Recent Reviews
DVD Review: REST STOP (Unrated)
By Dave Dreher
Oct 8, 2006, 18:27

Warner Brothers is throwing their hat in the ring of the direct to video horror market with a new genre arm titled RAW FEED and they are doing so next Tuesday Oct. 17^th with a little film called REST STOP. Some of you may have noticed it playing on the SCI-FI channel last night. I’m here to tell you that this one that you MUST see on DVD. Like ABOMINABLE which like REST STOP played on SCI-FI prior to its DVD release, the channel takes away most of what makes this film watchable, namely massive gore and sex. SCI-FI did show more the I expected but still the UNRATED DVD is the way to go on this one.

The film itself is pretty standard fare. It is apparent that the folks behind this film are horror fans and have done their homework. Watching the film you see glimpses into a lot of other genre offerings. REST STOP at times reminded me of THE HITCHER and sometimes strolled into TEXAS CHAINSAW territory with just a dash of HIGH TENSION and DUEL thrown in for good measure. Although all of these films influence are easily recognizable in the end REST STOP stands on its own merits and winds up being a twisted, nasty little tale that I found myself really enjoying.

Spoilers ahead so be warned.

We meet Nicole and Jess as they are running away from their lives. Although of age they are basically running away from home, leaving without telling their families which way they are going or were they’ll end up. We quickly find out that they are heading to California, going to make it big, going to live with Jess’s cousin or uncle or something. After some roadside nookie they promptly get lost and the fun starts.

It doesn’t take long for things to start heading downhill, there is bickering and harsh words and while in the middle of nowhere they find themselves lost and in need of gas and a bathroom. Up ahead is a sign proclaiming a REST STOP is just ahead.. Jess and Nicole continue their fighting as they pull into the deserted looking roadside park. There is a mobile home parked there, a rangers station and information board and of course the rest room. Nicole leaves the fighting to use the bathroom muttering under her breath the whole way. The bathroom is disgusting and barely usable and as she does what she needs to do she reads the writings on the stall walls, they are ominous and creepy. She leaves the restroom to find JESS gone. She goes from anger to terror pretty quickly and the film veers into some pretty hard core action from this point.

Can’t give it all away but lets just hit some random highlights. We’ve got mutated camera flashing midgets, we’ve got psychotic mommies, we’ve got blood spewing ghost victims, we’ve got a cop being run over by a truck not once, but twice and blood and body parts galore. I have to give RAW FEED kudos for a kick off release that is not afraid to kick some ass. The acting is strained at times but over all is very passable and the gore effects more than make this title one to hunt down.

John Shiban directs this premiere effort, you should recognize his name from the X-Files and more recently the hot new genre show SUPERNATURAL. Although the story does tend to get a little hard to follow at times Shiban does a very good job of keeping it all on track and the pace never really falls to a point of being a concern. There are moments of sheer genius in this production and I am very excited to see what RAW FEED comes up with next. REST STOP is the first of three offerings we’ll be getting in the coming months.

The DVD comes with some nice little extra’s package that includes several alternate endings. They are all interesting and give the film a different twist, I think they picked the right one though. The alternate ones although interesting don’t really add anything to the overall film. Also included are Crime Scene Photos and something called Scotty’s Family Album that is well, you just have to see it.

REST STOP is available on Oct. 17^th and is one that you should add to your Halloween season must see lists.

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