Horror Freak News Horror Freak News
Horror Freak News Horror Freak News
Horror Freak News Horror Freak News
16
new
Outer Space Origins? Here’s What Even the Biggest Comic Book Fans Don’t Know About “Spawn”
Video Explores Complex Hypocrisy of Extreme Shocker “Cannibal Holocaust”
“Ash vs Evil Dead” KO’ed! Starz Cancels the Show After 3 Seasons
Director Replaced AGAIN on “Masters of the Universe” Reboot
AMAZING Fan Trailer for “Beetlejuice 2” Brilliantly Reimagines a Modern-Day Reboot
Ryan Hollinger Explores the Traumatizing Terror of “Watership Down”
Yes, Fred Durst Really IS Directing a Horror Movie Starring John Travolta—And Here’s Proof!
Celebrate 4/20 With This Giggle Inducing Trailer for “Evil Bog 777″
REAL LIFE ASH: Archaeologists Unearth Medieval Man Who Replace Severed Hand with Blade
Prediction: That’s NOT What Michael Myers’ Mask Will Look Like in Blumhouse’s “Halloween”
The Devil and Father Amorth (2018) Review
BREAKING: Audiences Test-Screened Blumhouse’s “Halloween” Last Night! Titled Revealed?
Ridley Scott Praises the TRUE Hero of “Alien” Without Whom “It Wouldn’t Have Been the Same Movie”
Cary Elwes is the Mayor of Hawkins in “Stranger Things” Season 3?
Would You Watch a “Walking Dead” Movie? Gimple Weighs-In on the Possibility
First Image Emerges for “The Nun” Latest Spinoff from “The Conjuring” Universe
  • Horror News 
    Outer Space Origins? Here’s What Even the Biggest Comic Book Fans Don’t Know About “Spawn”Video Explores Complex Hypocrisy of Extreme Shocker “Cannibal Holocaust”Director Replaced AGAIN on “Masters of the Universe” RebootSkeletor in Masters of the Universe 1987AMAZING Fan Trailer for “Beetlejuice 2” Brilliantly Reimagines a Modern-Day RebootRyan Hollinger Explores the Traumatizing Terror of “Watership Down”
    VIEW ALL
    Horror Movie NewsTrailers
  • Horror Reviews 
    Ghost Stories (2018) ReviewDemon House (2018) ReviewStill/Born (2018) ReviewLike. Share. Follow. (2017) ReviewCannibals and Carpet Fitters (2017) Review
    VIEW ALL
    Found FootageGoreHorror ComedyMonstersParanormalPsychological ThrillersSci-fiSlasherSurvival Horror
  • Features 
    Challenging Stephen King Quiz: Can You Match the Quote to the Movie?stephen king movies quizCan You Guess the Horror Movie by Crazy Death Scene Description?dancefloor death in Ghost Ship 2002How Well Do You Know “A Nightmare on Elm Street”? Take This Quiz!Freddy NoES3 1987How Well Do You Know the “Friday the 13th” Franchise? Take This Quiz!Shrine in Friday the 13th Part 2Extremely Tough Quiz: How Well Do You Know “Stranger Things”?Cast of Stranger Things S1 2016
    VIEW ALL
    Quizs
  • Horror on TV 
    (SPOILERS) Paparazzi Site Leaks MORE “American Horror Story” Season 8 RumorsJoan Collins & Anjelica Huston to Join “American Horror Story” Season 8?(SPOILERS) Paparazzi Site Leaks Details on “American Horror Story” Season 8?Kathy Bates Returning to “American Horror Story” for Season 8“American Horror Story” Season 8 Looks to the Future; Aliens Likely?
    VIEW ALL
    American Horror StoryThe Walking Dead
  • Movie Directory
    • Horror Movie Reviews Alphabetical
    • Reviews by Sub-Genre
    • Reviews by Type
  • About Us
    • Contact US
    • Contributors
    • Submit an Article
  • Advertise
  • MORE
    • Movie Directory
      • Horror Movie Reviews Alphabetical
      • Reviews by Sub-Genre
      • Reviews by Type
    • About Us
      • Contact US
      • Contributors
      • Submit an Article
    • Advertise
  • SECTIONS
    • Horror News 
      • Horror Movie News
      • Trailers
    • Horror Reviews 
      • Found Footage
      • Gore
      • Horror Comedy
      • Monsters
      • Paranormal
      • Psychological Thrillers
      • Sci-fi
      • Slasher
      • Survival Horror
    • Features 
      • Quizs
    • Horror on TV 
      • American Horror Story
      • The Walking Dead
    • Movie Directory
      • Horror Movie Reviews Alphabetical
      • Reviews by Sub-Genre
      • Reviews by Type
    • About Us
      • Contact US
      • Contributors
      • Submit an Article
    • Advertise
REGISTER
@
LOGIN
Horror Reviews
1
previous article
Shout Factory! Places Death Becomes Her on the Blu-ray Radar; Full Specs Inside
next article
The Red Billabong Trailer is Awesome

