The DVD:
The town of Louisville has only one legitimate legend, a spooky campfire tale about Crazy Old Bob, his girlfriend and a strange book of demon incantations. They say the insane resident found the volume amongst his father's belongings and when reading the rituals resulted in something paranormal, Bob went bonkers and beheaded his babe. Now a disturbed homeless man with a severe drinking problem, rumor has it he still has that naughty Necronomicon. When a couple of punks beat Bob up for his beer, they stumble across the tainted tome and decide to explore its possibilities. Unfortunately, a midnight reading in the local park ends in creepy chaos...and murder. Suddenly, Louisville is overrun with random killings, bodies being torn asunder with vicious intent. In the meantime, Johnny, a nerdy nebbish and Louie, a loudmouthed loser, are vying for the almost unobtainable affections of the cold catholic schoolgirl Eva. While she seems smitten with John, Lou the lout won't stop hitting on her. When Johnny steps in one night to stop the harassment, he makes the bully's shit list. Eventually, the angry asshole hijacks Johnny and Eva and forces them into the woods. He hopes the recent rash of killings will completely unnerve them. But what they all fail to grasp is that evil has no understanding of such teenage taunts. It merely wants to feed. And now it has been easily handed its next noxious meal.

Demon Summer, the latest home made horror homage from the gang over at Speed Freak Productions, marks a decided departure from the group's normal (or is that, abnormal) modus operandi. While such previous efforts as the wildly inventive Midnight Skater (one of the best low budget terror tributes of all time) and the hyper-bizarre sports parody Splatter Rampage Wrestling indicate a level of relaxed respect for the conventions of typical movie making, this new delight aims for the more serious side of scary. Yes, there is still a Andy Hardy, 'let's get the gang together and make a motion picture' mentality that is so contagious and outrageous that you can sense it across the cathode ray and just can't resist getting completely caught up in it. And you will wonder why, with all the divergent elements and individuals at play, anything remotely coherent is created. Yet, by some blessed combination of small town Ohio magic, brass balls as big as Butte and a childhood indulging in every scare show they could get their hands on, the glorious goofs who make up this extremely talented troop blow away the vast majority of half-assed horror pouring out of independent production houses in 2004. Demon Summer is yet another example of how ability and agility can overcome even the most minimal monetary considerations when it comes to moviemaking.

This is cinema created from full screen sessions in front of the VCR, absorbing every influence, idea and idiom in the gross-out gore genre. Speed Freak's filmmakers can then regurgitate the lessons with expert timing, incredible aptitude and a smart attention to detail. This upper-echelon ensemble of the lowest tier of grade-Z product companies is the most promising pack of pandering visionaries to come down the pike in a long time. Theirs is a new form of film, one based not in the education of a class, but in a lifetime in the living room. This latest project shows a new dynamic, a measure of caution from these usually frenetic fantasists. Demon Summer takes a subtle step back, avoiding more of the insane comic personas and set pieces that marked their previous efforts. Thus we see a desire to create a kind of Slacker meets slasher, Dazed and Confused with Evil Dead like demonology. There will be those who fret that a more subdued Speed Freak film flies directly in the face of the companies core concept of blood, beasts and brazen buffoonery. But like those first baby steps toward true adulthood, this experiment in substance over silliness works almost all the time.

Perhaps the biggest leap forward for the maniacal menagerie is in its scripting and storytelling. This is a horror film, make no mistake, but it's also a layered, inviting look at small town life. At it's very center, Demon Summer is an ensemble story about growing up in a hick one-horse hole with nothing better to do on a hazy July evening than cruise the parking lots of local malls and get drunk. The desperation to enliven the melancholy of a "no future" existence is what motivates the iconic individuals here. In the stance of the characters and the telling words they speak, Demon Summer becomes a rarely glimpsed window into young adulthood. It's all so completely recognizable. The familiar cliques are all here: the pseudo cool kids, the social misfits, the felonious stoners and the enigmatic outsiders. They jockey for position in the social pecking order. They discuss their simple hopes and infinite dreams. Some hide an inner weakness or secret whim within their carefully crafted outward persona. But all understand that Louisville is a dead-end, and if they don't do something to bust out, they will end up as mere speed bumps along the town's trail of broken dreams.

