I think it says a lot about a film when the credit sequence doesn’t include character names. In newer independent and low (think lower) budget films, this seems to be a tactic that is used to create a sense of one for all and all for one – camaraderie – the sense that no one is above anyone else. All the actors are lumped together, no one gets any shining spotlight, and the crew is highlighted as strongly as the cast. However, this can make reviewing these films excruciating… and with a film like CRY HAVOC not too much help was needed in that regard.

A young reporter, Ellen Weaver (Emily Sweet) gets the interview of the century when she’s allowed into the home of an uber-secretive snuff filmmaker (Richard Tyson) known only as “Voyeur”. Voyeur uses his sprawling property as the location for his own personal reality show. He lures in young women promising them fame and fortune, only to allow his killer friend Havoc (JD Angstadt) take care of them in his own special way. Voyeur believes this is right – that he somehow understands the deeper meaning of life better than most – and that these hungry young actresses (and our hungry young reporter) deserve everything they get. Within moments Ellen finds herself as part of the game – and starring in her own gruesome reality show meets hell on earth.

Simultaneously, a desperate detective (Robert Bronzi) is seeking justice for his missing daughter. He hasn’t seen her in over a decade, but after she was reported missing by her mother, he pulls whatever strings he can to get to the bottom of her case – and tracks her to the Voyeur’s property. As he searches desperately for his daughter, he meets Ellen and finds out exactly how sick and twisted this case is. Now Havoc will have to face the both of them as they seek answers and justice.

It’s a bold and slightly foolhardy choice to continually go up against the legacies of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers (just to name a few) but it seems that Playing with Dolls writer/director/cinematographer/editor Rene Perez doesn’t mind the pressure. Havoc is a slasher trying to fill the undeniable and extra huge sized shoes of horror greats, and the comparisons and similarities are innumerable. Havoc has a look designed for horror cons and haunt events. Hulking, masked, dirty. Gloves and leather and odds and ends. A nasty toothed saw. He’s a character designer’s dream come true. His kills are gruesome – enough to make even the heartiest among us (me, for example) flinch and recoil in horror. (Major kudos to Oliver Müller, who is credited for “Special Gore Effects” – a remarkably specific title). There’s a torture porn quality to CRY HAVOC — which is to say, it’s an incredibly acquired taste.

I don’t think I could review CRY HAVOC without highlighting Robert Bronzi – who is a dead ringer for late 60s or 70s era Charles Bronson. So much so that I continually found myself suspending my disbelief and believing I was looking at Bronson. The character himself is also a perfect Bronson type, and his long 70s hair and cheesy mustache along with his action star style abilities add up to create a perfectly dated homage. It’s not the only one in this film – Ellen appears on the scene in an outfit that’s a near duplicate of Laurie Strode’s famous Halloween night outfit – light blue button down and high waisted flared jeans. The lighting in the Voyeur’s house/room/office (this is unclear) is a red and blue Suspiria style freakout.

It’s clear that CRY HAVOC was made with a lot of love for the genre, even if budget and skills were lacking. The script is wishy washy at best, the production value is at times unbelievable (shouting out those Gore Effects again) and at other times bargain basement. There are odd and delightful and confusing choices made every step of the way. I don’t see CRY HAVOC being a film I’ll just throw on when I want a wild, gory, romp — but I do see it having one hell of an afterlife in the cult horror world. Get ready, Monsterpalooza. Havoc’s coming for you.

6/10 stars