Hatchet (DVD)

Ben (Joel Moore) and his copiously imbibing buddies are having a good old time on the bayou, until they encounter a local loony named Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder) and all hell breaks loose (as do a few gnashing gators). Crowley is the stuff of legend: Many years ago, he accidentally killed his handicapped young son with a hatchet, and ever since then he's been recreating the crime.

Cleaved with comedy (not to mention cleavage), Hatchet is, as advertised, a return to the old school slasher. For those who love 80s hick horror, you will recognize many of your horrendous heroes (the aforementioned Hodder; Tony Todd as a voodoo villain; Robert Englund as a swamp-dwelling wisecracker; and many more), not to mention a comfortingly familiar storyline. Set up in the classic style, we're shown a couple of gruesome deaths right off the bat, then no more blood gushes for at least a half an hour — fortunately, writer/director Adam Green (look for his cameo early on, as he swills a "Big Ass Beer"), gives us a crazy cast of characters to gawk at.

Ben is a maudlin but likable college geek who can't stop moaning about the one who got away, while his skirt-chasing best friend Marcus (Deon Richmond) just wants to have a good time. Along for the ride (they're on a "haunted New Orleans" boat tour) are a middle-aged couple (Patrika Darbo, and Richard Riehle whom I love from Office Space!), and a Joe Francis styled videographer and his two "wild girls" who alternately bicker, kiss, get naked, do stupid things and, of course, die horribly. Leading the way to imminent death is tour guide Shawn (Parry Shen), who is not what he at first appears to be.

Perhaps the nicest surprise of all is to see Hodder as not only a sympathetic character, but as a bona fide actor (for those not in the know, Hodder is mainly famed as the stuntman who stepped behind the mask of the most famous cinematic killer of all: Jason Voorhees, in 1988's Friday the 13th: The New Blood).

The score is witty and appropriate (sometimes even jaunty, but punctuated with metal, thanks to contributors like Marilyn Manson), while the crisp cinematography is augmented by a rich color pallette that really pops: every advantage was taken of the authentic New Orleans setting. (Note: I did not see Hatchet on the big screen, but according to some reviews, the look was murky — that is absolutely not the case on this DVD. It's a luscious transfer.)

No, Hatchet doesn't reinvent the wheel — but it's a fun flick and definitely worth a look if you're in the mood for gore and guffaws Cajun-style.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson