Trailer Park of Terror (2008)

All Norma wants to do is go out with a man that won’t treat her like trash.  But when it looks like that is going to happen the residents at the trailer park she lives in manage to accidentally kill him while harassing her.  This really makes Norma mad, so mad when the mysterious man offers her a gun she takes it and takes out her frustration on her fellow trailer park residents.  This isn’t any normal gun because they just don’t die, but come back as the undead doomed to kill those who have the misfortune of visiting the Trailer Park of Terror.  The latest victims are a bus of delinquents and the preacher that is driving their bus.  Will any of them make it out alive?  Will Norma ever find a nice man? 

This movie starts off like most of the direct to DVD horror films that I’ve watched over the years.  The introduction of Norma and the trailer park is kind of fun and their deaths are amusing.  But I wasn’t really interested in the stereotypical characters that populate the bus of delinquents and found their characters all too predictable.  But when the get stranded and the killings start the movie starts to get really good.  I love the zombie versions of he characters that have some great lines.  Sure we have all seen the hillbilly as killers thing done to death (H.G. Lewis did it best) but that doesn’t mean it still can’t be fun.  My favorite is Roach, the pot growing country music star want to be who belts out tunes from the roof of his trailer.  So while the victims aren’t that interesting the killers are and that makes the movie a real blast.  Plus how often do you see the undead having a good old-fashioned demolition derby?  I’m of two opinions with the cast.  The actors that play the victims are bland and uninteresting to me.  But the actors that play the zombies are far more interesting and have all the best lines.  This might not be fair to the actors playing the kids, but it is the truth.

When the movie started off I was really worried.  Right from the start some CGI is used for the nighttime driving scenes.  This consists of a couple of overhead shots that look like they belonged in a video game, which I don’t consider a good thing.  So I was prepared to be disappointed, but was shocked when the rest of the effects were practical!  Not only that but there are some great kills in this movie including a death that is culminated with a violent “happy ending” and an excellent example of why you should just say no to drugs.  I also really enjoyed the design of the undead trailer park inhabitants.  Each character’s look has special touches that make then unique and different. 

This is a fun movie with great kills and excellent villains.  What else can you ask for as a horror fan?  I recommend that everyone at least give this movie a rental if not a purchase.  Though I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you might add it to your collection afterwards, just like I did.

3 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2009 John Shatzer