Memorial Valley Massacre

Whatever else I may say about Memorial Valley Massacre, I'll say this: I haven't seen too many cavemen serial killers in cinema. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Judging from this movie there's a reason for it.

The movie takes place in a camping ground, Memorial Valley. Bad things have been happening, but it doesn't keep the park from opening. This is partially due to the obsession of the park ranger who has hidden ties to the area and events. As the park staff and unruly campers clash people start dying. When the people start realizing they are actually being murdered they attempt to fight back, but resistance is futile.

This is typical B movie slasher in pretty much every way. The acting is weak though not all of it is necessarily terrible. The scares are often goofy (particularly the truck pushed down the hill – who's really going to just stand there and watch it fall on top of them?) though the movie does manage to create some modicum of actual tension.

A number of things don't make sense, not the least of which is some of the strategies that end up getting people killed. One of the biggies for me was how a caveman would know how to sabotage an RV to turn it into a bomb or how to operate a bulldozer. He's a freakin' cave-man - that's the whole point of him. At least have him, I don't know, fumble with the bulldozer controls or something not throw the levers like he's a seasoned pro. That's B movie magic for you.

I do give them kudos for trying to create a mysterious backstory to add a layer to the characters. In broad concept it's even not that bad. However, while it explains the actions of the park ranger, it seems to think it also explains the actions of the killer but doesn't. Sometimes the killer has a visible motivation, other times we can only wonder.

MORALITY:

The violence worsens as the movie progresses. There's a lot of death from stabbings and beatings. A lot of the deaths are rather cheesy in their graphical depictions but will still be enough to disturb sensitive viewers.

While technically there is no nudity we do see a girl in a nearly transparent wet shirt. A sex scene gets very close to showing nudity but places arms and other things so they just barely cover the more sensitive areas. The villain feels up a girl before he kills her.

There is plenty of strong language.

SPIRITUALITY:

Don't trust a killer caveman.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a goofy, mindless thriller. It's not as bad as some I've reviewed, but it certainly doesn't have much to merit a high rating. Check it out only if you like B grade slashers.

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