MOVIE REVIEW – AVENGED

B-MOVIE HEAVEN

Movie Review – “Avenged”

Review by Ray Schillaci

People get me wrong all the time when they ask if I’ll see their film. They tell me it’s filled with violence and gore, and that I will love it. Most of the time, I do not. Give me an interesting story laced with that and there is a good chance I will recommend it. Add an enthusiasm and creativity to the production and I will enjoy the hell out of it as I did with Michael S Ojeda’s “Avenged” (formerly “Savaged” – a title that feels much better suited after the first viewing).

Now mind you, you’re not stepping into a Michael Bay movie. “Avenged” is guerrilla filmmaking that inspires so many others to go out and get their film done, but most of the time they cannot possibly achieve the results that director/writer Ojeda has achieved. Crew and cast are to be commended for they have accomplished something where other low budgets (1976’s “Shadow of the Hawk,” ‘83’s “Scalps”, ’01’s “Wendigo”), and studio films (1976’s “The Prophecy,” ’78’s “The Manitou,” ’03’s “Dreamcatcher”) have missed the mark; creating a decent American Indian genre piece that entertains.

Ojeda makes no bones about where he and his film are coming from. This is the kind of movie Roger Corman would have been proud of and got released all over the place. It would play midnight showings and have a very long shelf life on VHS at one time. Instead, in this day and age unfortunately, it gets a quickie theatrical release and scurried over to VOD. Upside – you can tell all your friends, have screening parties and enjoy the hell out of this vengeful hybrid that successfully mixes American Indian lore with a (the original) “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and (original) “I Spit on your Grave” vibe. But if you have the chance, this is definitely one movie you want to see in a theater with a primed audience.

Director/writer Ojeda keeps the story simple with a young deaf girl, Zoe, played with gusto by Amanda Adrienne, traveling the New Mexico desert with her late father’s GTO while texting and sending pictures back to her boyfriend. You know this is a set up for something really bad to happen, and we are not disappointed. If ever we had a good example from a movie about the dangers and stupidity of texting and driving, this is it.

Zoe happens upon a couple of Indian youths that are being tortured by a truck full of rednecks. Damn, if that is not a bad combination that one needs to stay away from. But of course our heroine plummets head first into the craziness and gets herself abducted.

What happens next is very unpleasant. And, here is where “Avenged” distinguishes itself from all the crap that gets put out there. Ojeda does not indulge in torture and gore. He sidesteps it as did Tobe Hooper in the original “TCM”. But he still is able to ratchet up the tension and fun. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of gore and torture ahead that is eventually inflicted on the rednecks, but we’re cheering all the way through. And, there is a certain glee to all the mayhem as there was with the original “Evil Dead”.

Zoe eventually becomes more trouble than she’s worth, and to make matters much worse, the rednecks discover she is in an interracial relationship. Boy, can the filmmaker make it any worse for her? Sure, let’s kill her, let her die slowly, then get resurrected by a local medicine man, and get her possessed by a vengeful Indian spirit. Now the kick-ass joy begins.

And, we mustn’t forget our villains. The rednecks are all wonderfully ignorant and evil, but Tom Ardavany as West and Rodney Rowland as Creed really stand out as they tear up the screen with their bad ass selves. They provide an all too real edginess that brings to mind the best of the hard edged characters from “The Walking Dead,” primarily Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Merle (Michael Rooker). It’s a great case of characters we love to hate.

There are effects and action sequences here that have no right looking as good as they do for such a low budget film. But director/writer Ojeda and crew prove extremely resourceful making everything look as good as possible, and sometimes even better. A lot of credit has to go to the cinematographer and editor which just happens to be Ojeda as well. One could only imagine what he could do with a decent budget.

Now I don’t want any of you going in thinking you’re about to witness the next undiscovered Coen brothers film. “Avenged” is clearly in the B movie camp. It’s a fun ride and worth the time spent. For those who would want to get nitpicky, one could easily search for the reach of drama that is attempted for our heroine and her boyfriend which does not quite work (at least for this reviewer). Some may site lapses of logic in the script as well. But, this is not a film one goes into looking for depth or reasonable explanations, after all this woman gets resurrected by an Indian spirit.

Millions have been spent on high profile studio films with prominent directors and named stars (“Prophecy,” directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Talia Shire and Robert Foxworth, “Dreamcatcher,” directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Morgan Freeman and Thomas Jane) and they never came close to the entertainment value that “Avenged” supplies. What’s so refreshing about Ojeda’s film is that it’s not just a trailer movie. You know the kind we’ve seen far too often when all the best stuff is shown in the trailer and the rest is filler. Here is an independent genre film that operates high on all cylinders and delivers the goods promised.

Directed by: Michael S Ojeda
Release Date: March 6, 2015
Run Time: 95 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: NR
Distributor: Uncork’d Entertainment