Red River (2011)

I am going to assume that you have not heard of director Jacob Ennis. Ennis has been behind the camera for a short period and was behind the camera for 2007's Stash and the documentary Haunted Kentucky: Spirits of the Bluegrass in 2009.

His latest effort is Red River, a horror film that still might not put Ennis on the map, but a film that definitely has its merits thanks to a unyielding parade of the red stuff horror fans cheer for.

Red River is set in Kentucky tells the story of the Thatcher family headed by Roland Thatcher who has an innocent persona and has to use an electronic tool that enables him to talk. But Roland is pure evil at heart and with his F'd up son who lives in a squalor of an abode they prey on wandering hikers or persons that wander too close to their shacked dwelling.

I wish I can offer more of a plot. But there isn't much more to discuss. There is a reporter that is hot on the missing persons stories in the area, but Red River is mostly just dumb ass individuals finding themselves in the presence of the Thatcher's where they eventually meet their demise in annoying and grotesque fashion.

The first half of Red River was incredibly annoying. None of the characters were interesting and the dialogue was suspect carried out by inferior actors. So basically, it was your typical independent horror film.

But by the time the second half rolled around, I finally got it. Sort of. The nudity and the blood flowed freely and the 70's exploitation film feel was more evident in the final reels.

But that still didn't lift Red River towards an overall rating close to a recommendation. Audacious – yes. Grotesque and cannibalistically brutal – sort of. But good? Hardly. There were more scenes that I thought should have been left on the cutting room floor than I can count. And some of the one-to-three line actors couldn't even carry off simple sentences with conviction.

So that leaves Red River on the disappointment list. Ennis might have had fun putting the film together (chopping people up and yelling 'more blood' from the director's chair has to be fun). But we sure didn't have quite as much fun watching it.

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