Thousand Words: Bloodline, A
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Sometimes it’s the simple horror stories that are the best. To tell a story straight and to the point…a great “boo!” point without the fluff. Like the old “Tales from the Crypt” series on HBO…everything in one episode, that’s how I like my scary stories.


“A Thousand Words: Bloodline” is a roughly 30 minute short by Tempered Zealot, a production outfit out of my stomping grounds in central Ohio. Rest assured, I might go a little easy on a piece out of my hometown, but in this instance, I didn’t have to, this was a damned fine story no matter where it was filmed. It was so well done in fact, I had no freekin’ clue it was a sequel until after I had watched it.


The story is as old as time – nerdy Steven is getting bullied by his neighbor after getting caught taking pictures of his girlfriend, Jennifer. Hey, it happens to the best of us. You take your beating and move on. But in today’s tale…it’s not that simple. Steven’s dad, Ian, is also an avid photographer, who doesn’t take to kindly to his son being on the receiving end of a can of whoopass. This is where his other hobby comes into play. See, Ian is also a serial killer…and he has no problem letting his axe do the talking.


Through some well crafted flashbacks we learn that Ian has been working on his axe swinging technique for quite some time, and we get an inkling of why this is a one parent home.


The gore effects were above par – nothing too over-the-top, just some nice simple gash wounds and a little gut-work, but well done nonetheless. Since we’re only in for a half an hour, the pace is nice and brisk, and we learn just enough about all the characters to appreciate the final outcome. Some of you artsy fans may want more focus on what makes Ian and Steven tick – but screw that – if they’re nuts, so be it! Let the axe fly I say!


For an indie release, the overall presentation was brilliant. Sound and lighting were top notch, and the whole piece was well edited. This was closer to ready for prime time than most low-budget fare that cross this desk.


If you enjoy your horror stories straightforward and to the point, I recommend you check out “A Thousand Words: Bloodline”. It’s a very entertaining story of a father’s love, and I’m always a fan of a jock getting it in the end. 4 cans out of 5.

Added:  Monday, March 26, 2007

Related Link:  Official site
Language: eng[ Did you find this review helpful?  Yes  No ]
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