Spirit Stalkers (2012)

Directed by Steve Hudgins

Written by Steve Hudgins

Produced by Steve Hudgins and PJ Woodside

Stars: Steve Hudgins, PJ Woodside, Jessica Dockrey, Michael Coon and Nick Faust

Release – USA- 18 June 2012 (Big Biting Pig Productions)

It's June 2012...we all know what that means...the premiere and DVD release of a brand new Big Biting Pig Productions movie! This Kentucky based film company never lets fans down with the annual release of a (sometimes two!) new film written and directed by either BBP founder Steve Hudgins or PJ Woodside, usually with both producing and playing some form of role in the film. This time up, hot on the heels of last years chiller The Creepy Doll, is Steve Hudgins (interview here) spooky, bloody and often downright scary Spirit Stalkers!

The film concerns a group of television ghost hunters, the 'Spirit Stalkers' of the title, who are facing  cancellation of their show unless they can pull something big off to boost their ratings. Enter Gloria Talman; a divorced parent whose home has become the host of all kinds of scary goings on. It is in this dwelling that the team will truly find the meaning of the word haunted and may just secure that all important rise in viewers - but at what macabre cost?

Well I am pleased to say that BBP has gone and done it again. Spirit Stalkers tells a great story which draws you in further and further until it completely contradicts your expectations with its chilling and clever reveals. This, again, can be attributed to another fantastic script by Steve Hudgins which goes to show there is always a fresh and original idea in any genre or sub genre which we may think we have seen many times before.

Co producer PJ Woodside was really impressive in this movie playing one of the lead roles; the tormented Gloria Talman. Until now PJ has appeared in previous movies in much smaller roles, the exception being in Hell Is Full where she played a cheated on housewife. In this movie she's centre stage and her role is a killer; excellent acting with a wide range of realistic emotions on display. Other performances are also impressive including Steve's hotheaded group leader 'Reuben', Jessica Dockrey (almost unrecognisable from her role in The Creepy Doll) as the questionable 'Angie' and Jessica Reynolds as Gloria's concerned daughter 'Kellie'. In all honestly though all of the performances were sound and there were certainly no poor ones to note.

There are some excellent scares in Spirit Stalkers. I cant go into spoiler territory here but I will say keep a close eye out for the bathtub scene (gave me a genuine chill) and keep those peepers glued to the screen for the final ten minutes as there is a brilliant reveal here and a lot of nasty surprises and scares to follow.

All in all Spirit Stalkers takes the haunted house/ghost story scenario, mixes it with a dose of the mockumentary style TV show and spins all of this on its head with a nice, original climax.
Please head over to the official Big Biting Pig Productions website and grab a copy of the film. If you don't you are MISSING OUT!