Remember when Horror movies were entertaining? A time before an onslaught of remakes, sanitized digital effects, and storylines that were not overly psychological, yes, at one point Horror was actually fun. Now decades since the golden age of the genre, most plots these days are centralized around more reality-based and often depressive context.
Just one more thing modern culture has sucked the life out of, by and large, most who enjoy Horror flicks use it as a form of escapism from the brutal reality of the world… because if they wanted to truly be disturbed all they would have to do is scroll through a social media feed. The honest truth, many have retreated to thumbing through archives of older films to satisfy their Horror love, however, there are still a few filmmakers out there defying current trends. Among them you have Adam Green; an American filmmaker who grew up in the thick of the ‘80s with MTV, Saturday morning cartoons, plus iconic Horror figures like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees, and Pinhead. A part of Green’s DNA, back in 2005 he began work on a film he called Hatchet.
Becoming his own soon-to-be franchise, Green proved that if you are not happy with what you see, the best course of action is to create something yourself. Doing this, he not only directed Hatchet, but also wrote, produced, and acted in it. Debuting in 2006, Hatchet immediately took you back to a time and place when it was alright to jump out of your seat, but also burst into laughter all at the same time. This in mind, Hatchet found its audience, distribution through Anchor Bay, and as a result a new film series was born. With many more wrinkles to Hatchet’s story happening in-between it all, the bottom line is that while some naysayers thought this brand of Horror was antiquated, were blinded by arrogance and clearly overlooked that everyone loves a character. Whether it be one of the aforementioned big four modern monsters already mentioned, or a Chucky and Pumpkinhead, there is no denying any of them.
With this, Green’s Hatchet stepped up and filled a void with the introduction of the murderous swamp lurking character named Victor Crowley. Crowley, who’s story develops as the franchise moves along, may not have the charisma of a Freddy, but sure has the brute force of a Jason or Michael Myers. That is why when Hatchet II arrived in 2010, followed by 2013’s Hatchet III, Victor Crowley was completely solidified inside the calcombs of the Horror community. Then, to the surprise of many, a fourth installment in the series arrived in 2017, this time going simply under the title Victor Crowley. Hoping to provide resolve to the abrupt ending of Hatchet III, some questions were indeed answered, but like any film of this ilk, room was left open for a continuation.
Nonetheless, it has been seven long years since anyone has seen Victor Crowley re-emerge in a feature film, but does this mean he is dead and gone? No one knows, but at least the legacy lives on with the newly assembled Blu-ray set Hatchet: The Complete Collection. The first of Dark Sky Films new Dark Sky Selects, Hatchet: The Complete Collection, released on June 25, 2024, brings together all four of the films for the first time ever in one neat package.
Presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen format, the set is a well-built limited edition Steelbook that also includes a fifth disc with over two hours of additional material. Giving you top notch quality of each film on each respective disc, the bonus of Hatchet: Swamp Tales is one of the biggest selling points here. Giving you some insight from the perspective of the people behind the scenes, the feature was freshly made strictly for this set, and well worth the time.
Overall, the Hatchet franchise is one that you can sit back, find a few jump scares, laugh out loud at the keen sense of humor, but most of all, have a good time. A throwback, the series not only does a solid job of keeping your interest, but also includes some of Horror’s most well-known names appearing at different points in each films; this includes Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Robert Englund, Caroline Williams, Zach Galligan, Derek Mears, Sean Whalen, Sid Haig, Felissa Rose, and Tiffany Shepis. Ultimately, Adam Green is one of the last few left who ‘get it’ and hopefully sooner than later he will be back to pad the story of Victor Crowley, or perhaps embark on something entirely different. Until then, it is recommended to pick up Dark Sky Film’s Hatchet: The Complete Collection, because Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment