Movie Review: 4/20 Massacre is an Impressive Modern Slasher Flick!

March 25, 2018

Written by DanXIII

Daniel XIII; the result of an arcane ritual involving a King Diamond album, a box of Count Chocula, and a copy of Swank magazine, is a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, artist, and reviewer of fright flicks…Who hates ya baby?

I usually find stoner flicks to be absolutely dreadful, pandering, horsecrap of the highest order…like I’d rather have hepatitis of the asshole than watch one. So imagine my absolute delight when 4/20 Massacre darkened my doorstep…
The story of 4/20 Massacre goes as follows: 5 young ladies head out into the woods over the 4/20 “holiday” to celebrate their friend Jess’ (played by the ever-welcome Jamie Bernadette giving another kick-ass performance) birthday. Upon arrival they are given a dire warning from the local Forest Ranger (a tour de force performance from James Storm) to stick to the trails and avoid the hill country which is home to some hard-ass pot farmers…like of the murderous variety. Being the experienced woodspeople that they are, the women get lost almost immediately, and have a run in with a shell-shocked dude that escaped one of those said hard-asses mentioned a sentence ago. Regardless of the now double douse of “stay the fuck out of these woods”, our friends never-the-less trek onward, and establish camp…where we talk incessantly about 4/20, weed, (seriously, does anyone talk about their shit more than stoners…well, maybe vegans and crossfit bros) and their hidden lesbian desires…wait, what?!! (but don’t get too heated horn dogs, this flick keeps it classy in that department) Anyway soon things take a turn for the intense as a shadowy figure begins stacking up the bodies six ways to Sunday. Will any of our heroines live to see tomorrow?
Starting with the positives, I want to call attention to the cast; Bernadette, Vanessa Rose Parker, Stacey Danger, Justine Wachsberger, Marissa Pistone are all extremly likable (even when droning on about weed), and strong in their performances. These are not the cookie-cutter damsels in distress that you would expect, and each have their own thing going on that actually manages to be interesting. Also of note is the look of the killer which the credits refer to as ‘The Shape’ (shades of Halloween) played by James Gregory…he’s a mass of bizarre camouflage and taloned hands that is both menacing and unique (and his origin story is awesome as well). It must also be noted that there is some impressive gore on display, and most of it appeared to be practical with digital enhancements…which is a huge plus in my beastly book. Another surprise is the film’s score…I would have guessed this would feature the now rote ’80’s throwback synth-explosion, but instead we get a rather ethereal blend of vocals and traditional sinister strings. Finally, while the setting is simply ‘the woods’, this is a rather striking forest that the film makers have utilized, and the cinematography on display is excellent…and one more unique point, this is a horror film set entirely in the daylight, yet that does nothing to diminish the scares!
As for the negatives, they are few. My main gripe would be that it takes a bit before the murderous mayhem begins in earnest…this ends up being a more character driven piece, and that may end up turning some horror hounds off. Also, the digital smoke clouds are distracting…yeah, I know…how small of a nit are you going to pick Dan?
Initial misgivings aside; 4/20 Massacre rocks balls; it’s grim, violent, unique, filled with characters you give a damn about…and it’s one of the most impressive slasher flicks to come along in a good long while. Get your eerie eyeballs on this one as fast as you can horror hounds!
 

 


 
Be sure to read our interview with 4/20 Massacre star Jamie Bernadette right here!

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