The Locals (Horror/aka Dead People)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C+
New Zealand continues to grow as a filmmaking center and
that encourages all kinds of filmmaking.
Horror films are going to be among the first exports because they cost
less to produce and Greg Page’s The Locals (2003) is one of them, a film
that was released theatrically in many countries coming to DVD from Anchor Bay
uncut now in the U.S. market.
The story surrounds two guys who are best friends ready to
have a good time and head out of the city and to the beach. Instead, they are sidetracked by an
automobile breakdown and a sick, murderous crime. Then, things become more bizarre with strange behavior and
incidents they cannot explain. It turns
out they are in a town they have never crossed into before and something
strangely murderous and supernatural is occurring.
Too bad writer/director (and commercially successful Music
Video director) Greg Page does not fully explain and render what that is in a
well-rounded way. We get some idea that
involved zombies; Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-like body takeovers and
even a curse, but neither a good science fiction nor supernatural explanation
is fully supplied. Since the casting
and directing are not bad and by simply coming from New Zealand, the film has a
different look and feel, the enthusiastic Page just gets too sidetracked. To his credit, the film does not shy away
from violence, which adds to it creepy factor.
Maybe he should try again.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image has some video
black limits and detail troubles here and there, but is a good transfer
otherwise. The Dolby Digital 5.1 EX is
effective at times, but the limits of the low budget show at times. The combination is good enough to get the
chills across. Extras include a brief
behind the scenes piece, the original foreign trailer and a full-length audio
commentary by Page that rivals the film itself for entertainment value. Can’t wait to see his next work.
- Nicholas Sheffo
