Pig Hunt and Road Kill

The past few years there has been a growing number of mini festivals of horror films. Beginning with "8 Films to Die For," it's an appealing mix for everyone. Low budget film makers have their direct to dvd efforts picked up and with a few tiny changes they get played in theaters. We as film goes get presented with things we might not have seen, and generally out of eight or so films anyone can find something they find interesting. It's a win win and I'm suprised other genres don't do this. I think for example there could be a really good western festival to be done, have six films and call it "Six Shooters," marketing people you may thank me now.

Anyhoo, I've started going through the Fangoria festival and so far I'm pleasantly suprised. Fangoria is (was?) a magazine that was preoccupied not just with horror films but with the gory special effects. I recall as a lad looking through a couple of issues why picking up and issue of "Mad" (before it sucked ditchwater), and there was always some eye popping picture on the cover.

Literally.

So our first film is from Down Under and is called "Road Kill," actually it was called "Road Train" originally but we don't have road trains here in the states. What is a road train? Well it's very very flat down under and there is a lot of middle with no one really living there. So on those road run the trucks that are truly monsterous. Steroidal monsters that are basically three or six big rigs hitched together and hurtling up your rear view mirror. Our heroes get run down by a very odd road train. The first hint is the hood ornament of Cerebrus on the front. Things get weirder from there and there are definite questions over miles per gallon.

It's not a bad little film about a big truck. It's well shot and the vistas are impressive. The damn truck is impressive. The cast, not so much. Definitely not a waste for a rental.

"Pig Hunt" though is incredible. From the Les Claypool song "The Booneville Stomp" to beginning to end I loved it. "Pig Hunt" is like the movie "Razor Back" mixed with "Southern Comfort," "Deliverance," and "Godzilla." Basically, army grunts go on a hunting trip. They find themselves being threatened by crypto hippies and rednecks. Oh, and there's the pig. A real hogzilla that thinks nothing of eating a horse in one go. There's nothing not to like about this film if you like horror films or films about horrible people. Every little detail is fun from the the red neck off road vehicles to the hippie chick wearing what looks like dead owls that went through the dryer of fluff over her boobies.

It's a hoot!