| Just Before Dawn |
| Directed by Jeff Lieberman Starring-George Kennedy and Chris Lemmon I've heard a lot about this movie and was lucky enough to finally track down a copy of the Paragon Video release. The movie came out in the heyday of backwoods slashers and is revered by its fans as a, uh... cut above the rest. Is it? For the most part, yes. Just Before Dawn opens in an old church deep in the woods. A drunkard and his son are puttering around inside when one of them thinks he hears something and of course, steps outside to check it out. While he's wobbling around in the trees his son gets sliced up inside. The stage is set. Meanwhile, a group of city folk cruise into the area in a deluxe motor home. The plan? To do some camping, and rock climbing and to survey the land owned by Warren, the group's macho leader. On their way up the mountain they encounter a forest ranger, who warns them not to go any further. They also meet up with the drunk from the opening scene. He has escaped fhe fate of his son and is raving about murdering demons. In spite of these occurences, our hearty young heros journey on. Unbeknownst to them, a murderous stowaway is hitching a ride on the back of the vehicle. Eventually they park the camper and head across a waterfall on an precarious rope bridge. There's the obligatory close call as one of the men almost tips the thing over. They get across and set up camp. Before long things start getting down and dirty, as slasher conventions dictate. I don't want to give away too much of the plot but suffice it to say that campers get clipped. Along the way we're treated to a variety of amusing distractions including Ma, Pa and Mary Kat Logan. Not to mention George Kennedy talking to his plants and his horse, Agatha. We're also treated to some absolutely stunning nature shots. Seriously. The incredible setting and solid acting do help elevate this above your average stalk and kill fare. There are some truly creepy moments and the minimal soundtrack enhances the tension. There are also a few good gore bits, though overall the kills are pretty tame. That said, the plot contains a number of small inconsistencies typical in this kind of movie. Certain things just don't make sense. Why for instance, is a forest ranger overseeing private property? These little things are forgivable however, and overall the movie is pretty damn good. -Jenny Stumps |
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| Rating-3 Brains |
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