The Plot:
Desperate to re-jumpstart his flagging production career after his last supernatural reality show went belly up, Mickey O'Hara (Steve Diasparra) begs his former boss Otto (Buzz Cartier) for a bit of seed money to get his latest enterprise off the ground. Following his original format, he will take a sexy presenter named Asia Buchanan (A.J. Khan), give her a local college film crew, pair her up with a local field guide and his redneck buddies, and head out into the nearby wilderness to locate the legend known as Muckman. What no one knows is that things have been prearranged so that O'Hara and his production get all the footage they need. What's also a surprise is that this supposedly fake urban monster myth may actually be real - and dangerously desperate to keep its existence a secret.

The DVD: Like a collision of two known homemade horror forces, Muckman sees Brett Piper (Drainiac, Bacterium, Shock-O-Rama, and of course, A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell) teaming up with Mark Polonia (Feeders, Splatter Farm, Forest Primeval) to create a campy, kitschy take on the modern media that's both effortlessly fun and significantly less than scary. This is a real romp in every sense of the word. It's lightweight and goofy, well made and wonky, and offers a certain level of satire that helps it rise above the rest of the direct to DVD dung out there. With acting that is a far cry from the amateur antics of many outsider efforts and some excellent creature effects, we've got a real winner here, something that stays with you long after the final scene ends. Does this mean it meets all the requirements of the always ailing scary movie genre? No. Does it mean everything here works and works well? Absolutely not. What it does mean is that, given what is offered and how it is handled, you'll have a good time going through these macabre motions.

For their part, Piper and Polonia work well together. Both have a similar fright film mindset and each comes to play and play hard. Mark even makes a cameo as one of the bumpkins who conspire to trick the TV show into thinking the Muckman is real. While we do have to wait until the very end before we see the real creature, the effect is excellent. Reminiscent of the monsters from the '50s and '60s without being addled by such schlocky qualities, the result is definitely worth the wait...if not the screams. Indeed, what one can say about any or all homemade horror films is that they provide little or no dread. They aren't suspenseful and fail to supply significant shocks. Instead, the makers appear to be pandering to their own inner child, channeling the films they loved as kids while failing to connect with the demands of the cinematic form. We want blood and gore. We get a nice looking beast. We want to be shifted to the edge of our seat. We end up laughing more than cringing, unfortunately.

Overall, Muckman is a success. It's ambitious and twisted and frequently finds the proper balance between awful and an awful good time. On the whole, the performances are excellent. A. J. Khan is particularly convincing as the diva bitch from Hell, while her costars convince us of their various issues. Indeed, the cast keeps us engaged and the use of old school sensibilities like stop motion animation is a real plus. Again, don't think this is some kind of lost masterpiece where everything comes together to redefine the concept of fear. Instead, Muckman is a monster movie made specifically for a venue - the drive-in - that barely exists in 2011. It's a heavy petting prank where couples can claw at each other until the last 10 minutes. That's when all swamp beast hokum breaks loose. As long as you don't take it, or yourself, too seriously, you'll have a holly jolly time. As a sunny slice of nonsensical shivers, it's better than you'd imagine.

The Video:
As per this critic's policy, Screener copies of DVDs are not awarded points for video or audio. If Code Red does send a final product version of Muckman to the site, this paragraph will be updated accordingly.

The Audio:
As per this critic's policy, Screener copies of DVDs are not awarded points for video or audio. If Code Red does send a final product version of Muckman to the site, this paragraph will be updated accordingly.

The Extras:
There were no extras on this screener.

Final Thoughts:
For years now, the independent horror scene has been a combination of pointless homage and Troll 2 level accomplishment. Few filmmakers ever get the budgets to realize their goals, and when they do get a bit of cash, they tend to drop it all on things their previous peers did a whole helluva lot better. In the case of Muckman, we recognize the type and are tenuous because of it. But thanks to the team of Piper and Polonia, the results are better than expected. Earning a borderline Recommended rating, some may wish to rent this title first (especially given the lack of final product tech specs). Of course, a few brews or a puff or two on some recreational pharmaceuticals might help as well. When he first started out, Mark and his brother John hoped to become Masters of Horror. Now, the last Polonia standing just wants to keep his reputation intact. Muckman achieves that, and more.

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