There are those recurring themes in horror flicks that I just don't mind revisiting on a regular basis, heck I even encourage it most of the time. Top of the heap would have to be zombie films. I love myself some zombie films (name a self respecting horror nerd that doesn't!). I like 'em when they're good, I like 'em when they're bad and I especially like 'em when they are ugly. Second on the list would have to be backwoods horror stories. The idea of being lost or trapped in a threatening place, that really shouldn't be all that threatening to begin with is a very basic element of fear and in turn effective as all heck on the silver screen. Wrong Turn takes these themes that we've seen many times over in the likes of Deliverance and The Hills Have Eyes (review here) while attempting to build on these fears 10X over. How successful Wrong Turn is in the long run will solely be determined by your love of the genre (or knowledge of these films to begin with) and tolerance level for all things too familiar.

As with many if not all of the movies that fall into this category, the actual story itself takes a back seat for some more visually horrific backwoods chills. Desmond Harrington (who we thought was great in the indie flick Love Object, review here) stars as Chris Finn, a young man on his way to a job interview through the back roads of West Virginia. A traffic pile up and a run in with the creepy locals prompts a dirt road "short cut." Ultimately Chris' poor planning and bad luck ends with a car wreck. Harrington bands together with some stranded sexilicous young adults (it's their car that he runs into) as portrayed by Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Angel), Emanuelle Chriqui and Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, May), just to name a few of the major players in the stranded motorist department. Before long our young heroes realize that they are being stalked by the mysterious mountain men that inhabit the surrounding areas. The mountain men are an inbred family of mutants who trap 'em and kill 'em for a living, showing no mercy along the way. What follows are a host of obvious (some not so obvious) set ups/action scenes that are designed to test the kids' survival abilities, as expected many don't fare too well in this department.

It's all very familiar, obvious and predictable. While Wrong Turn may be treading a bit to deep in territory that has indeed been fully explored in the past, the enthusiasm for the project is what truly sets it apart. It's evident that everyone involved wanted to do his or her part to make Wrong Turn the latest and greatest without having to succumb to SCREAM quips, or any of that self-referential bullshit that's become so popular with today's horror kids. Wrong Turn has the 70's and 80's written all over it, it's one hell of a throwback and extremely entertaining view in the process, featuring a few standout scenes including the watch tower and auto graveyard. The film itself is about as un PC as you can get with its brutal portrayal of the mountain men and while the film may not be soaked in blood, the onscreen kills that we are treated to are quite gruesome indeed.

Performances are all above average and while I can do without having to see sexy young starlets parading around in tight shorts and halter tops all the time (specifically in a film like this) I fully understand that these are the times that we live in, so I am able to deal. What Wrong Turn lacks in traditional originality, it more than makes up for in sheer audacity and horror film goodness. The make-up on the mountain men (you go Stan Winston) is spectacular and the seamless blending of some CGI and background paintings is surprisingly effective and cool. It's not anything new, but like House of 1000 Corpses (review here) it's a hell of a fun trip.

There has been some question as to the original aspect ratio of Wrong Turn recently, with some listings at 2.35:1 and others at 1.85:1. I am here to tell you that Wrong Turn is presented here in its original 1.85:1 ratio and looks pretty tremendous to boot. For such a low budget production, we're treated to a practically blemish free transfer that boasts solid and sharp colors in an excellent 16X9 transfer. Audio is presented in a refreshingly subtle Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that is extremely effective at the same time. There are no obnoxious surround effects, it's quite tame, but as director Rob Schmidt says during the commentary track, you will feel like the woods are all around you, and yes - this is certainly true. The sound of the wind blowing or leaves rustling will fill the room in an effectively subtle way, very cool.

Extras include the aforementioned commentary track with Schmidt, Dushku and Harrington. The track is fairly light, with a few interesting points brought up, but winds up mostly as filler. As with the film itself, I appreciated the participant's enthusiasm, definitely worth at least one listen, perhaps while you're folding laundry? Since the film is presented on a flipper disc, with the widescreen and full frame versions on opposite sides, the extras are also split between sides A & B. Side A features an Eliza Dushku and Stan Winston Featurette while Side B delivers a trailer, poster art gallery (very brief), effects featurette and a few deleted scenes. It's kind of a pain that the features are split between sides, although the commentary track is featured on both the full frame and widescreen versions. I would have liked to have seen a few more interesting extras, although the dalies of the "barb wire choking scene" (included with the deleted scenes) are pretty nifty.

I enjoyed Wrong Turn when I saw it in theaters and I enjoyed it once again here on home video. It's not breaking the mold mind you, but if you're going to revisit a familiar theme in horrorland this is certainly the way to do it.