I am a hardcore troma fan. From Toxie to Terror firmer there is no companies whose films I look forward to more than these guys. Hell, I even enjoyed the chaotic Tales from the Crapper but this one I'm afraid just does not work.
After three men head out to the desert to look for a local legend (and realize that there is more to it than myth) one of them gets transformed mentally and becomes a woman killer. The fact that the slasher is also a midget becomes the one novelty that this film provides. Although the sight of the little guy snarling and swinging a knife is good for a few laughs it is not enough to sustain the film. To provide slasher fodder the film-makers give us a group of women who are taking a vacation in that same place. Through a remarkable coincidence not only is the sister of one of the victims among the party goers but the killer dwarf who has been slaughtering people in a nearby city hitches a ride with one of his potential prey and ends up at the same spot.
This film features some sophomoric sex sequences including the rape of the midget and some necrophilia thrown in but if anyone has seen a troma film before they expect that sort of silliness and are not offended but that seems to be the films major problem. They simply did not go far enough. The elements were there for a fun, insane, terror firmer-like romp but sadly the finished product just kind of sits there lifeless.
As a zero budget film the acting is very hit and miss. Felissa Rose (sleepaway camp) was better at the low key moments but seemed to crank up the histrionics just a bit too much. Adam Glasser (Anal Surprise Party) seems as natural in this film as he is on the terrific series Family business and of course its always nice to see the great Brinke Stevens get another role even if it is nothing more than a cameo. Like many troma offerings the cameos lift the film over some dull stretches with Brinke's work being matched by Ron Jeremy and the brilliant acting skills of the remarkable Lloyd Kaufman.
This is one of those films that seem to fall in the middle. The killer midget idea is cool but the killings are so poorly done that the novelty does not hold. The vacationing girls are cute but the directer can't seem to work up the enthusiasm to make a half-decent exploitation film. The cameos are fun but they can't justify some weak performances. In the end I recommend passing on this one unless of course you are a Troma completest but if you stumble across it on a friends shelf and you can borrow it than go ahead. At least it is short.
By the way, avoid the commentary track on the DVD. It is a dull, one joke offering recorded by the killer. If you can make it through more than ten minutes than you are a far more patient person than I am.
After three men head out to the desert to look for a local legend (and realize that there is more to it than myth) one of them gets transformed mentally and becomes a woman killer. The fact that the slasher is also a midget becomes the one novelty that this film provides. Although the sight of the little guy snarling and swinging a knife is good for a few laughs it is not enough to sustain the film. To provide slasher fodder the film-makers give us a group of women who are taking a vacation in that same place. Through a remarkable coincidence not only is the sister of one of the victims among the party goers but the killer dwarf who has been slaughtering people in a nearby city hitches a ride with one of his potential prey and ends up at the same spot.
This film features some sophomoric sex sequences including the rape of the midget and some necrophilia thrown in but if anyone has seen a troma film before they expect that sort of silliness and are not offended but that seems to be the films major problem. They simply did not go far enough. The elements were there for a fun, insane, terror firmer-like romp but sadly the finished product just kind of sits there lifeless.
As a zero budget film the acting is very hit and miss. Felissa Rose (sleepaway camp) was better at the low key moments but seemed to crank up the histrionics just a bit too much. Adam Glasser (Anal Surprise Party) seems as natural in this film as he is on the terrific series Family business and of course its always nice to see the great Brinke Stevens get another role even if it is nothing more than a cameo. Like many troma offerings the cameos lift the film over some dull stretches with Brinke's work being matched by Ron Jeremy and the brilliant acting skills of the remarkable Lloyd Kaufman.
This is one of those films that seem to fall in the middle. The killer midget idea is cool but the killings are so poorly done that the novelty does not hold. The vacationing girls are cute but the directer can't seem to work up the enthusiasm to make a half-decent exploitation film. The cameos are fun but they can't justify some weak performances. In the end I recommend passing on this one unless of course you are a Troma completest but if you stumble across it on a friends shelf and you can borrow it than go ahead. At least it is short.
By the way, avoid the commentary track on the DVD. It is a dull, one joke offering recorded by the killer. If you can make it through more than ten minutes than you are a far more patient person than I am.
