The Millenium Bug (2011)

   
Produced, Written & Directed by: Kenneth Cran

Starring:

John Charles Meyer .... Billa Crawford
Jessica Simons .... Joany Haskin
Christine Haeberman .... Clarissa Haskin
Jon Briddell .... Byron Haskin
Ken MacFarlane .... Roger Patterson
Bill Brinsfield aka Trek Loneman .... Uncle Hibby
Adam Brooks .... Fij Crawford
Ben Seton .... Rip Crawford
Ginger Pullman .... Paerlene Crawford
Sandi Steinberg .... Granny Willow

Release Dates: Dances With Films Festival: June 3, 2011; Dedfest: August 27, 2011; Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival: September 5, 2011; B Movie Celebration: Septebmer 24, 2011; Shriekfest Film Festival: September 30, 2011; Dark Bridges Film Festival: October 1, 2011; Freak Show Horror Film Festival: October 9, 2011; Spooky Movie Film Festival: October 14, 2011; DEDfest Vancouver: October 20, 2011; Tucson Terrorfest: October 20, 2011; Fantastique Semaine du Cinema: October 26, 2011 (France); Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival: October 28, 2011; New Orleans Horror Film Festival: October 30, 2011; Bram Stoker International Film Festival: October 31, 2011 (UK); Zedfest: November 5, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

A family named the Haskins travels to the isolated Sierra Diablos mountains on New Years Eve to camp out and celebrate the countdown but then are terrorised by a demented backwoods family who abducts all of them and one of the backwoods family members named Billa Crawford (John Charles Meyer) forces the Haskins daughter Clarissa (Christine Haeberman) to marry him but the others must try and fight against them to survive their demented ways even if it means killing them or being killed.
Both parties have much bigger worries that night as a giant monster is about to rise from the ground to wreck havoc and eats these people one by one along with breeding baby monsters as well.

 

There's a nice start with a family driving late at night in the forestry mountains as well as it announcing New Years Eve 1999 plus good moments with the father Byron Haskin asking for another Christmas cookie along with his daughter Clarissa giving him an apple caring for his health in which this looked quite uplifting and heartwarming on what is happening here as this was well written. Meanwhile we have alot of dark creepy moments like a Game Warden beating up on someone filming in the forest as well as great effects on some creature dragging this creep into the ground and slaughtering him as this looked dynamic to watch without a doubt.
Along in the storyline we spot a bizarre happening on a beat up old cabin in the swampy wooded area with someone going into labour as well as surroundings on demented looking hillbilly's not acting normal at all along with exposing a some sort of a deformed baby being born which seemed pretty shocking as all of this looked terrifically well done.

The settings looked peaceful with the family having a campfire and putting up Xmas lights while celebrating the New Years Eve countdown in which this for sure seemed heartwarming and very fun to watch. But things seem pretty dark in which we spot one of the demented family member named Billa Crawford pointing a shotgun in a distance towards them leaving an impression that the family's night of fun will be jeapordised. This looked pretty impressive.
Then suddenly when the family is ready to go to bed in their separate tents when things seem still and peaceful BAM! The redneck family attacks in which these scene's looked good and fast on what they do in which this seems very disturbing. Definetely a silence breaker this moment was.
There's also pretty creepy moments with this family forcing a wedding dress on Clarissa with her sobbing but it looked well done when Byron lunges in and starts beating up on some of the family members. Yet you have a bad feeling that he will lose out by getting hurt or killed since this seems to happen often to the good person.
Meanwhile there's some corny but fun moments with a person videotaping and getting excited about stuff adding a nice humoress touch to this horror story in which this character seems to look quite mysterious on what he does.
Nice settings in an area where Byron is dumped in some sort of a cellar and we spot some sort of a deformed looking person approaching towards him as he kinda looks like a zombie which was also well put into the story too. As at first Byron seems to speak softly towards this thing and then gets violent which seems distrubing to watch since you know that something might go dead wrong here.
Plus there's some creepy moments with one of the rednecks named Uncle Hibby nearly persuing to rape the stepmom in the story Joany as this moment seemed quite dark and nicely put in for the unpleasant situations in a horror flick as the settings here were perfectly done while watching this film.
One of my favourite scene's in the film is when Byron tries to get vengeful once again with a nice throwing scene on an axe to someone's head as well as him killing a couple of other family members. All this brought a smile to my face for doing their horrible deeds. But yet you have a deep sinking feeling that something's about to backfire since things seem way too good for this person at what he does.
I really enjoyed a fairly intense moment spotting Clarissa tied up on a bed sobbing while Billa is pacing and talking to her leaving a good dark impression here.
The excitement really packs a punch big time as we spot the Millenium Bug finally rising up from the ground eating people and attacking in which this seems to pay a great tribute to those retro horror monster flicks. The effects looked dynamic on what was happening here plus it looked very terrifying while the survivors are trying to run for cover and hide on this thing. Plus we spot some eggs of this beast and some babies hatching and feasting on their first meal which is of course a person which can make you cringe for anyone who can't handle on something like this. It looked incredible and dark by what happens here.
There's also great serious moments when Joany sympathises towards her stepdaughter Clarissa asking if anything happened while she was tied to the bed as the writing and reactions on everything in this scene looked smoothly well done here. The ending might be disappointing though but at the same time opens a door for a sequel in which I hope they do have one.
Bottom line is that an indepndent flick has never been so good like this one and looking almost like a mainstream film. Alot of remakes are happening tese days since there's nothing original out there but this one really packs a punch and can influence other horror filmmakers to make one's like this and go far. In fact this film looks like something that Rob Zombie would make with all the psychological moments that were placed here. Check this one out as you can tell the people doing this were really on the ball.

