Anyone who thinks the days of truly independent surprise films are long gone should look to the “Terrifier” films, which have raked in a tidy sum of money despite relatively small budgets with their direct, more isolated appeal to hardcore horror fans. A third film will be released this fall, but in the meantime there’s “Stream,” an independent production from much of the “Terrifier 2” crew (except writer-director Damien Leone, who serves as co-producer here) that capitalized on the original’s cult status and grossed nearly $16 million two years ago. “Stream” also opens as a limited theatrical event, booked Aug. 21-25 in the U.S. and Canada, with other territories to follow.
Although Stream deviates from their conceptual template – there is no killer clown – it is also reminiscent of the Terrifer films in its basic message and in its individual advantages and disadvantages. They are all films at the upper end of that peculiar gorehound terrain in which an excess of sadistic violence and FX viscera compensates for a near-total lack of interest in basic intricacies of plot and character. Many completely inept, sluggish quasi-underground films have been made in this vein. However, Fuzz on the Lens’ productions are colorful and well made with their modest means. They look good, have professional actors, a decent pace and a certain amount of humor. What they lack is even a hint of original ideas to relieve the eventual monotony for anyone not automatically won over by displays of courage galore.
Stream is set at the Pines Resort, a “Pearl of Pennsylvania” according to the adverts, which reopens this weekend. Unfortunately, owner Linda (Dee Wallace) may not live to see it. An unseen intruder will permanently end her career in the hospitality industry before the opening credits begin.
Along the way, however, are the Keenans, a suburban family comprised of mother Elaine (Danielle Harris), father Roy (Charles Edwin Powell), 11-year-old gamer geek Kevin (Wesley Holloway) and teenage daughter Taylor (Sydney Malakeh). It’s the latter’s rebellious antics that inspire this forced exercise in togetherness at the same vacation spot where they spent happier times a few years earlier. Also checking into The Pines are two cute young French guys who catch Taylor’s eye (Andrew Rogers, Jadon Cal), horny honeymooners (Isla Cervelli, Chris Guttadaro), a sloppy drunk (Daniel Roebuck), a polyamorous trio and several others introduced so fleetingly that they basically exist only to add to the body count.
The violence is foreshadowed by the craziness of front desk clerk Mr. Lockwood (an over-the-top Jeffrey Combs), who claims “the system is down” to demand cash payments and wave away the disabled Wi-Fi. What he fails to mention is that the whole place will soon be locked down so that unlucky guests can be hunted by four masked madmen. These acts are recorded by security cameras and broadcast to betting gawkers around the world.
The rules of this snuff operation are unclear at best. It appears to be an outright massacre, though there are points for extra nastiness—like in the “Terrifier” works, some victims remain alive and conscious for an unbelievable amount of time, allowing even more grisly harm to be done to them. Realizing his family is in grave danger, Roy gains an ally in fellow guest Dave (Tim Reid), a gun-toting ex-LAPD cop. But even the occasional reversal of the power dynamic can’t stop this captive population from rapidly shrinking.
With genre fan favorites like Bill Moseley, Felissa Rose, Tony Todd, and others also making brief appearances, Stream is designed and executed as one long salute to a target audience familiar with the details of all previous slasher franchises. In fact, an overwhelming sense of déjà vu often seems to be the point here—the only element of surprise being an occasional premature demise of characters we assumed would survive longer.
There’s no real backstory to the “game,” and the four mute, murderous main “players” have little personality, aside from the fact that one of them is a burly bodybuilder. Two others form a sort of expressive dance duo (which is as lame as it sounds). As producer, Leone provides the special makeup effects, hence the bloodshed, which is plentiful. But however drawn-out they may be, the murders themselves are rarely imaginative or otherwise memorable, inflicted on stock characters whose cliched dialogue leaves little room for the variable cast.
Still, director and co-writer Michael Leavy (with DP Steven Della Salla, producer brother Jason Leavy, and Robert Privitera) have put together a slick, high-energy entertainment that will please most viewers, as it delivers exactly what they expect. The semi-joking tone doesn’t do much to build suspense; nor does the rather too-steady pacing and somewhat dull hotel atmosphere. At two full hours, Stream inevitably feels over-the-top at a certain point – especially when it comes to an ending that feels like it was tacked on just to squeeze in a few more guest stars.
Still, this blatantly hackneyed film makes so little pretense of striving for the qualities it lacks that it’s hard to begrudge fans of standard slashers the fun they’ll have with it. Let’s just hope the inevitable sequel builds on a fairly flimsy premise, like the same team’s “Terrifier 2” did.
