Search - Slash on DVD

The Harvest of Blood!

CreepyT | Colorado, United States | 04/30/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Slash is a rock band on the verge of hitting it big (so they surmise) when tragedy strikes. Joseph MacDonald is informed at the end of a gig that a family member has died, and his presence at the funeral would be appreciated. Together the band heads out on a road trip to old MacDonald's farm that will not soon be forgotten, and Joseph (Mac) must face his somewhat repulsive and abhorrent family history. After attending the funeral, and spending some time with Mac's family, the band assumes they can be on their way. However, coincidentally, their bus seems to be out of commission and they must spend subsequent nights on the farm with Mr. MacDonald and his odd farm hand Billy Bob. Keith, the band's keyboardist has a rather difficult time with Billy Bob, they get into altercations, and Keith leaves the farm never to be seen again. Only, he's not the first nor the last person who falls victim to the twisted "harvest of blood" that is tradition in the MacDonald family. Mac must decide whether he wants to remain faithful to his family heritage or to his band members and friends.I must say that for a cheesy, b-rated horror flick, the script is very well done. Not only that, but the acting is also above what one might expect, even if barely. Some of the characters do tend to get obnoxious throughout the duration of the film, but I believe that was the anticipated result. The soundtrack seems fitting, but also seems to get on the viewer's nerves at times. Another complaint of mine is that the pace can be somewhat slow. What little tension there is gets dropped in between scenes and doesn't come back until much later. There is little suspense, and absolutely no bone-tingling horror/terror to be found here. The plot is very much predictable, and at times even laughable.Rent this movie if you're looking for something interesting to view on a lonely weekend night at home, but it isn't worth investing in the DVD for your own personal library unless you're a die hard b-movie slasher flick collector."

Fresh from South Africa

Ian M. Enriquez | San Francisco, California United States | 11/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have never seen a South African horror film before and though I thought the acting was pretty bad, there was something fresh and quite enjoyable about the whole thing. The killer was in scarecrow form something that has only recently become extrememly in vogue.

The script itself was actually quite good. I was interested in the characters and there was actually some form of character and plot development, something sorely lacking in most slashers. The story is about Mac (often seen shirtless chopping wood or writhing in bed, but I digress), the lead singer of a band called Slash who is called back to the farm where he grew up to attend his aunt's funeral. For some reason, he drags his whole band along- who find themselves horribly out of place.

The band was painfully obnoxious, the most unbearable character that I must put down is the keyboardist Keith (the black guy with a gun). Now why the heck did they give the gun to this character... Anyway, he throws the gun around to bully the locals and expects sympathy towards the end. Screw that. The lead guitarist, Rod is a pig and drags along his groupie girlfriend of the week (a tarot reader) along for the ride. An example of development is the relationship between the women in the film which evolves as they are stuck on this farm together over a few days. One of the best characters is Billy Bob, a farmhand that provides light comic relief.

To make a long story short, the writers do a good job with circular story telling to connect the beginning to the end. These characters run and fight for their lives and evolve with the story. The characters have a history and the story being told is more than just a single concept."

Fun and cute

baby girl | california, usa | 01/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The morning I stumbled on this movie, I was intrigued by the title. I actually watched the whole movie and then watched again. I have read with the reviews before posting my own.

The morning after i watched it, I got my partner and she and I watched it. True, it did not provide the blood and guts, but it was not intended too. This movie would be appreciated by bands that are just starting out to make it big.

Yes it was surprising that it was made in Africa. But the best scenes in the movie were near the end. The surprise in the band was cool and most definate, the selling of the land.

We thought it was a great movie and away from the Friday the 13th predicative scenes.

Awesome movie. Yes, we would buy the movie. The music in the beginning could fit the title and be a little more heavy, but thats cool!!

"

Mildly enjoyable slasher fare

Matthew King | Toronto, Canada | 01/17/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Following one of their pub show gigs Joseph "Mac" Macdonald, singer of the young struggling rock band "Slash" lets the rest of the band members know that the head honcho of the record company "Hectic records" enjoyed their show enough to invite them to a high-profile showcase audition in a week's time. The band barely has enough time to celebrate when a messenger informs Mac that his Aunt died and that his uncle has extended an invitation to attend the funeral and that he is welcome to bring any friends along should he choose to. The band thus hop into their tour bus (how a struggling band can afford a bus that looks like this one is beyond comprehension) and head for Uncle Macdonald's farm, which is on their way to the audition. Upon arriving at the farm, they are greeted courteously by Uncle Mac and also by a strange farm hand by the name of Billy Bob. They attend the funeral and accept Uncle Mac's invitation to spend the night. The next morning as they hit the road again, the bus' engine fails them and they are forced to return to the farm until the bus gets fixed. The farm is no longer as safe as they once thought however, as members of "Slash" start getting "Slashed" to bits by an evil scarecrow...Anyone guessing that Slash is a routine direct to video teen slasher would have guessed right. One thing that distinguishes it from the rest of the pile however is its location and its strong cast of actors. Filmed in and around Johannesburgh South Africa, anyone seeking a cinematic glimpse into that country won't be disappointed as the viewer is offered many scenic shots of the South African countryside as the band members pursue their road trip. The movie starts off fairly well, with its picturesque locale and chill music vibe. The characters are a likeable bunch and the actors do a formidable job. Anyone who thinks the acting was bad in Slash has definitely not seen enough of these types of films. Like so many other movies of its genre Slash slowly degenerates into routine slasher fare but not because of any major missteps or plot holes or acting handicaps. It's just that despite the nice setup and style, it takes forever for the picture to go anywhere. Two thirds of the movie's length go by before any of the band members get hacked up or even realize anything is wrong. Once the scarecrow starts to let loose things get entertaining again but it seems a little too late. The scarecrow looks quite menacing, with its tall figure, long black robe and ridiculously sharp-looking scythe. But the fear factor of his appearances are somewhat ruined by an incredibly annoying and laughable techno beat that plays in the background whenever he appears. But I've seen much worse and Slash is elevated over other similar types movies by its strong cast of characters, especially the character of Keith, a know-it-all motormouth and Suzie, a sultry Michelle Rodriguez lookalike."