Hallowed Ground (2007) (V)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

David Benullo

Writer (WGA):

David Benullo (written by)

Release Date:

9 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

After she becomes stranded in a small town, a young woman discovers her arrival there was foretold a century earlier by the town's founding preacher and that she is an integral part of his impending - and terrifying - rebirth. |

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Preacher | Crow | Police Station | Attempted Murder

Cast

Jaimie Alexander	...	Liz Chambers
Brian McNamara	...	Sheriff O'Connor
Ethan Phillips	...	Preacher
Chloe Moretz	...	Sabrina (as Chloe Grace Moretz)
Ned Vaughn	...	Deputy Mark Simmons
Jim Cody Williams	...	Earl
Tamara Clatterbuck	...	Waitress
Nick Chinlund	...	Jonas Hathaway
Hudson Leick	...	Sarah Austin
Dan Warner	...	Officer Chandler
Randy Ross	...	Farmer
Steve Larkin	...	Mayor
Fred Meyers	...	Lanky Teenager
Time Winters	...	Victim
William Stanford Davis	...	Truck driver

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:MA (2009)

Company:

Daniel Grodnik Productions

Soundtrack:

451

I'd Rather Watch Jeepers Creepers or Children of the Corn

After she becomes stranded in a small town, a young woman (played by Jaimie Alexander of "Rest Stop") discovers her arrival there was foretold a century earlier by the town's founding preacher and that she is an integral part of his impending -- and terrifying -- rebirth. Oh, and there's a scarecrow that likes to kill people, too.

So I waited too long to write this review and the film is no longer fresh in my mind. Therefore, I cannot make very good specific criticisms. Sorry. But maybe the film isn't worth a thorough dissemination, as it really wasn't particularly good. I enjoy Jaimie Alexander, so it was nice to see her in another horror movie (are you a horror actress or a TV actress, Jaimie?) but besides that... I don't know.

Having seen both "Superstition" and "Horror Rises From the Tomb" this year, the idea of a prophecy that has an old religious fanatic coming back from the grave really wasn't a shocking new development in cinema for me. So this time it was a preacher instead of a warlock or witch... it was still a man who believes in the supernatural who had turned to killing in order to get his way with things, so there's not really a huge stretch.

What really struck me as the mistake with this film is the focus on the city of believers (not unlike "The Reaping" or any other film with a religious, isolated city) and not so much on the scarecrow that came back to kill people. I didn't quite understand the scarecrow, but I wanted to see more of him (an maybe get a better background). People with cult beliefs just don't do it for me, unless there's some really, really good explanation (which there rarely is). I'd complain about the cop being in on the whole thing, but I already made that complaint today in my review for "Lake Dead"... just stop it already! Should I complain about the gas station being in on it, too? You know, like "House of 1000 Corpses" or "Vacancy" or many others? Do all these small towns take notes from the same textbook?

Sure, you get a crucifixion. I like them, you like them... we all like seeing people nailed to the cross. Some of us like to look at this sort of thing once a week or more (I'm not one of those people). So there's blood. I don't recall any nudity, though... unfortunately. I mean, I like Jaimie Alexander with clothe on -- she's classy. But she had a friend in the film... if you're going to die anyway, why not just take your shirt off?

Like I said, I cannot make very good specific complaints. But I wasn't impressed. Everything about this film reeked off some other films. Oh, scarecrows like "Jeepers Creepers" or corn rows like... "Children of the Corn"? And I've already made numerous other references in this review. I suppose if you're going to rent this, you're going to rent this. Some of you may even be gullible enough to buy it. But I want you to know if you're going to do it, it's not going to be because of me. My copy is getting less play than Richard Simmons at the Playboy Mansion.