The Campbell Brothers, Andy and Luke - behind the lens this time and working from a script they co-created with actor Corey Maidens (playing the ready to rumble reject Louie) - capture the casual, disconnected nature of such a sorry state of existence perfectly...and why not, they've apparently lived it their entire lives. In the overheard nature of the dialogue, which reverberates as utterly realistic and ripped from well-observed days of just hanging out, to the many facets each individual carries (some obviously added to accentuate a joke or provide a surprise) Demon Summer sets up the foundation for all the bedlam to come later. Big budget Hollywood hooey like Friday the 13th or any number of slasher shite could benefit from this attention to personal attributes. The cast of quasi-professional actors, many of whom have appeared in Speed Freak's pervious productions, manage to create totally believable characters, avoiding clichés while championing the eccentric and the individual. When Mark Borchardt sits back on his couch in a scene from American Movie and laments that fact that he has to create horror movies to hopefully finance his personal "epic" about living life with your longtime friends smack dab in the middle of nowhere, you can imagine the Campbell's having their own vision of mainstream moviemaking. They probably have their own coming of age dream project waiting in the wings. Or maybe they understand the first rule of horror better than the wealth of wimps who claim to craft creepy creature features: give us characters we can relate to and we will follow the fear anywhere.

But there is more here than merely a look at life on the edge of actual civilization. There is an entire evil imp subplot, a tip of the horror fanatic's hat to the stellar Sam Raimi and his classic Dead dioramas that reeks of respect and resolve. Instead of hitting the audience over the head with the horror, Demon Summer balances the blood with the mood and tone the film is working within and, for the most part, everything works well. The Campbells show sizable maturity in their shot selection and framing. They wisely avoid many of the overly manipulated angles and show-off attributes of most low budget fright flicks to render a professional, proficient picture throughout. Instances in the past where images were too dark or awkwardly staged are missing here. And there may be some, this critic included, who miss the days of amateur antics. If Demon Summer has one flaw, it's that the fear is filtered through such a carefully crafted scenario and semi-serious subject matter that when it finally arrives, it feels a tad anti-climactic. There is a lot of build-up for a less than powerhouse pay-off. Still, there are moments when the menace really works. A tracking shot up a blood-splattered hallway to reveal a eviscerated victim, is as creepy as horror gets, and the final confrontation in the woods has excellent episodes of eeriness. But Demon Summer also suffers from not being totally committed to the carnality. Had it pushed the envelope even further, topping the gore of Midnight Skater and stepping seriously into Peter Jackson/Dead Alive territory, this would be the best horror movie of the last ten years. Alas, it is just a very good no-budget film.

They've been mentioned before, but these sentiments bear repeating: someone needs to plunder the ranks of the Speed Freak company ASAP to enliven their usually dull, derivative mainstream dreck. Both Stacey Silvers and Ed Bishop blow away the lame-ass lewd antics of Jay and Silent Bob as a couple of apparently connected at the hip hoodlums. Silvers, especially, should be at the head of every casting directors list of large men who can play badass and bewildered at the same time. Corey Maidens, relegated to a jabbering joke as the serial killer in Midnight Skater manages to find a pitch perfect tone between juvenile delinquent and wussified wimp with his portrayal of Louie the loser, the punk so desperate to fight he picks on grade schoolers. All the young ladies here, from Ashleigh Holman's dark dream girl Eva to the unrequited resolve of Laura Robbins' Jamie, overcome the Goth gal leanings and 'oh so above it' ironic vibe they represent to create strong, sensitive women. Let's not forget the 'thinks he's clever' ass-clown Kurt. As the total tool, Bob Hawkins transforms the art of the line reading into something surreal. And then there is Andy Campbell, looking like a scarecrow lost in the wilderness, an uncomfortable geek that always manages to rise above the fray by sheer stubborn luck. Together with the fantastic writing (again, someone hire these guys pronto) and the new control behind the lens, Demon Summer represents the best of completely independent cinema. It may not crackle with the same old silly stuff (who could ever forget Ezra Haidet's lunatic turn as Skater's savant, Alvin) but it announces a new level of accomplishment for these fright fans.

As mindblowingly magnificent as Midnight Skater was (it is reviewed elsewhere on the DVD Talk site. Check it out. ) and the usual anarchic tone to their temperament, there will be some who feel that Demon Summer is a letdown. And they could be right. Yet it's really not fair to constantly compare this ensemble piece with scares to Skater's outrageous slasher showboating. There is gore here (and a nice bit of bright green demon puke) but it's limited to specific, shocking moments. The trademark brand of pop culture referencing humor is also present, but instead of being a non-stop stand-up routine, the use is more pointed, and powerful. The Campbells can occasionally lose their tone, trying too hard or hoping a horror set piece sells a shortcoming. But when compared to the arrogant assholiness of some homemade movies (Necropolis Awakened comes to mind) or the barely rising above retardation level of other basement offerings (far too many to name) Demon Summer is light years beyond the basic. When this group of fright fans steps behind the camera, the result is a sensational experience. The Speed Freak team makes ACTUAL movies, films that are imminently watchable, drawing you in and making you anxious for what's about to come onscreen next. Characters and their concerns stay with you long after the last reel has ended and you anticipate the next nugget of nirvana from these Ohio playa's. Demon Summer is that first frightened step into the realm of real accomplished moviemaking. And the Speed Freaks are up to the challenge.

