Frat House Massacre

Genre - Horror
Year Released - 2008
Running Time - 114 minutes
Directed by Alex Pucci (who also directed a film called Camp Slaughter, which I'm now going to have to check out!)
Written by Draven Gonzalez (who also wrote Camp Slaughter)
Cast Includes: Rane Jameson, Chris Prangley, Niki Notarile, Lisa DiCicco, Jon Fleming, Michael Galante, Andrew Giordano, Ryan Ross, Adam Simon, and Merle Peter

Rating: 3 Skulls

Plot Summary:
Sean and his little brother Bobby pictured going to college and joining the Delta Iota Epsilon fraternity as the best times of their lives... parties, freedom, girls, sex...

Yet, fraternity president Mark's twisted hazing rituals include a depraved level of physical and mental torture that lures the boys down a path leading to death.

Review:
Supposedly inspired by actual events, this film takes place at Newcombe University, in 1979.

The film opens with a literal massacre having taken place and then jumps back to a year earlier - June, 1978, where we meet Sean and his brother Bobby. Unfortunately, soon after we meet Bobby, he is involved in a drunk driving accident, leaving his older brother Sean to go off to college alone [something they had planned to do together]

While at college, Sean joins the Delta Iota Epsilon fraternity as planned - however, after realizing how sadistic his "brothers" are, he is not sure that he made the right choice in joining this particular fraternity, and decides to leave the fraternity, which of course doesn't bode well with his "brothers".

While all of this was going on, I felt sort-of confused - it felt like I started the movie in the middle, rather than at the beginning, as there was really no lead-up as to what was happening.

However, this feeling soon changed as the first 30 minutes were really just a build-up for what was to come - a story of revenge and a true brother's "bond".

I am happy to say that everything pretty much tied itself together in the end.
[well, sort-of - I was actually going to rate the film 4 skulls, though I wasn't completely satisfied at the end of the film - I would have liked to have had more background story on the surviving character]

As for the "feel" of the film - the filmmakers did an excellent job bringing the grindhouse aspect of films from the late 70's to this one - from the looks, clothes, sets, etc. I also thought the blood/gore was very well done/realistic.

Unfortunately, the trailer was removed from YouTube due to violating their terms, however you can visit the film's website at http://www.screamkings.com/ and view the trailer there.

I would also like to thank the director, Alex Pucci, for sending me a screener of this film!

Keep an eye out for this one, and in the meantime, I am going to check out Camp Slaughter. . .

Jason