Scare Campaign

Finally, an explanation for the corn syrup spike that was the subject of much industry prattle late last year.

If ”100 Bloody Acres” was a wince, then ”Scare Campaign” is a bonafide pillow-facer. Like the then-unique and gruesome ”Saw”, which gave the horror genre a good gassing in the balloon a good decade ago or so, “Acres” helmers Cameron & Colin Cairne’s latest contribution to the fright factory revels in both its craftiness and ickiness. While much of it is hard to watch, because of its realistically bloody kills and spills, the film’s unique, keep-‘em-guessing plot will see even the most chicken of film goers struggling to look anywhere but towards the screen.

Likely inspired by ”Saw” (and who wouldn’t be!? Look what it did for Wan and Whannell!), but also the ever-so-popular horror meets social commentary output put out by the late great Wes Craven in the late ‘90s, “Scare Campaign” fixes on a reality TV show – that pulls pranks where they scare unknowing, innocent victims – that are forced to make some risky, drastic changes in order to get a ratings boost. Some disturbing videos on the web (of course) inspire the producers to take things one step further. Next thing you know the show has set itself up in an abandoned mental asylum (in Beechworth, Victoria) where the kills are about to get very, very real.

While the thing has a great cast – Meegan Warner, Olivia DeJonge,. Ian Meadows, Josh Quong Tart, Patrick Harvey, John Brumpton and more familiar faces from local telly – the stars of the film are undoubtedly the combined powers of the imaginative Cairnes brothers’ and their terrific special and visual effects crew (Justin Dix and company). They’ve plotted this thing to be as sickeningly realistic and as beautifully crafted as some of the classic Hammer Horror flicks from yesteryear. It looks a treat. Sounds a treat. And plays a treat. No, Kate Hudson doesn’t dance around a field smelling daisies at the end but… look, if that’s what you’re after you’ve dialed up the wrong film (let alone page).

It’ll spur different responses from everyone but the only disappointing moment in “Scare Campaign” is the finale – it simply ends too soon. Either that’s because the ending needed one last twist or sting before the credits rolled or because it’s such a fun ride that proceedings dash by too quickly. Likely a bit of both.

Those considering bringing Grandma along to check out the long-awaited screen reunion of darling ‘’SeaChange’’ mother-and-daughter Sigrid Thornton and Cassandra Magrath (who play a couple of the faces behind the show within the film) will want to think twice : Those paddles to the heart can be expensive.

Frightening, fun and inspired, “Scare Campaign” marks all the right boxes – with a razor-sharp scalpel.