Right, it is
rant time. Slasher House suffers from
a serious technical problem: the sound mix is so bad, that it renders the film
virtually unwatchable. Mumbled dialogue is drowned out by echoes and background
noise. Turning the volume up to hear said dialogue is not an option because the
“scary” bits are so much louder than the speech. Riding the volume control for
the duration is not an appealing prospect, and hardly makes for a gripping
experience. Since the filmmakers evidently do not care if the audience has to
struggle to access the dialogue, then I suppose the script does not matter.
Subtitles are not included, so the distributors evidently agree with that (damning)
assessment. The plot – or at least what is graspable without full access to the
script – is babble. On the plus side, the saturated green-lighting (although
over-used) helps to mask how cheap the film is, and the contrasting red tones
work well. However, if writer/director/editor/co-producer/ cinematographer/costumer
designer MJ Dixon wishes to rise above mediocrity, he or she should take on
less. They should at least seek the assistance of a talented sound designer and
mixer rather than taking on too much themselves. As it stands, Dixon puts the
‘hack’ in hack’n’slash.
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