Winterbeast - 1992
(This Film Rates a B- )
"Winterbeast" is a campy, low-budget horror film that thrives on its exploitative charm including nudity. Two rangers, Sgt. Whitman and Forest Ranger Stillman, investigate missing persons cases on a local mountain, uncovering a mysterious Native American curse and witnessing demonic claymation murders. The stop-motion demons evoke nostalgic 1970s charm. Each one screams bargain basement budget however the gore and effects are decent enough. The sequences are at times very funny even if over the top gross but there just arent enough of those scenes. You do get several skull heads popping out of stomachs and some skin eating. The biggest overall negatives are the confusing plot with dead-end storylines, amateurish acting, a terrible script, fake sound effects and lackluster scares. This film has no real direction. The soundtrack has some peak moments though it is just sophmnoric compared to other films. "Winterbeast" embodies the spirit of low-budget exploitation horror. While technically very flawed and limited, its trashy allure and (un) intentional humor make it entertaining enough. There are no high expectations here, just pure crappy fun. Plus, the awesome mustache on Sgt Whitman.
