HORROR DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEWS

It's pretty simple. Two sisters and their boyfriends travel up to a cabin in a remote wooded area to meet their parents. When they arrive, their parents are nowhere to be found, and all forms of external communication leave them stranded. As if this wasn't bad enough, someone pulls a disembodied hand from the lake, and chaos ensues, as seemingly the living dead have come back from the grave.

I'm not going to lie, I was impressed by Dead in the Water. I watch a lot of indie-type horror flicks, and a lot of them are downright difficult to sit through. This, however, was a gem amidst many others, and gives indie horror a reason to exist, other than just making a buck from the average viewer.

Now, I know, the plot isn't really all that exciting. People stranded in a cabin while the dead come after them? Toxic waste being used as an explanation for the mutations with the returning corpses (see, the death causing agents can actually be found in the water..get it?)? Yes, you've heard it all before, but this flick never claimed to be groundbreaking. That being said, it does what it sets out to do well, it entertains. One of the biggest problems I often have with these types of movies is that the acting is usually so awful that it pulls the viewer right out of the film. Not so in Dead, as the acting is actually quite good, its refreshing to have compelling characters with meaningful relationships who are well written and well performed by a game cast who seem to enjoy what they're doing.

Another bonus worth mentioning is that the effects are also quite good. It's red and nasty, and convincing, and I was especially impressed by a few of the lake's inhabitants. If there's any honest complaint I can register with this movie, its that the ending is sort of disappointing, and seems a bit longer than you'd expect, ending up too 'talky' for a movie that's just over an hour long.

Video's an anamorphic widescreen picture, without any specs being revealed. The whole thing's shot on DV, so it doesn't look perfect, but what is there is clean and clear.

Audio seemed to be 5.1, but wasn't super impressive either.

One thing worth noting is that it seems that the film's creators took extra care in making this low budget DVD look very professional. The menus are slick, and everything is dressed up very well.

We get a photo montage, which is pretty self-explanatory.

There's also about 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage of scenes being shot and discussed. This is really 'fly-on-the-wall' stuff, no one's addressing the camera, and there are no cast interviews here, it's strictly production footage.

There are 5 minutes of outtakes to be found here, too.

We also have some alternate cuts, which don't run long or add a lot to the film, and a teaser and theatrical trailer for this movie.

Dead in the Water's a good time, if you're looking for a self-aware horror flick that knows what movies it's shaped by. It's bloody, it's well acted, and it's rather short, too, so if you want to support indie horror but don't want to buy another stinker, i'd recommend you pick up Dead in the Water, it's a solid choice.