Directed by Steve Hudgins
Written by Steve Hudgins
Stars: Nick Faust, Steve Hudgins, Randy Hardesty and Jessica Cook
Release – USA- 1 May 2008 (Big Biting Pig Productions)
Most readers will know from my previous reviews of Hell is Full and The Creepy Doll that I am a huge fan of independent film company Big Biting Pig Productions. They always manage to take a small budget and make an extremely entertaining and usually intricately plotted film and I am always excited to see what might be coming next. BBP are also very good to their fans, they are always working on a new movie and for the past 4-5 years have released at least one movie each year - both premièring locally and released on DVD. When you consider all of the unfortunate delays a lot of indie film makers hit while making a movie you really have to take your hat off to these guys - self distribution also very much seems to be the way forward.
So I thought it was time to take a look back at 2008, BBP's second feature length: Maniac on the Loose! I remember reading some amazing reviews of this film before I received it, so I was really excited to see what was in store. One thing I probably didn't expect was just how inventively would be woven that you were not quite sure what was happening when, who was the bad guy, who was going to die, etc etc etc. That was my first taste of the kind of writer that Steve Hudgins is and that it a total compliment. By the time the movie hit its big conclusion I was very much like 'whoa!' and 'ohhhhhhhh got it'. Its a great film with a great story and really does suck you in as you try to figure out what in hell is happening.
Maniac on the Loose features Jessica Cook as 'Melissa' - a young lady who is off on an apparent date following an internet hook up. Melissa goes directly to the home of her date 'Alex' (Randy Hardesty), where to her suprise she meets 'Max' (Steve Hudgins). Melissa soon starts to get anxious when Alex is still nowhere to be seen and Max starts acting very menacingly. Meanwhile 'Dr Franklin Grimm' (Nick Faust) is in an incredibly tricky situation in the hospital he works at as an extremely dangerous patient has just escaped and he needs to track him down - or else.
How these stories come together and how all of the characters link into the main story need to be seen first hand to be enjoyed. I wouldn't dream of going all spoilery on you but do highly recommend you picking up a copy from the BBP website. The DVD is at a very low cost and there all kind of bundle deals on offer if you wanted to grab their other movies!
Anyway back to the film - as mentioned the movie is brilliantly written but there are also some great performances. Nick Faust is spot on as the slippery Dr Franklin - remind me never to book an appointment with this guy! Steve Hudgins goes all wild eyed and terrifying as the sadistic Max and co-producer PJ Woodside pops up in some great scenes as the luckless 'Dr Lewis'. I also really enjoyed Jessica Cook and Randy Hardesty in their respective roles but to say any more on that front would be veering to close to spoilers.....
I hope even bigger and better things are on the horizon for this impressive film company, I really do. Please check out all the links provided and get on the bandwagon - you can also check out the official BBP Facebook! Also check back here over the summer for a review of the BRAND NEW movie Spirit Stalkers from these guysafter it has been released. The film looks set to be a very scary haunted house tale bound to have many twists and turns along the way.........
Most readers will know from my previous reviews of Hell is Full and The Creepy Doll that I am a huge fan of independent film company Big Biting Pig Productions. They always manage to take a small budget and make an extremely entertaining and usually intricately plotted film and I am always excited to see what might be coming next. BBP are also very good to their fans, they are always working on a new movie and for the past 4-5 years have released at least one movie each year - both premièring locally and released on DVD. When you consider all of the unfortunate delays a lot of indie film makers hit while making a movie you really have to take your hat off to these guys - self distribution also very much seems to be the way forward.
So I thought it was time to take a look back at 2008, BBP's second feature length: Maniac on the Loose! I remember reading some amazing reviews of this film before I received it, so I was really excited to see what was in store. One thing I probably didn't expect was just how inventively would be woven that you were not quite sure what was happening when, who was the bad guy, who was going to die, etc etc etc. That was my first taste of the kind of writer that Steve Hudgins is and that it a total compliment. By the time the movie hit its big conclusion I was very much like 'whoa!' and 'ohhhhhhhh got it'. Its a great film with a great story and really does suck you in as you try to figure out what in hell is happening.
Maniac on the Loose features Jessica Cook as 'Melissa' - a young lady who is off on an apparent date following an internet hook up. Melissa goes directly to the home of her date 'Alex' (Randy Hardesty), where to her suprise she meets 'Max' (Steve Hudgins). Melissa soon starts to get anxious when Alex is still nowhere to be seen and Max starts acting very menacingly. Meanwhile 'Dr Franklin Grimm' (Nick Faust) is in an incredibly tricky situation in the hospital he works at as an extremely dangerous patient has just escaped and he needs to track him down - or else.
How these stories come together and how all of the characters link into the main story need to be seen first hand to be enjoyed. I wouldn't dream of going all spoilery on you but do highly recommend you picking up a copy from the BBP website. The DVD is at a very low cost and there all kind of bundle deals on offer if you wanted to grab their other movies!
Anyway back to the film - as mentioned the movie is brilliantly written but there are also some great performances. Nick Faust is spot on as the slippery Dr Franklin - remind me never to book an appointment with this guy! Steve Hudgins goes all wild eyed and terrifying as the sadistic Max and co-producer PJ Woodside pops up in some great scenes as the luckless 'Dr Lewis'. I also really enjoyed Jessica Cook and Randy Hardesty in their respective roles but to say any more on that front would be veering to close to spoilers.....
I hope even bigger and better things are on the horizon for this impressive film company, I really do. Please check out all the links provided and get on the bandwagon - you can also check out the official BBP Facebook! Also check back here over the summer for a review of the BRAND NEW movie Spirit Stalkers from these guysafter it has been released. The film looks set to be a very scary haunted house tale bound to have many twists and turns along the way.........
I gave you a blog award. http://sonofcelluloid1.blogspot.com/2012/05/son-of-celluloid-recieves-7x7-award.html
ReplyDeleteWow thank you very much man :))
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