The Shortcut

Well, the autumnal chill is in the air; the leaves just beginning to turn from summer’s green to their bright, colorful array and for film buff this means just one thing; the annual horror season has begun. Between the summer action blockbusters and the big budget family movies set for holiday release the horror genre ascends like a zombie from the grave. Typically it starts with late summer direct to video and culminates with a major release in or around Halloween. One of the films in this year is ‘The Shortcut’. It is very typical for movies of this set to be pedantic repetitions devoid of an iota of originality. What I did enjoy about this movie was how, in spite of the all too familiar plot and set-up, it embraces its nature as a ‘B-horror movie ‘. I have long held the position that such flick has their place in cinema as sheer entertainment. What usually causes a film to derail is when those involved delude themselves into thinking their project is the next standard setting film for the genre. This flick is refreshingly not pretentious, extremely comfortable with being the best popcorn flick possible. In a case of this specific genre there are times when an honest effort can offset a lack of originality. Horror has been an extremely well defined form of storytelling since before cinema was invented. The basic required elements have pretty much remained the same since the dark nights of plying these tales around a campfire. People enjoy being scared; at least when they are assured they are in a truly safe environment. This need for vicarious scares drives a multibillion dollar a year industry and a film like this may not be the best ever made but it certainly has enough going for it that it has earned its place here.

The film was written by Dan Hannon and Scott Sandler and I have to admit I feared this would be just another slash teen flick but they have given sufficient care to hit the required defining elements of the genre that ultimately it was a lot of fun to watch. This is the first screenplay for both but again by accepting the worthiness of bring a good ‘B’ flick carries the day here. These writers have distilled the requirements of horror into a concisely written script. At its core the audience has to believe in the characters, on both sides of the weapon in order to relate on an emotional level caring about the fate of the soon to be departed. First and foremost there has to be a place isolated from both prying eyes that can interfere and any potential source of assistance or salvation. Dark, dank woodlands are always good in setting the proper atmosphere with taking a shortcut a tried and true way to bring the lambs to the slaughter. I am getting tired of these supernatural killers that are dominating these flicks; a good old fashion psychopathic serial killer is just fine to cut up some stray teenagers. The Rube Goldberg ultra complicated and bizarre means of death is also getting overdone. The slash part of this film is surprisingly underplayed. This will result in disappointing that portion of the fan base that constantly demands increasingly strange means to kill. Finally it usually helps if there is some foreboding, evil from the past to lay a foundation. It doesn’t have to be a Lovecraft approved ancient terror; this film begins with a flashback to high school kids in 1945 to set the mood correctly. The young man has joined the marines and is shipping out to Germany to fight the Nazis. The girl is afraid of the woods and reluctant to take a short cut but her boyfriend should be able to protect her, well, not really. The nice scene turns into attempted date rape so the audience is given a reason for watching this guy get what is coming to him although it is the already victimized girl that finds she is even deeper in a nightmare. It is the little subtle nuances like this that allow this flick to rise a bit above the pack. There are just enough little twists to keep things interesting and demonstrate the writing team understanding not only of the elements of the genre but more important what comprises a good, scary story.

Director Nicholas Goossen has one other film and a short to his credit but judging by the construction of this film you might think he was more experienced. Usually a horror film is geared towards either the visceral or psychological motif. There is too little in the way of actual gore for the former and not enough character development for the latter so it can be said Goossen decided to split the difference. The film comes across as entertainment without a lot of deeper baggage. You can sit there in the dark with your friends a big communal bowl of popcorn and just kick back getting into the flick. His style of direction is visually interesting but not so overwhelming that it supersedes the tale of terror at hand. There is a shortcut long known to be patrolled by a grizzly old man. Goossen is obviously working with a tiny budget but unlike many Indy horror directors he made an honest attempt to please the audience. It is strange that this movie was rated a mild PG-13 when most of the ilk goes explicit as possible. This reinforces the summer camp fire feeling where gore and nudity were rarely important. The movie does become more intense in the final act to help satisfy the more blood thirsty out there. In all in this movie is far better than you might think so give it a try.

Posted 09/28/09