Customer Reviews

Savage Harvest

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For any old school horror fans out there you do not want to miss this movie. I liked the story of this movie. It was different. Not just some evil spirits, but something with a little more history to it. The fx in this were just sooo much fun. I enjoyed this movie very much. To me the more bllod the better. I woul say anyone who wants to sit down and watch a good old horror flick this movie is it.

This is a great movie if you love gore FX. It is a little slow with the backstory early on, but when the night scenes come the sh;t hits the fan! Everybody's getting possesed, tearing each other apart, and trying to survive till morning comes.
All the actors were fun to watch, with all the stuff that was done to them in the story. The extras on the DVD are cool. The behind the scenes video especially. These guys are real grass-roots horror fans. Awesome bloody FX!!

It always bugs me when someone knocks an obviously low-budget film for its shortcomings. Sure, the production values and the acting don't have that Hollywood polish, but that's what I find amazing about films like this. It's great to see someone apply craftsmanship to a project with mininal resources and overcome those obstacles with creativity. I think that's why Eric Stanze is held in such high regard among most fans of independent films. He makes great movies with very little money, and although this flick isn't as solid as ICE FROM THE SUN or SCRAPBOOK, SAVAGE HARVEST has a lot to offer to the indie horror fan.

The story is nothing new (it can be seen as an EVIL DEAD knock-off), but Stanze creates a nice backstory to the slaughter, which he captures with some very inventive camerawork. The makeup effects are surpisingly well-done (great work by Tony Bridges), and the performances are solid (when you consider that he's working with non-professional actors). Even the music score offers something different from the norm (i.e. - a blaring heavy metal soundtrack) in modern horror films, which I found very effective.

Looking back over the several flicks that Stanze has done (from ICE FROM THE SUN to CHINA WHITE SERPENTINE), it's nice to see how he's progressed as a filmmaker. Fans of Stanze should check this baby out to see where it all started, as well as those looking for something a little bit different. If you're down with the indie scene (and I'm not talking about the Miramax, mutli-million dollar type of indie film), you may find a lot to like about this early Stanze effort.

This one should likely please fans of Evil Dead-style horror who don't mind the micro budget.

A group of teenagers (don't all horror movie plots start like that?) go down to a girl's uncle's lakeside house for the weekend to help clear out an old storage shed. The uncle tells the kids some old Indian folklore about the Trail of Tears, and shows them some rocks that a recent flood has just washed up. The rocks have strange markings on them, and they supposedly contain demonic spirits that can possess the living only if a descendent of the Cherokee elder comes onto the land. Since none of them are Cherokee, they have nothing to worry about, right?

Yeah, uh-huh. Right.

As soon as night falls, they'll each be struggling to survive against their fang-spouting friends who suddenly have an appetite for human flesh. And even though we've seen dozens of flicks like this one before, this one outshines many of its bigger budgeted peers in terms of pure style and fun. You get all the flesh-eating, throat-ripping, screwdriver-stabbing, chainsaw-roaring entertainment you could possibly want -- all in a nice, efficient micro-budget package.

Yes, Savage Harvest even has some effective scares in store. Writer-director Eric Stanze obviously knows his craft, and he gives us some very creative camerawork to boot. Stylish and extremely well-directed, Savage Harvest boasts some cool gore effects as well. The effects are even more impressive considering the shoestring budget. Even the soundtrack, with songs by St. Louis pop-folk-rock band Hotel Faux Pas, is great.

I only wish the characters had been more than cardboard cutouts. If this had been made on a bigger budget with better developed characters (and perhaps a more experienced cast), this one could have been even better. Maybe I'm nit-picking here, since I really did enjoy this movie. And, boy, that Eric Stanze has a lot of talent -- I'll be keeping an eye on this guy, and now I'm all hyped-up to see his 1999 release Ice from the Sun. If you loved the Evil Dead movies, I think you just might like Savage Harvest. But, sorry, there's no super-cool one-liner spouting character named Ash in this one.

