MicroCinema Scene

Veteran b-movie producer Don Dohler and novice director Joe Ripple bring you Harvesters, a blissfully-crazed, tongue-in-cheek movie that’s pretty high on body count and special effects, but which also seems dedicated to paying tribute to one of the more forgotten sub-genres of horror: the twisted family picture. (Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

Harvesters crosses the paths of a gang of criminals on the run with an apparently very normal family who have a very peculiar home-run business going on in their basement. The shooting and direction are pretty top-notch for this level of moviemaking, and minus one exploitative digression (involving a blood-filled bathtub and its gorgeous bather) and the introduction of two characters that appear only for the sake of being killed, the story stays on track. Additionally, the gore effects were largely computer-generated, so it’s interesting to see what can be done in no-budget post-production nowadays.

The acting, lighting and sound are handled very well overall, and the movie is a shining example of what can be done with a little effort and a fun storyline. It does have faulty moments – the strip club sequence comes to mind – but its worst sections are better than most b-movies’ best parts.

The DVD comes with a great behind-the-scenes piece during which no-budget moviemakers can see just what it takes to make something look this good with a Canon GL-1 MiniDV camera.  Impressive! 

Three Stars.

Running Time: 90 minutes
Director: Joe Ripple
Writer: Don Dohler
Score: ***
Web Site: Timewarp Films

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