Lucid (2013, Dir. P.J. Woodside)
A review by Mario Dominick
With Big Biting Pig Productions taking the indie horror scene by storm over the past five years, they’ve given us crazed killers, zombies, creepy dolls, ghosts, El Chupacabra creatures, etc. Steve Hudgins and P.J. Woodside are two unique filmmakers in the styles of storytelling they bring to the screen with the most creative twists and surprises.
For their latest feature, Lucid, I was curious as to which direction they may take us. With P.J. taking the helm as director, the Big Biting Pig has given us a genuinely creepy and dark psychological horror story.
Lucid is the tale of a woman plagued by an endless series of horrifying and intense dreams. It seems with each dream every night, she has visions of harming loved ones as well as disturbing childhood memories involving her parents (her dad here is played by Bill Johnson, better known as Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2). As she continues to act out her dreams in her sleep which bring her to states of sleepwalking, she begins to fear that she may end up seriously harming or killing her boyfriend. She enlists the help of a dream therapist and goes to see a TV show host with a show dedicated to lucid dreaming. She slowly begins to figure out what is behind the intense nightmares and repressed childhood memories coming into play. Events unfold on a path of bizarre and gruesome happenings from there on out.
Lucid is definitely the darkest film from Big Biting Pig to date. It’s a dazzling, haunting, and creepy film with great performances from everyone involved (including the new talent and regulars from previous Hudgins/Woodside productions). Bill Johnson is the first big horror icon to appear in a Big Biting Pig production and his presence here as the girl’s father brings an unsettling atmosphere to the film’s already dark psychological story elements. The film has a few nasty, gory moments as well. While not a gorefest, those bloody scenes fit the storytelling appropriately. Overall, Lucid is a definite winner from the Hudgins/Woodside team and a great sign of things to come from the Big Biting Pig.
Big Biting Pig’s DVD release of Lucid includes extras such as filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel. Visit the Pig online at www.bigbitingpigproductions.com to order your copy of Lucid today!
