Donner Pass (2012)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Too much of everything

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

In1846, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the area known as Donner Pass, a starving man kills three others to eat their flesh during the winter, but a boy witnesses the murders and flees.In the present days, the teenagers Kayley (Desiree Hall), her boyfriend Mike (Colley Bailey), her cousin Nicole (Adelaide Kane) and the outcast Thomas (Erik Stocklin) travel to the house in Donner Pass of Thomas's parents that are in Europe. Thomas recommends his friends to be careful with the house since his parents do not know that they are spending the weekend there. They learn that the police are hunting down the criminal James Michael Epstein (John Kassir). Out of the blue, the troublemaker boyfriend of Nicole, Derek (Dominic DeVore), comes with his friends Brody (Antonio Trischitta), Valerie (Krystal Davis) and A.J. (Brandon Morales) in his SUV to stay with Nicole, despite the protests of Thomas. Soon their beer runs out and Brody drives the SUV to buy some more in the town. Brody goes missing and soon Mike, Kayley and Thomes find his body eaten. Meanwhile Valerie is murdered near the house and the car has flat tires. Who might be the cannibal that is attacking the group? "Donner Pass" is a terrible slasher with an awful gore story of cannibalism and one-dimensional characters. The explanation for the anthropophagy is ridiculous and most of the characters are non- charismatic. In the end, watching "Donner Pass" is a complete waste of time. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): Not Available

Donner Pass (2012) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Everyone knows the legend of the Donner Party but this slasher takes place in the current days when a group of teens head out to the title location and soon they're being slaughtered one by one. Has the Donner's finally came back to life or is it an escaped maniac running loose? DONNER PASS is a pretty good looking movie and I'd say if it had at least one major star in it then it could have gotten a major theatrical release. The past couple years I've been saying that the horror genre is really struggling but this here actually turned out to be one of the better slashers in recent years. There's no question that there are still many flaws to be found but for the most part the film kept me entertained and that's the most important thing. I think one of the best things going for the picture is the wonderful location. Director Elise Robertson really builds up a great atmosphere and the beautiful snow and woods really draw you into the location and makes you feel that you're right there with the teens. I thought the location was a major plus but so were the performances. You really don't come to a horror film like this expecting good performances but that's exactly what you get. Desiree Hall is very good in the female lead and we get nice support from Erik Stocklin as the cabin owner and Colley Bailey as his friend. Adelaide Kane plays one of the most hated characters you're going to see and she's very good in the part but the screenplay really lets us down given what happens to her. The supporting, smaller roles are also played very well by the actors. As is the case with most horror movies today, there's a big twist at the end but it's pretty easy to figure out what's going to happen. When the twist finally does come I think the film starts to fall apart but this isn't a complete death nail. Visually the film is quite impressive and the score is good as well. The only thing really missing is a good third act. Still, the state of horror movies today is pretty weak and DONNER PASS at least offers some old fashion blood and guts, nudity and a nice cast.

Though undeniably cut from the slasher mould, Donner Pass rises above most other films of its type thanks to a serious approach and a fine cast. Based upon the legend of the Donner Party, the film gives us a new explanation for what really happened to those stranded people and how the same fate still stalks others who wander into Donner Pass. Script and direction are extremely well executed, and the relative lack of camp combines with the cold, dark, and isolated environment in which the plot develops to create an atmosphere of genuine suspense. The actors do a fine job all round, especially Desiree Hall as our main character and ultimate Final Girl. Ms. Hall's character is likable without being too good to be true, and so emerges as a real flesh-and-blood character we want to see triumph, even when it appears all hope for her has vanished. The rest of the cast does an admirable job as well, and the script fosters a sense of disaster by creating a group of people who are all consumed by various competing agendas and who are often not very likable. This adds an interesting group dynamic and an extra layer of danger--not only are the characters threatened by the mysterious killer, but by themselves as well. Special effects are very minimal, confined to a few bloody kills, but since the story relies more upon mystery and suspense than gore to generate its scares, the relative lack of visceral visual FX is hardly anything to complain about. Donner Pass may be a low-budget slasher movie, but it also proves that even within those confines it is possible to make a quality production. Worth at least a rental by any horror fan looking for an interesting twist on a familiar genre.

Overall the movie was really good. I only watched it because I really like the Donner Party Story and because I don't read synopsis I assumed this movie was about the original story. I was mad when the first 5 minutes were very wrong about the actually events. When it turned out it was a horror movie based on the events I was willing to give it a chance.It turned out to be a really good lower budget with good actors and an unexpected plot twist. For a movie in it's class the acting, casting and production value was excellent. Overall a good horror movie for any one who enjoys them and I would definitely recommended it.