Some say that revenge is a dish that tastes better when served cold, but humble farmer Sam Coxe prefer his vengeance fresh… and ORGANIC.
Just released on VOD this Tuesday 24th, comes a tale of rural justice via Breaking Glass Pictures called “Hayride To Hell”, where farmer Sam (played by Bill Moseley) squares off a long time grudge with the abusive county Sheriff Jubel (played by Kane Hodder), and tries to defend the farm that has been on his family for 200 years from a wicked corrupt trio that are part of the city council and wants a big piece of his land.
After one really scary accident lands Sam in the ER, he decides that had enough abuse and makes a deal with his enemies: In three days he will put together a very especial version of the haunted hayride attraction he had run for years to make some extra income (much to the dislike of the council and the sheriff), and if he manages to scare the living daylights of them, they will leave him alone for once and for all, As you might imagine, if he fails, he will have to sell the land as the counsel demands.
I am sure that goes without saying that the proposed night will be one that the council and the Sheriff will remember for the rest of their lives, as short as they remain to be.
There is a lot to like in “Hayride to Hell”, for starters I like the dynamic between Moseley and Hodder, although they could easy just go through the motions being the horror icons they are, they played very well their roles. I found Moseley to be very likable as Sam, having tons of charisma and heart, being easily my favorite performance in the movie.
Some jokes land… and a lot of others don’t. I cannot really say if it was the issue was material or the delivery, because while I thought Hodder and Moseley did a very good job, some of the cast did not work that well for me. At first I thought was being on purpose or a ploy to increase the cringe some characters were suppose to produce in the audiences, but sadly later on I saw that it was just …not great acting
Anyway, moving on.
There is some gore, and for the most part the practical effects were very good, no complaints there. But the film takes a while to show it. Is it worth the wait or not? I think that depends of how sic… How gory you like your comedies. The good news is that the hayride last for most of the second half of the film, and I was entertained.
What I found distracting was that some of the scenes during the titular Hayride (To Hell!!!) seemed to be done with green screen techniques… and not very ones. This happens too often in the close ups, when two or the riders are talking or reacting to something. The bars in the hayride cart shine a lot and the background behind them was either blurry or too dim, with a very different look from what we see in other shots of the ride from a longer distance. It reminded me to those days when I watched TV shows like “The Dukes Of Hazzard” or some Disney TV movie in the eighties.
Yes. It was that noticeable.
It seems that there is a documentary or feature of the making of the film, I actually would like to see it. If I find that there was no green screen involved at all, I would gladly apologize for my ignorance. I’m weird but fair (ish)
Overall “Hayride to Hell” is a decent watch, I believe it works better with some alcohol and to watch it with friends, or better yet, on a film festival. (Do not watch it while driving a tractor, as some scarecrows might be injured)
The film was directed by Dan Lantz. Written by Kristina Chadwick, Robert Lange
The cast also have the talents of Graham Wolfe, Mario Mosley, Allyson Malandra, Denise Parella McDonald, Jared Michael Delaney, Shelby Hightower, Melanie Martyn, Brooke Stacy Mills, Aaron Dalla Villa and Cedric “Budge” Casimiro
“Hayride to Hell” is available now on VOD.