Stomping Ground (2016) Review

by Michael Klug on March 4, 2016
hairy bigfoot monster
Contents
  • Overview
  • Full Article
  • Rating
  • Comments
Overview
Item Reviewed

Stomping Ground

Author

Michael Klug

March 4, 2016
Synopsis

Ben & Annie are a young couple on a weekend trip to Annie's small North Carolina hometown who, after meeting a charming old friend, embark on an impromptu 'Bigfoot hunt' that threatens both their relationship and their lives.

Release Date

2016

Writer

Dan Riesser
Andrew Genser

Director

Dan Riesser

Star Cast

John Bobek
Tarah DeSpain
Justin Giddings
Jeremy Blackford

Full Review
0
0

stomping ground posterTime and time again, you hear the catch-phrase/call-to-action, “Celebrate and support independent cinema”.

Well, with a stellar movie-going experience like the forthcoming Stomping Ground, fulfilling that request is all too easy.

To the filmmakers behind this very enjoyable effort – go ahead and designate me your official cheerleader, thus allowing your product to climb to the summit of the biggest and best Bigfoot-infested mountain-top cinema.  I’ll even put on a mascot costume if need be.

Suffice to say, I was impressed with your film.

Ben (John Bobek) is a young Chicago hipster who travels to rural North Carolina with his girlfriend Annie (Tarah DeSpain) for Thanksgiving, where he meets not only her mother (Theresa Tilly – of 1981’s The Evil Dead – then credited as Sarah York), but also Annie’s long-time friend Jed (Justin Giddings) and her former high school boyfriend Paul (Jeremy Blackford).  It’s revealed at a bar that Annie and Paul used to be quite the Bigfoot aficionados, and so later that night at a party, they hook up with Jed and plan a camping trip into the woods.  They’re going on a Bigfoot hunt.

And you can all certainly guess how that will turn out.

It’s a story idea which is pretty by the numbers, but the performances and script immediately soar above and beyond its origins, thus setting this film apart from your average “group-of-folks-in-the woods” horror film.  And we can all heave a great big sigh of relief that this is not another “found footage” exercise.

There is a home-made quality to Stomping Ground.  This should not be taken as any form of insult, only as a call-out to the greatness that is the film’s authenticity.  Shot in North Carolina, the film captures an essence that must be the South.  In the people, the locations and especially the fantastic music by Ben Riesser and Ted Speaker – which is infused with mostly banjo (there are ass-rape/Deliverance jokes throughout the film) – sets the mood perfectly.  The aforementioned party scene has a live band playing this “mountain music” and I immediately said, “I want to go to this party”.  It was down-home and welcoming, and despite some of the character fights, that is the feeling which continues all throughout the film.  And even with the Deliverance jokes (the film has a terrific sense of humor), Stomping Ground never feels threatening (not from the people anyway).  It touches on, but never goes down that worm-hole of Southern stereotypes (perfectly illustrated by the character of Jed and the great performance from Justin Giddings).

hairy bigfoot monster

I have a friend who once said something like (I’m not sure if it was directed at me) “discussing budget in a film review is tacky”.  That’s not the exact quote, but you get the gist.  Well, I will discuss it here, and this is the reason why:  I’ve said it on so many other occasions – the magic and potential brilliance of any film has to begin on the page.  No matter what resources you have (or will eventually have) at your disposal or how much money you have in your bank account – the characters and the story have to be solid – they have to come first.  It’s clear that Stomping Ground was produced on a shoe-string budget, but who the heck cares?  The script is intriguing, endearing and above all filled with believable and likeable characters.  It works.  It just works.

Performance-wise, this film is flawless.  From the smallest supporting roles (the two hunting rednecks our group encounters in the deep woods are hysterically creepy) to the four leads, there’s not a misstep to be found.  There’s also a palpable and bewitching chemistry between these four actors.  I believed every moment (including the immediate friendship between Jed and Ben), and that’s a tough thing to achieve in any film.