The acting is very well performed in which lead actor John Charles Meyer (Billa Crawford) really knew his stuff on how to act evil and obnoxious with his role in the flick. He certainly knew on how to act physically violent as well as crude and perverted too. He proves on to be a worthy character actor with his dark attitude and knew a thing or two on how a backwoods madman is like in an everyday lifestyle. Nice concentrating expressions with him by pointing a shotgun in the woods and also doing well with his reactions by being distracted. He does great running in the woods screaming and panicking. He does well with his hyped up speaking towards two people by blocking them as the blocking here looked very energetic.
Jessica Simons
(Joany Haskin) shows a nice warmness into her role in the film acting full of life and having a pleasant attitude in which this comes across as very realistic. She also knew on how to act intense with her screaming and freaking out when the terror hits her. Plus she was great by acting tough and violent in alot of the moments in her scene's whenever needed to. Basically had a great high energy into her performance and not letting an ounce down.
Christine Haeberman (Clarissa Haskin) really shows off a good bubbly type of behavior and knew on how to act like a typical teeneger into what she does in the flick. She seemed to act really full of life without getting carried away with it all. Plus she showed a nice emotional and scared attitude too by being the target of everything. Terrific sobbing reactions with her gagged on a bed. She studied her role fairly well and can get work in other shows.
Jon Briddell (Byron Haskin) really packs a punch with his performance playing a loving father in the flick in which he shows a believeable laid back type of behavior with everything that he does. Plus he shows a great vengeful intense attitude and knowing on how to act obnoxious and heroic with his anger too. He does well shouting and yelling while trying to look through a hole near a locked doorway. Plus he shows great blocking reactions swinging his punches towards the other supporting cast. Also, he does well hollering in pain and acting intense after being shot in the foot which was powerfully performed too. He was definetely another true character actor here and in great shape in his performance too.
Ken MacFairlane
(Roger Patterson) however seems a little too over the top with his hyperactive and anxious attitude as a researcher in the fiorest trying to hunt down the millenium bug. He seems to try really hard into portraying his character but just can't pull it off at all. Some acting lessons can help him though as he can improve over time. However he does does well hollering while being attacked. Also does well crying out and getting crazy.
Bill Brinsfield (Uncle Hibby) whom was credited as Trek Loneman does a fine job in his role as a hermit looking eccentric coot. He for sure shows a good growly and gruff type of speaking into his role and knew on how to come across as somewhat intimidating. He does well with his brief weeping and upsetting reactions along with speaking aggressively in a certain scene of the story. Does a good job showing good evil expressions towards his fellow actress while slowly caressing her and speaking gruffly towards her. He was one of the best actors here and made his supporting role increidbly effective too. He still has what it takes to be a character actor ever since I saw his supporting role in the cult 1987 slasher flick Slaughterhouse.
Adam Brooks (Fij Crawford) had the best supporting role as someone who acts larger than life and outrageous into his role with his insane hyperactive behavior. He seems to come across as someone like Bill Moseley showing off that type of energy which looked well done and getting into his character acting as crazy as he wanted to. Way to go!!! Hats off to this dude.
Ginger Pullman
(Pearlene Crawford) shows a half wholesome looking beautiful types and really knew on how to pull off her deceiving attitude too. Great painful reactions with her groaning and screaming while going into labour with her character and making her reactions very believeable. She shows off a good creepiness to her speaking as well as acting convincingly mysterious with her actions too. Plus knew on how to act crazy with whatever she did into her performance. A nice soft speaking on her towards a fellow actress and having a good creepy tone in her voice. Perfect intense blocking with her by struggling away in the wooded areas and having her freaked out attitude at a high pace. She was a nice drawing card to the story.
Sandi Steinberg
(Granny Willow) was another perfect drawing card into what she does with her crazy and screechy speaking and wide eyed personality. She was great by acting hyperactive and knew her role inside out. She was the another best supporting role in the story and a marvellous character actress too.

Ginger Pullman pulls down her top to expose both of her boobs.

Blood splurting from a person while dragged into the ground.
Bloody gunshots to the leg.
An axe whacked in the face.
Guys face is blown off.
Millenium bug chews people up.
Partly decapitated head is exposed.
Baby creatures are eating someone.
A chewed up deformed body is exposed.

The music sounded terrific and very mainstream composed by Andrew Spence in which he has alot of great creepy dark sounds along with good rumbling noises too. Plus there's the cold icy piano plunking as well as the odd harp chiming sounds too which works well into the story on what's happening here and there. Of course we hear alot of great suspenseful trombone playing and echoey heavy drum poundings since this is common for a horror flick.

Billa Crawford: I'm glad I never got to know your family
Clarissa Haskin: I'm glad you haven't either