Staunton Hill – DVD Review

Staunton Hill marks the directorial debut of Cameron Romero, son of the legendary filmmaker, George A. Romero.  Instead of dealing with social commentary injected into a zombie-ridden world like his father usually does, Cameron Romero opted to  take a different route and decided to focus on a group of Virginian cannibals.  (Why do all cannibals hail from Virginia anyway?) In this dime a dozen cannibalism tale, viewers are introduced to a group of hippies in 1969 hitchhiking their way to a rally in Washington D.C.  When a handsome and friendly man named Quintin (Charlie Bodin) offers them a ride, all seems well until their ride unfortunately breaks down in front of a secluded family farm. (What are the chances?)

At first, the stereotypical redneck family seem hospitable enough to the stranded tree huggers, however the family soon reveal that they have other plans and if you guessed if their plans include hacking them to bits for food then you are correct.  If not, then you deserve a slap in the face because Staunton Hill is one the most predictable straight to DVD slashers to hit shelves this year.

Staunton Hill is the sort of film that should been made five years ago when it was the appropriate time to cash in on sleeper cult hit Wrong Turn’s success. In fact, Romero’s style of directing feels fairly reminiscent of Joe Lynch’s directing talents in Wrong Turn 2. Sadly though, that wasn’t enough to entertain this horror reviewer as Staunton Hill brings nothing new to the table in terms of horror. Aesthetically speaking, the film did not look or feel like it was set in 1969.  Besides, a shameless yet expected reference to Night of the Living Dead and a pick shown in a character’s sad excuse for an afro, the film did not capture the spirit of the sixties in any which way possible. I wasn’t born in the sixties, but I can pretty much guarantee no hippie owned skinny jeans or crocheted Guess hoodies.

In terms of acting, it wasn’t any better or worse than your standard straight to DVD slasher fare. All were able to convey self-realized vulnerability with a minimal number of cringe-worthy moments. Kathy Lamkin (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) however was the only one who was able to stand out from the cast of  Showtime extras by doing what she does best—playing a redneck cannibal. (Not much of a stretch considering what she’s most known for.)

The gore and blood ran rampant in this film which may excite gore hounds, but considering it took over forty-five minutes for a single artery to get sliced, many view goers may give up by that point. Also, there wasn’t anything particularly exciting about the violence either. It’s pretty sad and disturbing when you can watch a character get gutted and scalped and have the scene yield as much attention as watching paint dry on the wall.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: – Even in its anamorphic widescreen presentation, Staunton Hill’s picture quality was far grainier than it should have been. However, the Dolby Surround Sound 5.1 does come in handy for all those squishy gore effects.

Special Features: A completely bare bones DVD.

Many will think Staunton Hill proves that the apple sometimes DOES fall far from the tree, but my viewing experience of this film was far better than my experience with George Romero’s Survival of the Dead, so that counts for something.  Cameron Romero may have not made a particularly memorable horror film, but there’s enough shown through this beginner’s vision that might give horror fans hope that Romero will learn from his mistakes with this sad excuse for a slasher film and tackle something far more original next time.

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