SLEDGE is the passion project of writer and co-director Kristian Hanson, (along with John Sovie II). Hanson is a huge fan of the 80s-style slasher flick and he captures this tone perfectly in his debut film. What starts out as a seemingly typical romp with teens going into the woods and teens getting killed in said woods becomes something much more in the very capable hands of Hanson and crew. I'll admit that I was hesitant as I sat down to watch SLEDGE (seemed to be just another teens killed in the woods flick) but was more than pleasantly surprised. Hanson puts his own spin on things and doesn't just attempt to make another run-of-the-mill horror-comedy or homage to the 80s-style slasher flick. He does indeed pay homage to the golden era of slasher films but he also makes SLEDGE his own. This is a hugely fun and entertaining horror film.
SLEDGE begins with a fun early sequence that sets the tone for the entire film. After the mayhem of the opening we then switch to a girl settling in with some popcorn and wine to watch a movie on TV. At first I didn't know what the hell was going on, but it soon becomes apparent that Hanson is presenting SLEDGE as a film within a film. The host of the late night show is the beloved, foul-mouthed puppet, Assly. If you guessed that the B-movie Assly is presenting is SLEDGE, well you don't win anything. I thought that was pretty obvious. But as it begins we get the typical set up of a bunch of friends gathering together for a fun weekend excursion of drugs, drink, and donut dunking in the woods. But as usual, these teens didn't do their local folklore homework and end up in the wrong part of the woods. Around the campfire, Alex (Dustin Bowman), tells them all about the local urban legend of Adam Lynch (a name taken from two of Hanson's horror influences, Adam Green and Joe Lynch). As the story goes, Adam Lynch is a psychotic killer who lives in the woods and kills any and every one he comes across with his trusty sledgehammer. So I guess this isn't really a "slasher" film so much as it is a "smasher" film (yes; I'm proud of that one).
It doesn't take long for all chaos to break loose and when it does, hold onto your hats. SLEDGE is fast-paced, gory, fun, bloody, and gory. Did I mention gory? I read that the budget here was roughly around $2,000. You'd never know it, though. Sure SLEDGE has that low-budget, indie horror look to it, but it doesn't feel cheap. Hanson got every single penny up on the screen and it shows. I was also impressed with the assembled cast. For a low-budget flick, the cast does a really nice job. And the gore
the gore is terrific!! There's no CGI here, just practical effects and damn if they aren't done well!! I also really love the killer's mask. Very creepy and effective. Gore hounds will be very pleased because every chance Adam Lynch gets to smash skulls, pull out intestines, and just generally ruin the days of the cast members, he takes
and we the viewer get to see it all. Nothing is done off screen!! Bravo, Kristian, bravo. It's nice to see that there are still some indie horror filmmakers out there on a shoestring budget that can still deliver the gore.
But I think where SLEDGE really differs from other films in this genre is with the killer himself, Adam Lynch. Lynch isn't a killer because he has mommy issues. He's not a killer because he's out for revenge. Lynch is killing because he's crazy and enjoys killing people. Period. Do ya really need any deeper reason than that? So many times writers get caught up in the details that they forget Ockham's Razor: Less is more. Hanson doesn't forget this and he embraces it. Lynch is just a messed up guy who enjoys smashing and killing people. But there's another difference between Lynch and the traditional slasher. Lynch talks!! Not only does he talk when he's killing victims, but he taunts and belittles them. At first I was completely caught off guard when I heard Lynch talk. But he doesn't just spout out stupid Krueger-like one-liners that make you roll your eyes and wish he'd shut up. Lynch is actually funny and he provides a little much needed comic relief. The killings are pretty intense and Lynch helps to lighten up the mood slightly. The horror aspect isn't reduced from the comedy but the two elements actually work together and nicely enhance each other.
My only complaints about SLEDGE were that we didn't really get any character development and the dialog in some places was a little flat. Neither of these complaints hurt my overall opinion of SLEDGE, though. SLEDGE is a really fun, back-to-basics slasher (I mean 'smasher') film that fans of the genre are gonna love. I can't wait to see what Hanson comes up with next, and I hope SLEDGE isn't the last time we meet Adam Lynch. I think he's still got a lot of killing left in him!! Don't miss SLEDGE.
