DEATH RANCH
Directed by: Charlie Steeds
Starring: Deiondre Teagle, Faith Monique, Travis Cutner, Scot Scurlock
Tennessee, 1971: Brendon Cobb has managed to escape from jail and meets up with his older brother Clarence and sister Angela, who has arranged for them to hide out for a couple of weeks at a derelict ranch owned by a relative. Little do they know however that the area is terrorised by cannibalistic Klansmen who have a taste for dark meat!
Writer/Director Charlie Steeds had already impressed me with one of his previous films, A Werewolf in England, which had a terrific script and strong practical gore fx. Death Ranch continues the trend, showing that Charlie is a director to keep an eye out for.
With a brisk running time, Death Ranch is quick to set itself up - Brendon quickly meets up with his siblings and they make their way along a back road to the ranch. The camera lingers on a couple of clues which the family are oblivious to: a noose hanging from a tree, bloody hand-prints on the wall of the barn.
When he can't sleep, Brendon hears screams from the nearby forest and goes to investigate. There he sees the nightmare-come to life of the KKK preparing to burn a woman at the stake. He makes the decision to try and save the woman, but in doing so exposes himself and his siblings to their wrath.
What follows is some excruciating stuff. Even though not every detail is presented on screen, there's enough to fuel the imagination. Charlie Steed also edited the film and deserves kudos for a harrowing scene involving Angela, one of the Klansmen and a tub of vaseline - its the most stomach turning thing since we learned what was happening to comatose Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. The trio are all put through a horrific ordeal but this is the sort of film which is going to deliver some cathartic vengeance as a result and its just a matter of when.
Other than what I've described there is very little else to the plot. However the script delivers line after line of badass dialogue and manages to give each of the three lead characters some amount of development so that the viewer is able to warm to them before fearing for their lives. The villains of the piece on the other hand have little nuance except a sense of superiority so its great to see them being knocked down.
Like A Werewolf In England, Death Ranch is a low budget film although you will hardly notice thanks to some strong gore fx and deft editing. The gore in this is more striking because a lot of the film is set during the day and the Klan are all wearing their white robes - a perfect canvas to be coated in blood!
THE VERDICT
Death Ranch is a simple tale told very well. The protagonists are likeable and you get a true sense of a familial bond between them. The villains are less developed but their uniform and their actions tell you everything you need to know. This is a fun, gory, badass movie. Special mention needs to be made of the soundtrack by Sam Benjafield, which has period and modern beats to it and manages to evoke the work of Lalo Schiffrin.
8 OUT OF 10 - RECOMMENDED!
MikeOutWest
DEATH RANCH IS AVAILABLE IN USA on DVD and On Demand, released by 4Digital Media - ORDER IT HERE