I have to applaude the efforts of the creator's of this movie. First, the special effects had the quality of a large budget production made even today.
The story line was very interesting and unique and the kills are as gruesome as they could be.
I know this movie was made with heart so anyone interested in starting a career in independant cinema should check this out. It holds an influencial spark for young movie maker's like myself. It's also fun to watch with a group of people as most classic style horror films are.

As the trend to re-release older titles heightens, Eric Stanze (SCRAPBOOK, ICE FROM THE SUN) gets another Special Edition release through Image Entertainment in this tenth anniversary edition of Savage Harvest. As Savage Harvest was Wicked Pixel Cinema and Eric Stanze's first major motion picture, this movie does show some of the beginnings of independent movie-makers, however, with a great story and good special effects, Savage Harvest holds up well over many viewings. With this special edition, you get needed remastering plus a handful of good special features. Also on the DVD is the first look at the preview for the upcoming Savage Harvest 2:October Blood which will hopefully be out sometime next year. If you enjoy some good blood and guts fun, re-awaken the dead and pick up this re-release of a gorey classic.

SAVAGE HARVEST is a rough-around-the-edges low budget horror movie, but it is extremely entertaining! The story, the creative camera angles, the great music, and the gallons of gore make SAVAGE HARVEST a really cool little horror movie, sure to please all fans of bloody fright films!

When the stones from an ancient Native American ritual are disturbed by a group of teens, each of the members that came in contact with them become possessed by demons! SAVAGE HARVEST is the worst in hand-held Horror, and just goes to prove that anyone with a camera can make a film. Outside of the awkward acting, staged writing, and static camera work, HARVEST suffers from all of the usual low-budget limitations in its uneven sound recording, poor lighting, and choppy editing. Yet, in spite of all of its misgivings, director Eric Stanze does manage to unleash a series of terrifying demons while drenching the film in blood! The make-up FX take a clear influence from the Italian gore masters, with many visual references to the creatures in Bava's DEMONS. Any Indie Horror aficionados that can make their way through the painful set-up will be rewarded with a series of impressive gags around which the plot was obviously written. Necks are violently ripped open, torsos are torn in half, and there is the obligatory shotgun to the face. SAVAGE HARVEST may not make for great cinema, but once it gets rolling, it is sure to please splatter fans!

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

If you've seen some of director Eric Stanze's more recent work like ICE FROM THE SUN or SCRAPBOOK, you might want to take a look at this fun, gory, low-budget flick.

It's got a fairly complex storyline, decent acting, and above-average special make-up effects (considering the low-budget).

Yeah, it's a little rough around the edges, but the moviemaker's enthusiasm for the project definitely helps push SAVAGE HARVEST beyond its budgetary restrictions.

If you're a fan of indie horror, check it out!

I have become addicted to independent horror movies. I am sick of what Hollywood has offered me over the last many years. So I have hunted all over the net looking for something to fill the void that Hollywood has left in me.
SAVAGE HARVEST fills that void. From filmmaker Eric Stanze, Harvest is a brilliantly shot and edited movie. The special effects will satisfy any gore hound looking for the red stuff.
Director Stanze has made quite the name for himself in the independent realm. I had heard of him through numerous websites, magazines, message boards and conventions. So I decided to pick up his first movie on DVD (SAVAGE HARVEST). Since then I have grabbed everything with his name on it. Titles like:
ICE FROM THE SUN directed by Stanze
SCRAPBOOK directed by Stanze
I SPIT ON YOUR CORPSE. I PISS ON YOUR GRAVE. directed by Stanze
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON MASSACRE produced by Stanze
INSANIAC produced by Stanze.

And many more. Search for Eric Stanze on imdb.com and feel safe to grab any of the titles with his name attached.

I am a huge fan of independent cinema and Stanze is the leader of the pack. Be looking for HUGE things from him in the future.