Horror Movie Review: Salvage

Salvage

Starring: Lauren Currie Lewis, Chris Ferry, and Cody Darby

Directed by: Jeff Crook and Josh Crook

Written by: Jeff Crook and Josh Crook

Production Company: Crook Brothers Productions, Off Hollywood Pictures, and The Seventh Level

Release Date: January 19, 2006



"What if every day you relived your own murder?" That's one of the teasing taglines for the little know horror gem Salvage. I discovered the film in a 4 movie "Horror Collector's Set" I was given a a gift. One of those 4 movie on one disc for $10.00 deal where you figure you won't see anything too good, but there probably won't be anything too bad. A collection of entirely forgettable films. So when one turns up to really be enjoyable, you are taken aback with surprise. And Salvage will surprise you.

Claire (Lauren Currie Lewis) keeps having these nightmares where she seems to be reliving her murder at the hands of Duke Desmond (Chris Ferry). The local police believe she's having nightmares even after she presses the alarm at the gas station where she works nights. After all the camera doesn't see any one but her in the store and the man she accuses has already been shot and killed. The story, the theory goes, is that she saw the reports and now is having nightmares about the killer.

We spend a large part of the film trying to figure out if it is a dream and we're expecting a Freddy Krueger kind of thing going on, or if she really is reliving her assault by Desmond. Surely she's not reliving her murder? But maybe...jut maybe...

The Crook Brothers end Salvage with an unexpected surprise hard to muster in a post-Sixth Sense world where we viewing audiences go to any movie half expecting a twist and looking for it so we can smugly say, "Oh, yeah, I knew it the whole time."

Now, let's deal with the unpleasantries. The film was made on a scant $25,000. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and then was released to DVD. It' a B-Movie. Some will not like the less than crystal clear camera work. Some will want to pick apart the acting of the three main actors who have a total of 18 acting jobs total combined. But if you can have the ability to see past the limitations inherent in small budget productions, then this is a gem you should check it out.

And, for the record, Lauren Currie Lewis does a fair job in a tough role, and Chris Ferry is suitably creepy as Duke Desmond. They have room for growth, but they weren't just giving a static recital of their lines and a shallow emotional performance.

Related Trailers

Rise of the Dead - Chris Ferry also appears in Rise of the Dead. Laura Childs's (Erin Wilk) troubling past comes back to haunt her, as the spirit of the now-deceased infant son she gave up several years ago returns for retribution and takes possession of those closest to her to exact its revenge. Now, Laura must come to terms with the decision she's tried so hard to forget and put her demons to rest once and for all. Directed by William Wedig, this indie shocker written by Jeff and Josh Crook also stars Stephen Seidel and Vickie Myer.