A group of people in the 20's head to the mountain town of Halcyon Ridge to do some camping. Once there they discover some gruesome slasher films, and it doesn't take long before they're all about to fall victims as well.
From the filmmakers behind THE 8TH PLAGUE comes CARVER, a movie so raw, violent and brutal it makes HOSTEL look like a silly cartoon. Yes, you read that right. Since I loved THE 8TH PLAGUE I've been excited about the release of CARVER for quite some time now, and I'm more than happy to say that not only was it a very good film, but the thing is that this flick delivered through the roof! We've entered the year of 2008 and the lack of originality, or creative greatness, when it comes to horror films these days is almost frightingly distant for most of the time. The 70's gave us some brutally good flicks and horror from the 80's is something very classic these days, and something we've all come to love. But these days' hardcore horror fans have seen most of everything when it comes to genre flicks, and when it comes to violence and gore, we're for most of the time almost numb to the fact of whatever violent scene is shown on-screen. We constantly need more in order to feed our sick cravings for all things brutal but we're more than often left in a disappointed state after having seen whatever new horror flick that has just hit the market. But luckily, once in a while, there are movies released that are so good they immediately put the faith back in our beloved genre, and makes us feel that it is worth sitting through all the crap because sooner or later something great is gonna come along. And let me tell ya, CARVER is one of these great films.
CARVER is a film that is truly unpleasant and if you have a weak stomach, you better stay the heck away. It starts off like any horror per say, and while the very plot may be simple, it makes for one gruesomely entertaining movie. We're introduced to a group of people, in their 20-something's, who are about to go camping in the mountain town of Halcyon Ridge. So they've come to Hicksville and the shit is gonna go down, but don't be fooled because this time it's so much worse, (in a good way that is), than what you're used to when it comes to horror flicks of this kind. The group stop at a local bar where they end up promising to help the owner out to move some stuff from his house. They set up camp and head on over to the house where they discover some old flicks that are supposedly low-budget slasher flicks. What they don't realise at first is that these movies are in fact real snuff films and that the shit is about to hit the fan. It's a simple setup but boy are you mistaken if you think this is just your average slasher film. Believe you me, you definitely gonna get more than you bargained for.
 
Lotsa horror films often claim to be the most violent thing around, or the goriest film you've ever seen etc., and as we all know, this is for most of the time just BS which leaves you even more disappointed when actually seeing these supposedly nasty films. But when it comes to CARVER, it's a film that doesn't hold back one bit; it sends chills down your spine and will definitely make you cringe a number of times before the film is over. The violence is well-made and looks realistic, which of course adds to the sickness & fright factor. Some scenes are actually so brutal it's hard to keep a focused eye on the violence appearing before you without having to look away for a split second and breathe. I'm pretty sure this movie will be way too much for those that like horror but are not really used to the extreme. But for fans of gore, blood and gruesomeness, this movie is honestly to die for.
Director Franklin Guerrero Jr. has a keen eye for detail and a vision that is utterly effective. It's a slick film and I did dig the way it was edited because it lets you take everything that happens in to the fullest. When gory and harsh things are about to go down the camera lets us see everything for what it is, which is actually sometimes a bit much due to the fact that some scenes are just extremely disturbing. The make-up is so well-done and the gore is even better. Cool thing here is that CARVER gives us brilliant old school horror and steers away from everything that is CGI which is something I'm utterly thankful for.
As for the acting, it is all good; the group of campers are normal people and not horror movie stereotypes, and thank God for that. I'm not sure if any of the actors really stand out but they're all good and deliver in my book. As for T&A, we get some of that too but thankfully not in a tacky way which is so often the case in many horror flicks. We get a bit of it and it's definitely satisfying enough but it's never T&A that is the main focus which is good because it gives the whole film a more serious tone. The pacing is just excellent and once the real horror kicks in it just keeps stepping up and stepping up again until the credits roll. When it comes to the very end it doesn't let you down there either, and all I can say about that is that don't expect your typical Hollywood kinda ending. CARVER is truly an intense and disturbing ride that should not be missed.
Hollywood has A LOT to learn here and with a bigger budget CARVER would be the ultimate horror high. You should most definitely add this film to your to-see-list because you will not be disappointed, well, unless you have really bad taste that is. Highly recommended.
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ALTERNATIVE TITLE:
MOVIE YEAR: 2008
DIRECTOR: Franklin Guerrero Jr.
WRITING CREDITS: Franklin Guerrero Jr.
GENRE: Horror
CAST: Kristyn Green, Natasha Malinsky, Matt Carmody
COUNTRY: USA
RUNTIME: 100 min
RATING: 10/10
Carver Website/IMDB Click here
Carver Trailer
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