In Hippie lovin' 1960s California, Ronald Reagan is the governor and the great unwashed are protesting logging operations in the majestic toothpick factory that is the redwood forests. One of the loggers is a nice enough old guy who's just trying to do an honest day's work so he can afford to pay for his dying wife's medications. The lead hippie isn't too sympathetic with the mustache bearing fellow and the two trade blows. The logger pulls his gun just in time for the cops to show up and arrest him, pushing the chap's young future Republican son to madness as the tyke lashes out against the head flower child... with a chainsaw! You can't help but give points to a movie that has a little kid chainsawing a guy in the first five minutes! Congrats Mr. Arquette, this is the first time I haven't regretted sharing a first name with you since Scream. But, can you keep the momentum up, or will your movie go flaccid before it’s climax?

FF>> to the political horror show we call the modern day, where that same redwood forest is about to be the site of a neo-flower child love & music festival, being held by the standard sleazy promoter type (none other than Paul Reubens in a cheesy mustache!) with a hard-on for capitalism and exploiting stupid kids with money. Attending said festival is a van full of drug sucking slacker types ready for some fun and fucking, but due to not walk away from the end credits. Goofy half-assed local podunk type cops are providing the security for the event (the Sheriff of which happens to be Thomas Jane!), so expect the usual inept law enforcement wackiness to presume. The "funny" thing about the area is that a lot of people tend to disappear, especially white guys with big creepy afros who run around with their dick flapping in the wind. The real question though is are the missing people a result of the violent local redneck populace, marijuana farmers who are willing to kill anyone who fucks with their crops, the main hippie girl's psychotic stalker Republican ex-boyfriend (Balthazar Getty), or a crazy Ronald Reagan looking dude in a smart looking suit wielding an axe? Given that neither rednecks nor pot farmers adorn the cover of the DVD, and considering that the movie's title is a take on an old Ronald Reagan shpiel, I'd opt for door number 3 Monty. The only real question now is whether the third option and the last are one and the same, or just a coincidence...

Beyond the clashing anti-war, anti-drug and anti-everything else "messages", The Tripper is a basic gimmick slasher flick, but done with a decent budget and just enough talent behind and in front of the camera. Neither the acting nor the direction are incompetent (though the numerous "we're all tripping our balls off!" scenes could've been trimmed a little), while the writing's good enough for slasher fare, including your basic Jaws style clash between the guys trying to save lives and the guys trying to add a few zeroes to their bank accounts, and wrapping it up with the standard "Make way for the sequel everybody!" ending. As with any slasher flick though, the meat and potatoes comes from the gore and nudity. To answer your last question first, yes, there are numerous boobs to behold (which I would gladly do...), but people with a fear of snakes better beware one fairly early gratuitous phallus display. As for the slippery red part of the equation, we witness severed body parts, decapitations, numerous axe choppings, some disembowelment action, an impalement, some general maiming, a few dog mauling incidents, a chainsaw carving, and a hammer assault. Sadly it's not all as gory as it might sound, but it does range from a few drops of blood to a spray or exposed organ here and there. Not bad, but it's always better to have Karo Syrup and synthetic entrails than some CGI "Braindead Pictures" nightmare.

Though the twist behind the killer Reagan's kinda interesting and i-Ronnie-ic (har har), he's supposed to be on a vendetta to wipe out Hippies, but completely breaks type and targets rednecks and Republicans in his bloodbath too. I guess you could say that the guy just has a Jason Voorhees level OCD about killing anyone who trespasses in his woods, no matter their political allegiance, but that just takes all the fun out of modeling your murderer after the Jesus Christ of the conservative right. So, in the end, the Ronster is just another generic footnote in the history of slash ‘n’ gash. I've also never been happy with the flick's title either. If it's supposed to be a parody about Reagan and a reference to our main slasher, why would he be tripping? Isn't he supposed to be killing hippies? Was it really the most creative title they could come up with, or were they just feeling lazy and didn't feel like putting much effort into naming their baby? It's like people naming their brats after cold care products or boner drugs because they just like the way the words sound and don't care what they actually mean. It's not the first time a movie hasn't quite filled out its Size 15s, and it won't be the last, but at least it's not as bad as it could have been. A little more splatter and little less trying to be stylish with "trippy" camera tricks and Dave Arquette's directorial debut could've pulled up another half a smiley face, but as it stands he gets a "good, not great".

You gotta give it one thing though: I think this is probably the most facial hair I've seen in a movie this year! Every other character had some kind of mustache or beard or chin pubes or soul patch or some kinda of growth around their mouth! Kudos to one incredibly bearded cast...