Hammer time!
Sweatshop (2009)
Directed By: Stacy Davidson
The Prologue
Hey hey hey! It’s a horror film where a man has a big ass hammer! This film is properly known as Sweatshop and features a couple indie people I have at least saw before, besides that I didn’t know much about it going into it. It was however directed by a woman, Stacy Davidson, who is of course..well..a woman! Since this is February and we are (at least some of us) celebrating women in horror month it just kinda all ties in now doesn’t it?
*Editors note* Stacy is actually a guy, ooops! Be nice to Stacy and check out his web-site so he doesn’t get pissed at me. Sorry, SIR*
The Movie
So a group of punk rock looking friends take it upon themselves to break into an abandoned factory in order to toss a party, as if there was a better reason. Now of course they think it’s just them and that they are all alone, but the truth is they aren’t. The place also houses a big ass mofo (among other things) who has a big ass hammer, and he doesn’t think twice about using it. What we get from the get-go here is a pretty fun and blood soaked movie that is way over the top, but still pretty enjoyable.
I’ll start out by calling a spade and spade and saying this movie is just ridiculous. And it is soo soo bad, but I’ll again use the term I like to use no matter who likes it or not, and say it’s soo bad it’s good (That right there tosses it in the same class with such classics as Pieces, it’s not an insult). Or in this case, at least very watchable. It’s still at heart a bit of a one trick pony, you sure won’t be sticking around for the characters. I don’t know if you’d blame it on the acting or just the way the characters are, but they are some annoying assholes. You won’t dare care about them from a connection standpoint, but the ladies are at least hot enough that you’ll hate to see some of them go and connect to them based off looks alone (Julin in the role of Miko I am looking at you). I’m well aware that’s an asshole thing to say coming from a guy, but just watch it and you’ll understand.
So either way, back to my point of this movie having one trick. That one trick is the gore my friends. And while it’s the highlight of the movie, it also carries the movie as well, it’s just that damn good, even if it IS waaay over the top. You may be a little turned away by a bad guy that looks like a mix between the Shockmaster (of wrestling fame, look it up on youtube) and the first boss at the end of level 1 of Double Dragon 2 (Youtube that as well), but when he starts swinging that hammer and turning people to mush you can kinda warm up to him a bit. The film dips it’s toes (or hammer?) into a mix between a slasher and a torture porn film, but it’s still unique in it’s own right, and you will want to finish it.
Now I won’t say this movie is a masterpiece, because it sure as hell isn’t. The characters are hot but not likable and the logic is being tossed out he window left and right. I particularly was shaking my head at some of the dumb things people are doing during the last part of the film, but that’s just me, I’m picky. But still, you got a lot of cool gore and a lot of douchebags, so seeing these d’bags being killed off in horrible ways is somewhat rewarding. In my humble opinion, this movie should be just as well welcomed to the horror community as Hatchet II was. At the surface both only have the gore going for them, but at least Sweatshop has originality on it’s side.
The Conclusion
I’m going to ride the wings of the movie’s gore and say that if you get the chance to see this movie, then you should. You may not love it, but I think you’ll at least enjoy it and like it. It’s fun, gory, and mindless, so what’s not to like? I am however very sadden by the fact that there wasn’t much of Roxy Vandiver (of Spirit Camp fame). I was happy with the gore but if you blink you miss Roxy. That’s saddened me greatly.
The Rating (6/10)
Chucks website
