Directors: Michael Hoffman Jr. and Aaron T. Wells
Cast: Katie Peterson, Shea Stewart, Brandy Whitford
Production Company: Spy Global Media
Runtime: 104 minutes
Do you enjoy movies with boobs? How about films with blood? Maybe you’re weird enough to want to see them both at the same time? Well, have we got a movie for you! Girls Gone Dead (2012) will bring to mind a wild spring break that just happens to fall on Friday the 13th.
Girls Gone Dead is a horror-comedy that successfully uses themes and devices from both genres. The film has two directors, each with experience with these kind of movies. Michael Hoffman Jr. has directed similar horror films before including Spring Break Massacre (2008) and Sigma Die! (2007). Aaron T. Wells has directed a number of comedic shorts and some documentaries as well.
In the movie, a group of college women set their sights on a wild weekend at Manatee Creek. They intend to have the time of their lives, but a psychotic killer wielding a medieval war hammer has a drastically different point of view. I guess somebody just had to be the party pooper.
There are a bunch of cameo appearances in this film that certainly help to keep things interesting. It’s always a distinct pleasure to see Linnea Quigley in any movie. You probably remember her from The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Creepozoids (1987), and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988).
We also get to see WWE Superstar, Jerry “The King” Lawler as Sheriff Jackson Cole. Lawler is surprisingly subdued in this role, and is very natural with his delivery. Lester “Beetlejuice” Green from The Howard Stern Show, Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden, and Ron Jeremy from Orgazmo (1997) also make special appearances.
The film is also a murder-mystery, very much like the original Friday the 13th (1980). Several characters are served up as potential suspects over the course of the movie. Though, you likely won’t have a hard time figuring out the identity of the killer.
There are a lot of decent gore effects in the movie too. I was glad to see they used practical effects for most of the gags in the film. A hacked up female torso stands out as one of the best props in the movie. It was very realistic and effective.
Girls Gone Dead is much more similar to Spring Break (1983) than it is to Halloween (1978). The focus is on partying and nudity, and horror definitely takes a back seat. The movie does try to remedy this in the last third of its runtime. By the time it’s over, the movie certainly lives up to its title!
– John Migliore
For more information on the film, check out the links below…
Girls Gone Dead on Amazon Video
Indie Horror Online 