Reviewed by: Xander Kane
Posted by: Root Rot
Dead of Winter (2007)
Directed by: Brian McNamara
This is the time of year when I love to watch films that are set in the wintertime. For some reason I am really drawn to them in winter months. I guess because I think I will relate to the film better if I watch it in a similar setting. I noticed the film “Dead of Winter” streaming online and decided I needed to watch it immediately. Besides it had a pretty cool cover and we all know that means it is a good movie. Right?
Let’s cut to the chase here, the two main characters, Kevin and Tiffany, decide to go to a New Years Eve party together. When they get there some douche bag slips LSD into their drinks. Later, the same douche bag tries to make a move on Tiffany. Bad news for him Kevin walks in on him trying to fondle Tiffany. So, of course he gets pissed off and they decide to leave the party. Shortly into the drive the LSD starts to affect them and this is where all potential hell breaks loose. They get into a car accident and proceed to walk back to Kevin’s house on foot. Eventually they begin to think someone is trying to chase them down and kill them. They call the police and wouldn’t you know it the cell phone fades in and out during the call. At some point in the film the two get separated and are pretty much “tripping” like crazy. They don’t know if what their seeing is real.
So you would think having a film where two people are potentially hallucinating the whole time could have crazy things happening in it. Well in this film it does not really happen at all. It was such a bummer to see the director/writer or whoever not put some crazy scenes in this film. I mean the opportunities are endless when you could literally make up anything you wanted and it would be believable. Your main characters just took LSD for Christ sake. Not to mention they were also drinking alcohol at the party.
One of the worst parts in the film is a scene where Kevin finds Tiffany after they get separated. Kevin is walking through the woods giving you his version of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Seems like that is exactly what the director told him to do, and he did his best to do that. You could tell he was trying his little heart out. Only problem, it is god awful. All of his acting is not bad, although not great, just this scene is not good.
There are some decent scenes in the movie. At many points in the film the director has you guessing on what is or isn’t happening to the characters. This aspect of the film is entertaining. I was mildly amused with the film but I will probably never watch it again. I just felt that a great opportunity was missed in this film by not taking advantage of the characters being on drugs. There are few kills and very little blood. What could have been a great trippy “slasher” type film was not. It turned out to be a mediocre teen horror movie. If you choose to watch this film I say keep your expectations low.
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I’d heard similar things about this one. It’s sad when a film takes an interesting premise but then just lets it lay there, effectively blocking others that really wanted to go somewhere with it from doing so for fear that they’ll be considered as “unoriginal”.
Sounds like a real winner.
lol, yes it does