I watched this under the title DITCH DAY and it's a real surprise for a micro budget horror film: I actually enjoyed it! The plot is nothing special and sees a group of partying friends suffering at the hands of a maniac who is stalking them one by one due to a historical misdeed committed by one of the friends.What this turns out to be is an effective effects showcase packed with gory kills that really push the boat out when it comes to practical gore effects. The killer is played by Bill Oberst Jr., probably the most interesting actor working in indie horror cinema today. Oberst Jr. looks like William Sadler and is just as imposing in the roles he takes; here he's a perfect fit for the role of psycho killer.The set-up mainly consists of Oberst Jr. working his way around a house and killing somebody in each room. His weapons of choice are the axe and chainsaw, leading to some very messy moments that take pride in their gory glory. The cast members aren't too shoddy, either, and the whole film has a fast pace and lightness of touch that makes it a joy to watch.

My quick rating - 4,8/10. You don't always have to reinvent the wheel to get noticed. This movie takes a typical slasher approach, minus any super-human powers ala Jason or Michael but just an everyday person turned killer by circumstances. I won't go to much into that since it is part of a twist or two but the killer (revealed early in the film) is pushed over the edge and hunts down a group of young adults that are taking a day off school to party. Nitpicking this film would be far too easy but if you just sit back and take in the old school slasher that it is, you won't be disappointed, well, not much that is. The kills are fairly mundane and don't get focused on gore, which is fine. The killer (Bill Oberst Jr.) is pretty convincing in his role, often letting his facial expressions do the talking. I will say the "kids" in this film all but one act pretty stereotypical but the goth chick steps out of the norm (scene is pretty funny, all I will say about that). Worth a watch for slasher fans but don't use this to try to recruit a newbie to the genre since it doesn't wow you at all. For a small budget and a lot of newcomers from cast and crew, this is nicely done.

DITCH DAY MASSACREBill Oberst Jr. , Lynn LoweryI received the opportunity recently to view a little indie flick called Ditch Day Massacre via the fine folks at From Dusk Till Con and must say I was extremely happy I viewed this. Over the years many a directors have tried their offering at establishing their place in the slasher genre and most fail miserably.Joe Hendrick has succeeded in this fashion. Thus is not the case here. DITCH DAY MASSACRE delivers the goods and notches itself firmly on the shelf with other great slasher flicks, Let me back up a little bit and drop you a plot synopsis. This movie revolves around Jenny Bilson, your token all American sweetheart. The one mistake she is unaware of making comes back to haunt her in a very violent way, as her past returns for revenge.I have to strongly mention the performance of Bill Oberst Jr. The man has shown me in as few as 3 or 4 films (CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, A GRIM BECOMING, DITCH DAY MASSACRE ETC...) just how versatile he is and how far to the extreme he can take his character. His morose yet vulgar outings add such a creepiness to any film that allow the director to do so many things with him and leaves so many open doors open for them to go with other obsessions.There isn't an overpowering presence of blood and gore herein but just enough to appease the eyes and allow the story to carry on.Just an outright refreshing horror film.period.

So many horror movies today try to out gore the viewer, it's nice to see a horror movie that throw's you back to a time when the story, music and the actors made the film fun to watch. We see in many movies in varying genre that the hero and villain are clearly outlined. This is one of those movies that might leave you asking who is who.Enter into the arena "Ditch Day Massacre" a slasher film that brings it and adds some of it's own little fun twists. The movie starts out like your old school slasher with a little back story and tragic events! Fast forward to a cute school girl with a dark secret and her nice looking boyfriend hiding out from dad! Folks are leaving so it's time to party like a bunch of high school kids right. Back at the school word goes out and some of the cool good looking kids are going to a fun ditch party. We have the good looking couple and the freaky friends that share that "tension" between them. Kind of standard I know, but it's a time honored formula that works for a reason.When we see our villain, we get into it right away. Non stop action and I must note some really good lines. Bill Oberst Jr. really works it as the villain. He brings his talent and passion into the role like you wouldn't believe. He made me question if he was really a mad man with an ax or trying to get his own brand of justice. The music in the film goes with the scenes. The pace of the film starts out a bit slow but when it hit's the gas hold on. The mechanical effects are really sharp and nice to see that CGI hasn't taken over everything that we've seen on the screen today. The sound was really good and on mark to say the least.With so many Horror movies out on the market it was nice to see a movie that was a joy to watch. This movies made me watch, listen, and pay attention for the little details in the movie. Kind of makes you sad that there are few movies that get it. This was a 1st time shot in the the Horror movie genre from the crew. I must admit for a 1st timer on the block they have lighting in a bottle. There are few movies out there that a must see. This is one of them. If you like horror movies and watch them for the fun the bring watch this film.