Deer Crossing (2012)

Too much of everything

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I've seen many positive reviews on here and as someone who wanted to like this movie, I know that these reviews are bogus, obviously written by Grillo himself, his wife (whose acting in the movie is perhaps the most hideous performance ever seen in any film...ever) and their family & friends. The movie is bad. No. It's the worst! Ever! The direction is amateurish, the cinematography is haphazard at best, the acting (especially that of Carmela Hayslett-Grillo) is horrendous and the soundtrack is senseless. All in all, it's the worst movie I have ever seen....literally. None have ever been any worse than this. The director takes to the internet to attack anyone who dares to say that they didn't like the movie, so basically he attacks anyone who doesn't lie to him and tell him that his movie is good. He has even compared himself to the likes of David Cronenberg and David Lynch on his Facebook page! And he was serious. He sees himself as a visionary film maker in the mold of Lynch, John Waters and Cronenberg. You're a rebel alright, Mr. Grillo, as you rebel against what a film is supposed to be; watchable! He even posts copy & pastes of Redbox reviews on his FB page, mocking those who are honest by saying that the film is crap! The man is proud that his film is always out of stock in RedBox machines near his home area of Philadelphia. Now I ask you, is it something to be proud of that, because of a DVD cover that may make one believe that a movie may be good, it's always being rented for a whopping $1.29? or whatever RedBox charges? (To be honest I don't use them, so I'm not sure what they charge however I know it's a very small fee!) Those same people who have dropped their $2.00 maximum (In case I'm a bit off on my guess as to what they charge per rental) are surely angry that they chose to rent Deer Crossing rather than buy a Big Mac at McDonalds or play the Skill Crane at the WalMart a few times to waste that money. The latter would have been a far better use of the money than renting Deer Crossing, obviously! As for the bogus reviews and attacks by Mr. Grillo right here on IMDb, it's a shame to see this kind of conduct, amateurish behavior, plague a respectable site like IMDb. I believe that IMDb needs to find a way to disallow bogus films from even being listed here, or perhaps they could create a separate section for do-it-yourself homemade movies.

First of all I have to say the very second you begin watching Deer Crossing it draws you into its sick and depraved little world. This is not so much a horror film as it is much more than that. It's a psychological thriller that is uniquely disturbing. There are so many intense moments in this film leaving you feeling very uneasy. Writer/Director Christian Grillo pulls no punches in that respect. Just about every scene was superbly crafted as if it was the most important scene in the film. In regards to the film's cast, there are some seriously stellar performances by some familiar talent including Doug Bradley ("Hellraiser"), Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"), Christopher Mann (HBO's "The Wire" & "Michael Clayton") and Laura Lynn Cottrel ("The Replacements" & "Booley"). However as good as these actors' performances were, I was most impressed by K.J. Linhein who portrays Lukas Walton, the story's main antagonist. To put it simply this character is very evil and very real. There is nothing cerebral or mysterious about him. Lukas Walton is a monster that you will never want to know or ever associate with. Another notable performance is that of Carmela Hayslett who portrays the Child Interrogation Specialist, Olivia Brice. The empathy in her eyes when 14 year old Cole played by Kevin Fennell explains his experience is heart breaking and even the most hardened of souls watching this film can relate to her emotion in this particular scene. Overall Deer Crossing is a very entertaining film that keeps you enthralled with side stories and some truly twisted twists that culminate very well at the end. There is a sequel in the works which I was excited to hear since there is more to the story of Cavin County that needs to be discovered.

There have been times in history when people have sacrificed themselves to save their fellow men from evil. If I ever attain sainthood, it will be because I watched this film so that others will not have to.In a word, this movie is pathetic. If, for some masochistic reason, you still think you should give it a try, then watch the scene that introduces the movie. If you think you want to see more of the same, or even more depraved, nonsense, then feel free to continue. Also, consider checking yourself into a psychiatric hospital, because you need serious help.This is a C movie that strives, but fails, to be a B movie. The acting is so bad, it's laughable, which is why the film got a 2 instead of a 1. The director, who is not worth naming, must have been vaguely inspired by David Lynch's, Blue Velvet. There are Frank-like moments, actors, dialogues, and scenes that those who know the film will recognize. But this is like comparing Dr. Dre to a neurosurgeon.Though many in this movie could be nominated for worst actor, my vote goes to the girl who plays the psychiatrist. How low is your budget if this is what you have to settle for? I'd be willing to bet any amount of money that this is the director's girlfriend. If that's the case, then there is justice in this world.

I was at the screening on Saturday night and the one thing everyone has forgotten is that Chris Grillo specifically asked for no reviews at this time! Buddy Hill's review was up before the screening and his is the ONLY legit review and I agree with everything he said, the cast and the film are great. I'm glad sin-a-man's review was removed because he was just a hater. I disagree with incognito-3145. Buddy Hill was right, Tom Detrik was amazing and if his performance was reminiscent of a villain from a bad comic book remake, DUH! That's what the character was so that means he did it right and did everyone forget that Carmela Hayslett just won an award for her performance in BOOLEY so that should tell you about her craft. I'm pretty sure that review is just the bitter ramblings of the wife of one of the actors in the film but I won't make accusations without proof. All I can say for myself is if you get a chance to see this film do it you won't be disappointed.