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Baghead
Score: 78%
Rating: R
Publisher: Sony Pictures Home
                  Entertainment

Region: 1
Media: DVD/1
Running Time: 81 Mins.
Genre: Independent/Horror/Spoof
Audio: English
Subtitles: English, French

Features:
  • Commentary with Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass
  • Mark and Jay Duplass Answer Questions They've Already Answered
  • Baghead Scares

Baghead is an odd movie that seems to be a satire of both low budget indie titles and horror movies, while being both. A production of the rising indie stars, the Duplass Brothers, this time they take four hopeful actors who get inspired to draw up a script over the course of a weekend in a secluded, wooded cabin (because that's always a good idea).

Things get creepy when one of the four, Michelle (Greta Gerwig), claims to have seen someone in the woods with a bag over his head. Chad (Steve Zissis), who is in love with Michelle, believes her, but the other two, Matt (Ross Partridge) and his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Catherine (Elise Muller), are less inclined to believe her.

As the story progresses, love triangles form, pranks are pulled on one another (typically with people performing jump scares with bags on their heads) and, eventually, the real creepy stalker makes his appearance. Of course, this leads to a point where the group tries to hold up inside the cabin, and when that doesn't get them anywhere, a midnight run through the woods follows. In other words, all the earmark scenes of classic 80's horror movies like Friday the 13th.

This movie has a very indie filming style to it, which means lots of shaky-cams and zooming, so those who may feel a bit sick when watching movies like Cloverfield or Quarantine might want to hold off, but otherwise, the hand-held camera really helps to give it that indie feel.

I actually enjoyed Baghead's special features quite a bit. "Baghead Scares" is some footage of various random people being jump-scared when a person with a paper bag on their head jumps out from behind something. The other feature (besides the commentary) was an interview (of sorts) with Jay and Mark Duplass. Instead of the standard interview though, the brothers (with their baby daughters in their laps) interview each other by re-asking the most popular or interesting questions they've been asked on the indie film and publicity circuit. Besides the standard questions of budget (less than $1000 by the way) and inspiration, there is also talk about the fact that their company is growing and what types of projects they have coming up.

If you are the type that likes clean, no-nonsense filming and big-budget special effects, then Baghead is definitely not for you. But those viewers who've seen their share of indie films and enjoy the genre should definitely check this movie out. Though I have to warn you, the film claims to be a comedy and the box protests funniness. I personally never really laughed out loud while watching the movie, and saw it as more of a satyr than a proper spoof.



-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer
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