
Perfect shots on her running down a road and flagging down a vehicle as this leaves you an impression that it's the wrong people. I laughed my ass off when the drivers which were an elderly couple showed their sympathy to this girl as this scene you could tell wasn't meant to be taken seriously as the timing is perfect and doesn't screw the story up at all.
Also some great moments with the parents Peter and Irene coming home and are dressed goth like with suddenly the hooded killers surrounding these rednecks although it showed a nice horror touch it was rather funny to watch all that was going on too.
Plus good shots on Cliff and Buzz running away in the forest as well as the hooded killers cornering them in their vehicle which added nice humoress horror timing too.
Perfect funny moments with Regina in the home of those elderly people as well as this girl acting like she's being drugged which is a perfect touch and getting the impression that these elderly people might be behind the madness to everything that's going on in the story so far.
Great moments on the cheesy horror violence that's happening in the family home with the rednecks or the others involved which seemed funny to watch as well as what is being said too. Everything looked great and effective as well as perfect close up shots on the sacrifices and the evil intense moments which looked really powerful to watch saving the best right here for the goth horror fans who love campy horror.
The ending looked deceivingly innocent again as if the terrors never happened and the people responsible covered it up and lived happily ever after which added new twists to a horror story for sure.
Bottom line is that this film was cleverly done and a great low budget indie flick with nice crystal clear picture quality and superbly edited too. Seemed to pay a tribute at first to those vengeful psychological horror stories such as Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave but in my opinion a better film by far. Actor turned filmmaker Devon Mikolas will have a promising career for sure. As mentioned there's certain rough spots but things are patched up quickly and he also adds elements of black comedy into the story too which adds some chuckles along with perfect shocking horror for the gothic moments and the terrorising too. By all means check this one out as it's a promising independent flick since big budgeted one's are way too overrated and respect these kinds alot better.

The acting is done in various tastes some good and some a bit over the top but not too terrible here so let's take a look here shall we??? Lead actress (Leslie Van Hooten) stands out perfectly well in her role having the sharp looks and really coming off strong into what she does here. does well at times with her emotional attitude especially by acting disturbed by what happened to a family member of her as well as having a cheerful discussion later on which really made her part believeable by behaving uplifting while doing this. However she's a bit too much when she acts dark and mysterious while walking in a dark hallway acting creepy as she didn't seem to get into it a great deal like she should've. Yet does a nice job by acting tough while defending herself which shines off perfectly like she's the hero in the film. Seemed pretty witty when she reacts to blood spilled on her and other stuff while doing her cult ceremony and at the same time being serious too which she adds some entertaining energy within this. Also does well acting innocent in the end of her performance and doing this nicely.
(Cliff Rifton) had the right tough guy looks and seemed to do well with his disturbed reactions to certain stuff as well as showing perfect expressions throughout all of this. However he was a bit much with his aggressions and violent attitude too. Yet he can seem dead on while striking someone or raping someone adding some nice intensity too. Just needed improvements on his aggressions within what he does. Yet the other stuff he was good along with having the perfect redneck looks.
David Willis
(Buzz) seemed to do okay with his goofball type of attitude and had a decent gruff type of speaking. Yet sometimes was over the top as well with his performance. He had the wild haired looks and looked like Ronnie James Dio with that heavy metal appeal to this. He does grab your attention for sure and shows alot of energy and some enthusiam to his part so I will give him some credit for that.
Emily Bennett
(Regina) was slightly rough at times in her performances like getting into a lustful mode which she seemed to act it out way too much without acting natural within this. Does fairly okay with her sobbing emotions while getting raped too. Also seemed to do an okay job by having a good sympathetic attitude. Shows nice energy while flagging a vehicle down and sobbing which she was on track with this nicely. Does well by acting drugged too as well as getting anxious while doing this. Plus seemed to show her vengeful aggressions strongly too when she beats someone with a lamp just rolling with the punches.
Summer Bills
(Patty) was slightly rough at times in her performances like getting into a lustful mode which she seemed to act it out way too much without acting natural within this. However she seemed to do well by begging and pleading not to be raped which makes you feel sorry for her big time. Does a nice job with her upsetting emotions and showing some decent anger with what she had to do.
(Thad) shows off some nice characteristics as somewhat a wimpy looking type of teen as he knew on how to act concerned towards his onscreen girlfriend drawing this in nicely. Also shows energy with his struggling attitude especially screaming intensely and showing perfect aggressions within all of this. He was dead on.
Danny Miller
(Tom) had the great masculine football jock type of looks which was a great moment for his role. He also had a good strong personality and knew on how to be energetic as well as reacting to stuff fairly well within what he did and working hard in his performances. Plus was great while attacking someone and being at full force within this too.
(Peter Van Hooten) was the best out of the cast in which I've never seen him play a role like this before as he for sure showed off a perfect versatality into this. He at first shows it off as a deceivingly wholeseome type of family man having a good and pleasant type of attitude during the beginning of his role which is a change since he often plays obnoxious or goofy types of roles. Then he brings it off later on with his cult ceremony offering his darkness and showing a nice focus within this. Adds a seriouness but yet acting witty while doing this as he made me laugh. Shows terrific timing in whatever he did here. At first his role seemed like a cameo and then later on comes into the story a great deal. Worthy performance.
Irene Van Hooten) was also deceiving in her role as a wholesome wife in the film. Offers a good timid type of personality. Also got into her role later on at the ceremony in which she added some decent energy within this and knew on how to act witty too within this. She had the perfect looks for all of this which was another good plus and a right choice for casting too.

Many nude scene's in this flick:
A broad gets raped doggy style as we briefly spot her breasts and butt
A girlfriend gets it on with her boyfriend exposing her breasts.
A woman takes a shower showing her butt and breasts.
Many rape scene's with breasts fully revealed and at times their butts two involving two female character's

A back is stabbed with many cuts revealed.
Person's head is stabbed.
Throat is bloodily slit.
Redneck's head is being cut off with close up shots on this.
Body pieces are cut off and revealed.
Blood sprays on someone at a ceremony.

The music sounds good and fitting for how this indie was made by having deep synthesizer music and low dark tones for the mysterious moments as well as spotting the killers in the beginning of the film. Also we hear alot of hissing and breathing sounds for the real dark surroundings which also gave the film a nice effect too. There's also some banging moments which makes you jump as this does the trick nicely along with great smooth hamonising and chanting sounds by a woman for the gothic surroundings. However there's the odd offbeats of the composing here and there that needed improvements but everything else was right on target and making the story look highly entertaining for a horror film all put together by Christopher Farrell