- trailer (flash)

You shouldn't have fucked with Aunt Rose.  Things were fine before that.  You were on a killing spree, you had street clout, you were notorious.  Its understandable - with your face plastered all over the news, you needed a house to hide in until the heat cooled down.  Its not your fault you picked old Aunt Rose's house.  But guess what.  Now that you've invaded her house, and slaughtered some of her family...  its doesn't matter that you're the captors, cause now, no one gets out alive.

Several months back director James Tucker was cool enough to send me a couple of screeners, and its taken a long time for me to bring them to the forefront.  All the while I guiltily horded them away in my personal collection, often taking out Aunt Rose in particular, and never writing up a review.  Something inside told me to wait and the right time would come.  Well this past Tuesday, September 12th, Aunt Rose came out on DVD.  Further proof that some low budget films are starting to seriously kick ass.

Director James Tucker ingrains a certain amount of concrete, urban flavor into his films.  In both Addiction, and certainly in the beginning of Aunt Rose, lower grade digital cameras and a sometimes hollow tin can sounding audio, along with the yellow/blue lit city streets and hazy darkness tattoo these films with that on the street, home video feel.  Many straight to video, low budget efforts have this as part of their shortcomings.  James Tucker seems to use it to his advantage, putting you there in a less doctored, more realistic sense that grips you when the story is working.

In this, tough thug John (Joshua Nelson - Last Rites of the Dead) and his two partners in crime, punk girlfriend Robyn (Velocity Chyaldd) and kick around Stewie (Kevin T. Collins - Last Rites of the Dead) go on a killing spree.  They take out some cheesy, poser rocker with some knives to the eyes, and then beat the living crap out of a stripper in a motel room.  Unluckily for them, John's face is all over the news, and now they have to find a place to lie low.  Unfortunately for young Debbie, her girlfriend, and her family - its their home that they've chosen.

Up in one of the bedrooms is bed-ridden Aunt Rose.  Debbie, while sitting at a table with her mom, is told a story of how Aunt Rose saved her life when she was young.  Debbie had an asthma attack at the age of 4, and stopped breathing.  The family panicked and scattered for help, leaving the suffocating child with Rose.  Mom and dad returned to find young Debbie breathing again - laughing even.  Aunt Rose was weak, keeled over with a hand full of blood.  She had saved Debbie's life, but never ever explained how.  Needless to say, Aunt Rose now lives upstairs.  She gives people the creeps, but she's sweet to her own.  Its John and his posse that need to worry.

Where I knocked Joshua Nelson for his slightly miscast, mild lead in Last Rites of the Dead - I have to get up and commend Josh for this exceptional screenplay he has written, which lifts Aunt Rose to above average, low budget heights.  The part he played was perfect for his demeanor and appearance - and he was entirely believable and threatening.  His story takes a full 45 minutes to introduce all the characters, and although the screenplay wont win any attention, it should.  You go along as John and his friends get themselves into a heap of murderous trouble, and you spend ample time sitting at the dinner table and in the living room with Debbie's family, to the point where you're wrapped up in their menial domestic affairs.  By the time these Last House on the Left type killers make their way into the home and start cutting on the family, youre entirely engrossed with how its all going to play out.

So this film would have stood pretty well on its own the way it was thus far - but now you throw in one wickedly weird Aunt Rose - who plays with peoples minds, and lays there in the shadows of her bed, the lines on her face playing tricks with your eyes, as she weaves their demise.  I wont go into just what happens, but once the family is hurt, she unleashes her wickedness, from psychological ghost games to vengeance from the grave.  And there's quite a surprise up in that rot stinking attic unveiled at the end.  Add extreme violence and knifings that will make any horror buff wince and youre in business.  Its like a modern, respectful homage to 1970's shockers like Last House on the Left or Funny Games without trying to be either.

Final analysis:  Your honor?  I'd like to point to exhibit M - James Tucker's Aunt Rose.  Further proof, sir, that our horror libraries are being made dense with quality and original efforts better than a lot of crap being dished to us all through the theaters.  And to the members of the jury I say this.  Think for yourselves - dont be sold by what youre force fed on television because some producer had deep pockets.  Do you want Stay Alive, The Covenant, and House of Wax - or would you rather partake in Severed, Last Rites of the Dead, and Aunt Rose?  Should you have any taste whatsoever - any true darkness in your soul, then I trust your verdict will back that of this court - that low budget straight to DVD films are starting to produce quality horror Id watch any day, over that which they've been putting aimlessly into theaters.  Check out Aunt Rose.  I rest my case.

CLICK HERE to purchase Aunt Rose from Amazon.com

DVD Feature include:
Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.78
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - English
Additional Release Material:
Behind The Scenes
Deleted Scenes