As Ben and Annie — our couple from two different worlds — John Bobek and Tarah DeSpain are a marvel.  There’s plenty going on with a possible love triangle (Paul makes it clear to Ben that he still has eyes for Annie) and all of those scenes are wonderful and true, but nothing can top the brief moments between Ben and Annie on the lakeshore.  Annie reveals some tough history about her family and Ben lets down his guard — apparently for the first time in their relationship.  It’s a beautifully shot scene with enough tenderness to seal the deal as far as loving the characters – especially when things are about to get a lot worse.  I say this rarely, as it truly happens far too infrequently, but this scene was a perfect marriage of realistic, moving performances and undeniably great writing – resulting in what I will describe as “hypnotic”.

There are two films which flashed by in my movie-going memory as the film progressed.  One is The Blair Witch Project.  Not just for its wooded and remote story/filming locations, but for the fact that during the majority of the film, you never really see anything.  When the film does finally reveal Boojum (the Native American nickname for Bigfoot in this region) it’s a fine payoff.  The makeup is really quite good and thankfully never given too much time on-screen – keeping things nice and mysterious.  This creepy creature — along with several impressive and jump-worthy “boo” moments — offers plenty of delicious danger.  The film also delivers a seat-clenching build of tension throughout.  The film truly hooks you in every single way.

concerned long-haired woman

As for the second film to download from my memory, the stellar The Descent.  There is plenty of time in Stomping Ground, just as there was in Neil Marshall’s sophomore feature, to get to know the characters and to appreciate their situation, eventually liking them – before things become violent and bloody.  This is certainly a review of repeats, ‘cause here’s another word of wisdom from the Klug-catalog, “We have to love these people if we’re going to care about their well-being”.  Mark it off the “to-do list” Stomping Ground, ’cause “mission accomplished!”

Stomping Ground just happens to be a legitimately frightening horror film centering on the legend of Bigfoot.  Who knew?  I was too busy loving the genuine dialogue, applauding the talented actors and happily following along with the scripts’ three-dimensional characters to notice!

Stomping Ground (such a brilliant multi-tasking title) did very well on the festival circuit, and soon will arrive on DVD/VOD – March 8th to be precise.

Do yourself a favor – grab your camping equipment, read up on your Bigfoot lore and take a hike into the North Carolina woods for this one.  It’s a memorable journey and you’ll find yourself repeating over and over – as you trek through the underbrush looking for footprints and hair samples, “Celebrate and support independent cinema”.

 

Rating
Our Rating
User Rating
Rate Here
Plot
Acting
Cinematography
Bottom Line

Stomping Ground just happens to be a legitimately frightening horror film centering on the legend of Bigfoot. Who knew? I was too busy loving the genuine dialogue, applauding the talented actors and happily following along with the scripts' three-dimensional characters to notice!

Total Score
User Score
13 ratings
You have rated this
What's your reaction?
Yess!
88%
LOL
0%
What!?
0%
Meh...
0%
Sad
0%
Angry
13%
Horror Reviews, Monsters, Nature
2016bigfootDan RiesserJeremy BlackfordJohn BobeckJustin GiddingsReviewsStomping GroundTarah DeSpainTheresa Tilly
2016, bigfoot, Dan Riesser, Jeremy Blackford, John Bobeck, Justin Giddings, Reviews, Stomping Ground, Tarah DeSpain, Theresa Tilly
comments
Leave a reply
  • Sargintrock
    March 19, 2017 at 8:18 pm
    Positives

    Honest, True, Insightful Dialogue!

    Negatives

    It is as they wanted!

    First rate entertainment because of the excellent dialogue and ensemble actor chemistry!

Leave a Response
Cancel reply

Plot
Acting
Cinematography

655.8k
Fans
66.9k
Followers
16.4k
Followers
Advertisement
Latest Reviews
 
The Devil and Father Amorth (2018) Review
 
Ghost Stories (2018) Review
 
Corbin Nash (2018) Review
 
Veronica (2017) Review
Latest Articles
View All
 
Top 10 Creepy Facts About “Creepshow”
 
Zelda in Pet Sematary 1989
Video Explores 10 Lesser-Known Facts About “Pet Sematary”
 
Top 10 Horror Movies of 2018 (So Far)
 
Top 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About “Return of the Living Dead”
 
All Horror Movies Being Released in April 2018
Terms of Us - Privacy Policy
©2016 Horror Freak News
All rights reserved.
Owned and operated by Horror Freaks News LLC
655.8k
Fans
66.9k
Followers
16.4k
Followers