Hatchet (Adam Green, 2006)

[Rich]

I know this flick has come in for a bit of a slating but now it's beginning to come down in price I was thinking about picking it up and taking a look for myself. Does anyone know whether the UK DVD contains the same unrated director's cut as is on the Anchor Bay R1 disc? Also does it contain the same commentary that is on the R1, or a UK exclusive one?

Hatchet: amazon.co.uk (Universal Pictures UK)

Hatchet: amazon.co.uk (Starz Home Entertainment USA)

[orgasmo]

You will be interested to know that for some reason or other the Hatchet commentary was not even released on the region 1 dvd let alone 2. Instead you can get it for free over the internet here.

Dread Central: Exclusive: Hatchet Live Commentary Track from London!

Got to love they filmed it in London in front of a live British audience.

I don't know if our region 2 is the unrated version mind.

[AndyBlade]

Both R1 and R2 are billed as the unrated directors cut...DVD Compare only list the R1 and German R2 releases, but I'm sure both versions are the same.

However...I remember writing on the old forums that Hatchet was 'probably the worst film I've seen in many years' back in February, and that still stands. It really is an awful film with no redeeming qualities whatsoever - the cast are REALLY unlikeable, the gore is bland, the cameos by familiar horror faces are dreadful and despite its running time of just an hour and fifteeen minutes before the credits roll, it'll feel like you've been watching a three hour film. I'll never go back to rewatch this one.

[tall dude]

Both R1 and R2 are billed as the unrated directors cut...DVD Compare only list the R1 and German R2 releases, but I'm sure both versions are the same.

However...I remember writing on the old forums that Hatchet was 'probably the worst film I've seen in many years' back in February, and that still stands. It really is an awful film with no redeeming qualities whatsoever - the cast are REALLY unlikeable, the gore is bland, the cameos by familiar horror faces are dreadful and despite its running time of just an hour and fifteeen minutes before the credits roll, it'll feel like you've been watching a three hour film. I'll never go back to rewatch this one.

I have to disagree mate,i found it an enjoyable return to the golden age of slasherdom,with some neat references to madman,some very spooky settings....and the gore..man it flies thick and fast.
I know a lot of people were turned off by the humour,but it blended well,and the characters were ok,believe you me,i've seen worse.Check out the recent prom night "remake" for proof.Now that was a p!ss poor horror film!

This has plenty of rewatch value in the tall dude household,if i ever get through my to watch pile,that is.

[Rich]

I'll take it on your recommendation then tall dude,as I've heard both negative & positive reviews over this flick.As I said you can now pick it up cheaply (Play has it for £6.99) online.

[Someone Weird]

Saw this a couple of weeks ago. It was ok, but nothing memorable. Watchable fluff about sums it up. Also saw The Cottage, which wasn't too great. Infact, I thought Hatchet was better.

[jacksmith1983]

Reviving this thread two years down the line as I finally caught up with Hatchet myself ths evening. Call me easily pleased if you will, but I actually got a bit of a kick out of this film. Maybe the thorough slating it has received both here on Cult Movie Forums and pretty much everywhere else for that matter meant my expectations were so low it couldn't help but exceed them? At any rate Hatchet just worked for me. It plays almost like an interminable teen comedy which is suddenly and inexpliably gatecrashed by Kane Hodder as a hulking, bestial killer who abruptly kills off most of the cast in absurdly gory fashion. It probably hadn't ought to, but some how this approach actually reaps dividends in this case. Fortunately director Adam Green and co never make the mistake of taking what they're doing at all seriously. On the contrary, Hatchet - for me at least - shows an endearing willingess to embrace and poke fun at its own inherant silliness, moving along at a cracking pace as it's well defined, deliberately irritating protagonist's continue to bicker and behave stupidly even when they're on the verge of being hacked to piece's. Meanwhile the completely OTT bloodshed just heighten's the sense of self-parodying fun as the victims of Hodder's imposing marshland psycho Victor Crowley spew geyser's of arterial gore as heads are torn apart and limbs are ripped off with ridiculous ease. Meanwhile it's also evident that Green knows his slasher films as the character of Victor Crowley - a cartoonish, almost neanderthal dungaree clad reprobate, permanatly disfigured by an axe-blow to the face is an obvious nod to "Madman Marz" the memorable killer in Joe Giannone's underrated woodland slasher yarn Madman. All in all more than enough for me to chalk this one up as bit of a guilty pleasure.

When all is said an done Hatchet hardly reinvents the wheel, but it's a modestly entertaining, endearingly daft, absurdly gory way to kill 80 minutes and how an insignificant piece of fluff like this can encounter such vicious derision is beyond me to be honest. It's about time us horror fan's deleveoped a sense of humour in my opinion.

Finally I do have to express light disappointment that Robert Englund and Tony Todd's hyped up supporting appearance's essentially amounted to little more than silly, pointless one minute cameo's, but at the end of the day you can't have everything.

[jayzus]

It gets derision because there are too many jaded pundits out there, i found it an enjoyable tongue in cheek romp. The documentary on the DVD is also pretty good.

I still havent chedked it out yet, was the blonde porn starlet in the Addams Family sequel?

[paintnothing84]

I still havent chedked it out yet, was the blonde porn starlet in the Addams Family sequel?

She was indeed, and she was in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV series) for quite a while as well.

Thought the first Hatchet was alright, but still looking forward to checking out the sequel at Frightfest.

[fredzilla]

When I saw this movie I wanted to update the tagline:

It's not a remake. It's not a sequel. And it's not based on a Japanese one -It's just a damn boring "original" failure.

I hope the sequel turns out better.

[Peter Neal]

I really enjoyed "Hatchet" for what it was and am very much looking forward to the sequel, which is supposed to be even gorier and will feature slasher-fan-fave Danielle Harris in the lead.

[orgasmo]

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/20539

Adam Green’s Hatchet II will receive its world premiere when it opens this year's Film4 FrightFest on Thursday August 26. Hatchet-man Green, plus leading iconic cast including Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris and Tony Todd will be gracing London's Empire Cinema on Thurs August 26 to kick-off what is expected to be the festival's busiest and most fan-friendly event to date. On the swing side of the event.... although FrightFest have premiered both Hostel and Cabin Fever, Eli Roth will be making his first appearance at FrightFest when he and up-and-coming director Daniel Stamm close the festival with the European premiere of the much-anticipated The Last Exorcism on Monday August 30. Film4 FrightFest 2010 runs from August 26-30 at the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square. Festival & day passes go on sale July 3rd. Tickets for Individual films on sale July 26.

[MarcMorris]

I'll be there - it's the 11th year!