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Mini Review
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| Director |
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Jeff Thomas
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| Cast |
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Jeff Thomas
Robert Miller
Daniel Rain
April Cole
Sarah Corbin
Gregory Lecompte
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| Distributor |
| Rainstorm Pictures |
| Running Time |
| 93 |
| Rating |
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NR (Adult)
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Reviewed By
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Vaughan Dyche
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Buy the DVD
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13 SECONDS (2003)
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OK it's time to put a little perspective on thing here. All too often we see indie horror productions that have clearly been judiciously slaved over, only to find that for what ever reason they have fallen well short of their intended purpose, and that is to entertain the viewer. Sure, we have tons of efforts that do a splendid job at shocking you and making your stomach content suddenly appear on the carpet, but to really entertain is a whole different ball game.
Jeff Thomas is one of these cheeky new wave writer/directors that actually has the nerve to go out and produce a film that is not only worth seeing, but worth seeing a second time. His story focuses on a rock band as they hit the road in order to make a video for their latest track. This leads them to an abandoned military boarding school that has just the right kind of artistic atmosphere for the bands shoot. As the night begins to close in around them, a hidden evil appears and begins to play with the bands minds, bodies and souls. The story itself is worth mentioning further than just a basic plot overview, as a real effort has obviously been made to give some intelligence to the proceedings with a great twisted ending that really has no place in a low budget affair and goes a long way to enhance the products quality further.
As far as the real horror goes the frights and gore come thick and fast as the film rolls towards it's climax. The intense and eerie atmosphere made me feel decidedly uneasy with some very effective creature costume and makeup effects that, when coupled with the frantic camera work and claustrophobic sets, had me nervously smiling in the pit of my stomach.
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Highs
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The scene that follows our main character out into the woods is classic horror as he is stalked by strange creatures within the mist shrouded forest. The tension is maximised by a commentary that keeps telling him that "their all around you, can't you see them, look out". Great stuff.
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Lows
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An unfortunate technical problem that can be leveled at a lot of indie features pertaining to poor sound balance. In this age of crisp DVD sound you kind of expect a certain quality level, even on VHS, but muffled dialogue and overbearing effects are a real distraction.
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Score
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7 / 10
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