STASH (2009)
Directed by JACOB ENNIS
Review by PHIL ALLELY


Released by Bloody Earth Films
Running Time: 138 minutes
Rating: NR
Color format: Color
Audio/Subtitles: English
Region Code: 1, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
16:9 Enhanced: Yes
Special Features: Interview with Debbie Rochan, commentaries, making of featurette, music video, outtakes/bloopers, previews
Trailer Online: No

In the backwoods of Eastern Kentucky big boned hill farmer Bud has a few secrets that he’d rather no one knew about. In this hillbilly style tale we meet two losers in their truck, who as the story unfolds have made a deal with crazy Bud. The pair have to get him three young girls in three days, or they’ll meet a rather grisly fate.

Asking no questions as to what Bud want the girls for, the hapless duo simply drive about in search of a suitable young lady to kidnap. Their involvement in his seedy plans are all down to their botched attempt at robbing him of some of the prize marijuana he’s been growing. Bud you see has a nice little weed selling business on the side and CJ and Stan stupidly had their eyes on a slice of it. Of course they failed and now have to do Bud’s bidding.

This is rather insane piece of filmmaking, shot in a rough and ready style that shows the atmospheric countryside and remoteness of the area to its fullest. The pace is frantic at times and the story itself has a few nice twists and turns to it as well. The tale itself revolves around the second girl snatched and deposited at Bud’s. After hitching a lift due to her car breaking down, she finds herself the latest offering to the redneck with a secret. Her family’s search for her and her treatment by her captor all leading us to a nice finale and shoot-out

In a genre so full of gratuitous sexual imagery and scenes of rape, torture etc, this film takes the ideas a step further without the graphic pictures. We do bear witness to abductions, rape, bloodshed and more, but none of it is done in a titillating style or evocative manner. There is a realness to theses scenes and you really do feel that this could almost be playing out for real at times. The games played by the sadistic Bud and the power he holds over his minions seems true to real life, the fear in the girls eyes and true horror of the murderous madman are superbly acted too. Whilst the budget cannot have been huge for this picture, the money has been well spent in producing a backwoods horror movie that packs a decent punch.

The extras on offer do give a better insight into the filmmakers ideas and concepts, the bloopers/outtakes at least present some humor not a serious idea also, whilst the trailers for other Bloody Earth releases has a few interesting films to promote.

Watch out for a nice little twist in the tale at the end of the movie too, does anyone else smell a sequel to STASH in the offing?