I was privileged to obtain an advance DVD of this independently produced film, and have now had the opportunity to view it several times, on a 50" plasma HD TV, no less! RPM Films and Wyche Elm Films are no strangers to film production, but their previous efforts have been along the lines of short subjects, instructional films, and music videos. This is their first attempt at a feature-length film, and their attention to detail is readily apparent. The on location filming took place in the lake country of Wisconsin, and the beauty of the Fall colors and serenity of the calm lake surface provide the perfect backdrop to the building sense of foreboding and impending doom. The tag line "Fear the Calm" was well-chosen. The film is exceptionally well paced and edited, the camera angles are well thought out and carefully chosen, and the sound quality is remarkably crisp for a film shot primarily outdoors and in a lakeside cabin.
The major actors are all in their late teens or early twenties, and like the actors in "Blair Witch Project", "Night of the Living Dead", and some other cult classics, are unknown (for the moment). The cast is impressive for their seamless absorption into their characters. The older sister (Megan Burgess): controlling, yet insecure; stilted, yet hiding a dark secret. The younger sister (Alissa Bailey): town slut, or over-compensating for her alienation from her family? The older sister's boyfriend (Bill Zasadil): a real "boy scout", but is he doing penance for some prior sin? Finally, the younger sister's boyfriend (Mike Parrish): is he a zombie expert, or just a target for everyone else's derision? The young cast made it look easy. The test of a skilled actor is not to appear to be acting, and these four passed their test with points to spare.
If you enjoyed earlier independent horror movies, such as "Blair Witch" and the original "NoLD", you should certainly enjoy this movie, as it exceeds them both in production values. Altogether an admirable effort for RPM and Wyche Elm. I look forward to more from them.