Hamtragic review by The Grim Ringler
Hamtragic – Aaron
Trudgeon
Having grown up loving movies it was natural that my
friends and I made a few of our own. I think most movie nerds tend to if they
ever have the wherewithal. So, having made movies for a few years myself, I can
appreciate and admire anyone who can even finish a film. Ours were no budget,
no script, improve bastard-pieces that were more mess than anything else but we
had fun and loved them. I admire Mr. Trudgeon and his friends for putting
together and completing a film that, good or ill, is a feat in and of itself.
Any time you are relying on friends, family, favors, and your own cash to put a
film together, you are taking on the world in trying to get the film down and
out there for people to see, so, before I review this film, CHEERS to Mr. Trudgeon
and everyone involved in the making of his film. It takes a lot of heart to
make movies, and when you are making them with your own friends and cash, it
shows how dedicated you are.
An obscure and hidden South American tribe has been
discovered by greedy drug-runners who have found that a certain rare plant the
tribe worships has the ability to create a powerful high and has begun
exporting this plant to the states. The tribe, angry that its old customs and
ways have been discovered, curse the plant and call upon one of their demon
gods to condemn whomever tries the drug to become addicted and lose sense of
their own self and body. Flash to Hamtramck, Michigan, a small town that is
about to become the focus of this demon curse. A local professor, having been a
thorn in two ex-con students, is slipped some of the drug made from the plant
and becomes instantly addicted. The addiction is the least of his worries as
his psyche splinters and gives life to an evil alter ego, his own Hyde. This
Hyde is a fiend for the drug and, at the behest of the demon, takes to the
streets to find all of the drug in order to sate its unending hunger for it,
and, if things are done correctly, to become a new being eventually. To get
this drug the alter ego will stop at nothing, even murder, its addiction stronger
than reason or morality. Fear spreads throughout the town as the curse and the
alter ego’s terror spreads far and wide across it. But when a stranger that
serves god becomes aware of this curse he makes it his mission to stop things
before it is too late, unless it already is too late, and the demon, and his
new servant have gotten the materials necessary to make the demonic
transformation complete in the alter ego.
A fun, oft-times silly film, this is very well made for
such a small production. Well directed, scored, and shot, this is one of those
movies that has so much spirit and heart that you are willing to forgive the
many bumps that private productions suffer. Some of the editing is sloppy, the
acting goes from decent to Wha?, and there are a few scenes that could have
been edited – the musical number by the Polish Muslims doesn’t really fit – but
nothing really kills the film. An intriguing story and game cast make this fun
to watch and I applaud them for using stop motion for the finale, as not many bigger
productions with large budgets will even attempt that. At fifty minutes it
might be a tad long for the story, but it could easily be tightened up and made
into a much more solid film.
This film shows a lot of heart, and a lot of promise, and
as far as private films go, is pretty damned fun. Having made this sort of film
and seen more than my fair share, they can be pretty bad. Hell, they can be
very bad. And that this film succeeds in the main goal – in being fun – is what
it’s all about. A decent movie that reminded me a lot say an early Peter
Jackson sans the gore, this might be one to check out if you are interested
in small, regional horror films.
Nice work Mr. Trudgeon.
(click the director’s name to email him about this film)