Victor Crowley first burst his way onto the screen with Adam Green’s 2006 slasher Hatchet. The character became immensely popular, and spawned two more sequels, Hatchet II and Hatchet III. The writers touted the flick as “old school American horror.” And it was. I was immediately a huge fan of the franchise, and have been yearning for a fourth entry into the series. In July of 2017 my wish came true.
That July Adam Green held a special event in Los Angeles to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the original film. It was the understanding of the audience that they were going to see a screening of the first movie, with some newly added scenes. Green and company then revealed that they weren’t there to see the first movie, but were there to view a brand new entry into the series, that had been filmed secretly over the previous two years. The movie began screening at special one night only events around the country, known as the Victor Crowley Road Show. Finally on February 6th it was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
PLOT:
The film begins as the only survivor of the previous Honey Island Swamp massacres, Andrew Yong (played by Parry Shen), is on a book tour promoting a book he has co-authored about the original murders. His publicist (played by Sleepaway Camp legend Felissa Rose) lands a lucrative deal that will have Yong doing a special reality show back at the swamp where the murders took place. Although reluctant at first, Yong eventually concedes and goes along. On the flight to the swamp the plane, holding Yong and members of the reality television show crew, crashes. Those who survive the plane crash are left to deal with Victor Crowley himself, who is still roaming the swamp.
REVIEW:
Adam Green is back where he belongs, and that’s in the director’s chair for a Hatchet movie. While I still greatly enjoyed Hatchet III, I’m glad to see Adam Green at the helm once again. This movie is loads of fun. It has everything you’d expect from a Victor Crowley film: gratuitous gore, hilarious jokes, and massive amounts of carnage. The cast in this movie were all amazing. Standing out in particular were Parry Shen and Felissa Rose. The other cast members included legendary independent scream queen Tiffany Shepis and Brian Quinn of Impractical Jokers fame. Kane Hodder is as good as ever playing the hulking, monstrous serial killer. It’s always a pleasure to watch Kane do what he does best.
My only complaint, which isn’t that big of a deal, is that there seemed to be a little too much time spent inside the wreckage of the plane. I would’ve liked to have seen the survivors exit the plane and head through the swamp itself. But there was no shortage of savagery, as Victor Crowley brutalized every person he gets his hands on. Gorehounds of the world will certainly not feel cheated after they finish watching this film.
Concluding Remarks:
Victor Crowley is certainly a worth entry into the Hatchet movie franchise. Adam Green is at his best with this film, further cementing his place in the annals of horror movie lore. The brutal kills, funny moments, and overall campy joy make this a movie not to be missed. At the end of the film I found myself hoping there will be a fifth Victor Crowley movie. If you love a good slasher, you will NOT want to miss Victor Crowley!
