Digital Dismemberment: Scarred (AKA Kandie Land) DVD Review

Digital Dismemberment: Scarred (AKA Kandie Land) DVD Review

Director- Eddie Lengyel

Producer- Don Kilrain and Janine Sarnowski

Special FX- Daniel Blain Click, Raven Lunitic and Greg Lanning

Cast- Ari Lehman (Austin), Don Kilrain (Jonah Kandie), Lisa Neeld (Shaina), Carl Ferrara (Bo), Tina Grimm (Brooke), Alex Russo (Asia), Molly Miller (Tiny), Jessica Lauschin (Jess), Max Elinsky (Brody), Janine Sarnowski (Luna), Haley Kocinski (Marley), Devin Steiner (Tash), Justine Greenwald (Miss Ambler), Robbie Barnes (Dana Flynn), Bart Flynn (George), Kris Leiter (Night Club Patron), Lloyd Weema (Night Club Bartender), Julie Ann (Bettie), Benny Benzino (Bar Patron) and Barbie Marie (Bartender)

Released By- Fright Tek Pictures/ Origin Releasing

Release Date- September 29th, 2015 (Available at Wal Mart on May 3rd, 2016)

The Premise: When group of models , their body guard and a novice photographer head out to remote rural location for an edgy photo shoot they soon find themselves confronted by a couple of locals that try to warn the group of the legend that is Jonah Kandie. The locals fail to persuade them to heed their warning and not to fall prey to the grotesque disfigured Jonah that was maimed at the hands of his psychotic father,,,,Jonah who has a hatred for beauty, wreaks havoc with his special brand of vengeance using hammers, chainsaws and other assorted flesh ripping devices as punishment for entering camp Kandie Land……

There is a tried and true format when it comes to the slasher film, a simplicity and love that does not require over-handling of the subject or too much coddling that withers the pace or characters. Very much to his credit, Director/Writer Eddie Lengyel (other films include 2010’s Hellweek and 2011’s Voodoo Rising) stays true to these premises and delivers a film that not only harkens back to the heydays of the 80’s slasher genre, but also gives us a sharp insight into what a talented and determined cast and crew can do when given good material to work with. With obvious nods to genre favorites of the past (Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to name a few), Eddie manages to blend a story and characters that hit every benchmark, from beautiful actresses, remote locations (fantastic job by Actress/Producer/Location Scout Janine Sarnowski), creepy town legends, graphic and gruesome kills, creepy little kids and sex, drugs, rock and roll. But just as important as all of that is, a true slasher film is nothing without its killer. In that role, Actor/Producer Don Kilrain is the man behind the fury and the mask of Jonah Kandie, the town legend that was brutally abused as a boy that had his face slashed with a straight razor by his father (before he kills his wife and himself with a shotgun). Very large and menacing, Don portrays the character well, his presence dominating the screen whenever he appears. Made with a budget of around $10,000, Eddie and crew makes the film look 10 times more expensive, giving a polished look and a great soundtrack. Filmed in Medina, OH.

There is much to like here! While the plot is simplistic and to the point, it belts along at a fantastic pace and it never seems to drag or go into too much of a deep narrative. The character development is right where it needs to be and the actors and actresses hit their marks perfectly. In particular, the interactions between Jonah and Tiny have a particular brother/sister feel to them, creating a level of intensity and dread that will have you biting your lip. The character interactions between the models and crew is also spot on, with dialogue not seeming forced or read. The camera and sound work make it hard to believe that this was only a $10,000 budget film, far surpassing what you see from most micro-budgeted slasher films these days. The difficulties in filming on location outdoors can be quite immense, but great care seems to be taken with the audio (both in spoken scenes and general ambient shots). The color and lighting are quite exceptional as well as you lose nothing to excessive darkness or vastness of space.

The homages to Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are well received, and the Special FX work brings a gritty sense of realism that even the most hardcore of gore fans will enjoy. With very little in the way of digital work, the scenes really relied on a technical proficiency from the FX artists AND the actors. In particular, the chainsaw sequence is quite impressive and will have you hitting the rewind button several times. The film is a perfect example of what talent, hard work and dedication can do for a film with a micro budget. The passion is obvious through the entire film, and new film makers can learn a lot by observing how Eddie and his cast and crew took a well worn and loved genre idea and put a refreshing spin on an old idea. If you are going into this film looking for a mass of nudity and CGI, you might as well keep walking. However, if you are looking for an easy to watch slasher film that hits all the notes with dumbing down your IQ, then Scarred is for you! I hope to see a sequel soon!

Special Features

6 Deleted/Alternate Scenes

Screams To A Whisper Music Video from the Band Impending Lies

Photo Gallery

Scarred Trailer

Origin Releasing Trailers for Crystal Skulls, Treachery, Firequake and Viking Quest

Origin Releasing does a fantastic job with this release. In a day and age where many indie horror films are released without any special content, they manage to give us several alternate/deleted scenes as well as a music video that is actually worth watching. The inclusion of the photo gallery was nice as well and provides a nice look at what went on during the production. The only things that you could ask for would be a commentary with Director Eddie Lengyl and Producer/Actor Don Kilrain and possibly some interviews with some of the other cast and crew, but that is a minor detail that can be overlooked. This is an excellent release and I look forward to more films like this!

Movie Rating: 4 out of 5

DVD Rating: 7 out of 10