BY SAMUEL LOMBARDO
Lost films and literature with a dark past have been a popular subject explored in both fact and fiction. The Hills Run Red and The Ninth Gate being two of the most cherished works in this subgenre. Director Mark Cantu (Wolf Hollow) and his talented team bring forth a new saga filled with ancient lore surrounding a lost film in the upcoming film GRIND. With a stellar cast including Brian Ceponis (Wolf Hollow,) Molly Souza (Late Checkout,) Stanton Rutledge (The Fast and the Furious,) Ginger Lynn (The Devil’s Reject’s,) and the iconic Lynn Lowry (Shivers,) expectations will be high for the Horror Nation to feast upon a new cursed film filled with diabolical delicacies. Connie (Lowry) owns an old school theatre filled with rich history. A group of ambitious students are thrilled to use Connie’s venue to host their upcoming film festival, which will be screening the best of the worst in grindhouse cinema. AJ (Souza) is desperately trying to find her voice when she discovers a long-forgotten film, The Creeping Chaos. With an eager audience filled with genre superfans the horror begins to unravel with each reel as the mystery behind the forbidden film is exposed to eager eyes. A ragtag team of students, theatre employees, and genre fans quickly unite to star in a very real-life film where the end credits mean the end of their lives.
GRIND is an instant cult classic filled with non-stop action, incredible performances, and new horror lore that will have genre fans begging for more. Mark Cantu litters the screen with terrific shot selection coupled with color schemes that will have the viewers’ eyes popping through the last shot. Tredd Barton’s Special Effects team puts together a symphony of slaughter that rivals any studio film. Each performance is top notch with Brian Ceponis bringing the genre as a brand-new hero in the vein of Ash Williams. Molly Souza’s portrayal of AJ is an emotional and physical award-winning performance.
With a pulse pounding pace, GRIND slithers through several genres which sets the film apart from any run of the mill independent films. Laughs to keep the audience chuckling, bullets flying to keep the adrenaline pumping, and old school horror that will have horror hounds salivating.
Scream Score: 9/10