Laid to Rest

A guy in a mask chasing a girl. This is how director Robert Hall describes his goal in making Laid to Rest. One can view this two ways: either as one director’s reverent take on a tried and true archetype, infused with his own original touches; or as a hackneyed play on a formula that is well overdone to begin with. I can understand why Hall had this aim in mind. As the unholy trio of masked slashers (Leatherface, Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees) are now being refashioned for a younger generation, the timing is ideal for young bucks to establish their own pantheon of monsters that they hope will last for decades to come. What Hall accomplishes with Laid to Rest is a movie that has a great visual flair, but ends up being more of the same.

After a creatively filmed montage that indicates what is to come, a girl wakes up to find herself in a coffin. Having no idea who or where she is, she flees the “deathbox” and her pursuer, Chromeskull, a name that refers to his ornate mask. On the road, Tucker, a local man, picks her up and, feeling sympathy for her, brings her home. When Chromeskull arrives and dispatches Tucker’s wife, he and Princess, as he names the amnesiac, run away and eventually add Stephen, an oddball who invokes Steve Buscemi in both look and acting style, to their group. The three try to survive a night of terror as Princess struggles to discover her identity, and how she is connected with Chromeskull.

Laid to Rest is one of the most visually arresting horror movies I’ve seen in years. DP Scott Winig lights the film brilliantly, as is evident in the scene in the barn, where light beams through the cracks between the wood, creating a play of shadows. The bluish hues are pitch perfect for a horror film, harkening back to Dean Cundey’s work on some of John Carpenter’s earlier films, and Winig uses some challenging camera angles. Adding to the visuals are the wonderful practical effects, done by Eric Porn. Leaning not too heavily on CG, Hall creates kills that are grounded in reality, which is commendable in this day and age.

If only I could commend Hall on his plot. The problem is, everything in this film has been done ad nauseam before, and done better. While Kevin Gage and Sean Whalen craft likable, believable characters that fans will likely root for, Chromeskull is the typically unstoppable killer, who gets shot several times, stabbed in the eye more than once and generally pummeled, yet the damage leaves him with no ill effect. This would be easier to swallow had Hall’s script given some explanation for it. Without one, it breaks suspension of disbelief. Chromeskull’s obsession with filming his victims is a contemporary take on Michael Powell’s excellent film Peeping Tom. But Powell’s film is a statement on psychosis and our sometimes dark obsession with the moving image; Hall’s film makes no profound statements, as Chromeskull’s camera is just a cool toy. Worst of all, once Princess overcomes her amnesia, her realization of self is far from a satisfying payoff. Perhaps Hall should have thought twice about using it, as amnesia is almost always a weak plot device in fiction.

The special features pay off nicely for fans of the film. First up is “Postmortem: The Making of Laid to Rest,” a 32 minute look behind the scenes. Hall and wife/producer/actress Bobbi Sue Luther take us through the production from inception to editing and score. Along the way, various people involved in the film chime in, including just about every actor in the film. The doc is a little too heavy on self-praise, but it gives some solid background on the project, including the benefits of filming in Maryland. “Torture Porn: The SFX of Laid to Rest,” is much shorter, running about 8 minutes, and focuses on the creation of the very explicit gore in the film. Let me note here that Laid to Rest is not a film for the squeamish. The ultra-violence will turn the stomachs of more sensitive fans, and really worked as a turnoff for me. The featurette itself, however, is a nice piece. Hall and Luther also provide a commentary that is lively and informative; the pair’s natural chemistry comes out in their discussion of the film. Some bloopers, deleted scenes and trailers round out the package.

Laid to Rest is a beautifully filmed movie, but for all its visuals, it’s nothing horror audiences haven’t seen 67,000 times before. Only the most undiscriminating slasher fans will find its plot or its killer satisfying. Hall’s aim was to create his own addition to the new pantheon of slashers, but ultimately, fans will probably find Chromeskull forgettable not long after the end credits roll.

--Phil Fasso