The Video:
In another first for fans of Speed Freak's films, the transfer of Demon Summer onto DVD is near perfect. With previous titles from Tempe, the movies of this macabre media member were riddled with grain, compression artifacts, slipshod lighting and sequences so dark you'd swear they were filmed in Calcutta's famous black hole. But Demon Summer looks exceptional, color correct and clear in a nicely contrasted 1.33:1 full screen image. It's a safe bet that when these filmmakers finally make the leap to letterbox, their framing and compositions will rival those of other cinematic masters. But in the TV friendly format, their VHS rental vision is intact and exact.

The Audio:
Aside from a couple of quick moments where the voices drop out and suddenly switch channels (perhaps a hackneyed attempt at Dolby Digital Stereo Surround?) the aural attributes of this disc are head and shoulders above other Speed Freak/Tempe titles. The keyboard heavy soundtrack is effective (if just the slightest bit cheesy) and the dialogue is upfront and completely comprehendible. Again, in the sound and vision department, you'd never guess this was a low budget production.

The Extras:
Tempe always does a terrific job in the bonus features arena and Demon Summer is no exception. We are treated to a wonderful reel of bloopers, several showing how hard it is to capture the proper nuances of Speed Freaks patented humor. The make-up feature is very funny, since the cast members who had to sit still while amateur Savini's savaged their faces and bodies bitch and moan with magnificent, manic insights. But the best extras on this disc are the commentary from cast and crew and a documentary of a tour of Horror Conventions. On the alternate narrative side, Andy and Luke are the moderators as a literal mob of individuals take their turn on the microphones. We learn a great many important pieces of information on this instructive exercise, from the fact that the Campbells had enough money in their budget this time around to buy several cast members food at the Frosty Top Root Beer Stand, to the discovery that all the barf and blood spewing tubes used were caked with mold, a never washed holdover from Midnight Skater (Ew!). Perhaps the most perplexing and confrontational news is the discovery that the original ideas for Demon Summer ran the gamut from bad taste comedy (Hitler returning as a zombie, Vietnam vets being chased by miniature Asian soldiers) to a direct sequel to the previous skate rat slasher flick (with Stacey Silvers and Ed Bishop playing...you guessed it, drug dealers of the living dead). Though sometimes sounding like a game of comic one-upmanship (the various actors get on the mic and start off with "I'd just like to say..." before they make a dumb dorky joke) this fun, freestylin' track is a definite delight and makes Demon Summer a sensational digital item.

As for the travelogue of Convention footage, it's eye opening to see the lengths these moviemakers must go through to get their product to the people. In between strange stares and glances of recognition, they have to field foolish questions, keep a sharp eye on the sales figures and put up with all manner of insane fanboy foolishness (the "confrontation" with the "white spirit" Carpathian is as funny as Triumph the Insult Comic's trip to a Star Wars lineup). Combined together, Demon Summer is yet another DVD instruction guide on how a group of friends and hangers-on make marvelous monster movies.

Final Thoughts:
Demon Summer does indeed represent a step in the right direction for the creative forces at Speed Freak. It leaves some of the more immature aspects of their previous work behind while exploring such important cinematic facets as editing, writing and composition. In the past, this group of goofballs only wanted to make handcrafted horror, capturing the kind of crappy coolness that countless trips to Blockbuster, or hours spent in front of cable TV, failed to provide. Made by fans, for fans, Speed Freak was on the cutting edge of independent invincibility. With Demon Summer, they've made something to challenge the big boys, a title that out Troma's Mr. Kaufman's usual cacophony of dung and subjects Sub Rosa's rejects to further failed fright flick embarrassment. While Midnight Skater may always be seen as their pinnacle to the glory of gore, Demon Summer represents a spurt in the growth process, a movie as memorable for its characters and everyday truths as it is for its blood and guts. It is still a celebration of that time of the year when the daylight seems to never end and the nights simmer with a sensual, seductive glow. But what Demon Summer recalls, most of all, are evenings at the Drive-In, the whole gang piled inside the station wagon. As a hand rolled "smoke" is shared and the b-movie madness begins, the dog days truly becomes a magic time. Nothing says "school's out" like a night at the open-air Cineplex. And Demon Summer is a film for such a passion pit pictorial.

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