Hatchet

Adam Green's giddy slice-and-dice splatter flick is so 1980s-inspired that it can't help but feel like a nostalgia trip. Focusing on a group of New Orleans tourists embarking on an unauthorized bayou excursion—and the murderous mutant legend that supposedly still stalks the swamp—Hatchet offers the typical slasher setup, accessorized by a genuine sense of genre humor. Among the stereotypes on hand are horny college kids, know-it-all elders, and a mysterious girl with a secret. Add in an ample amount of gore and you wind up with a film that is both horror homage and up-to-date deconstruction of the genre, one that will surely appeal to B-movie aficionados. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director Adam Green, cinematographer Will Barratt, and costars Tamara Feldman, Joel David Moore, and Deon Richmond, a 39-minute “making-of” featurette, a “Guts & Gore” behind-the-scenes featurette (11 min.), a “Meeting Victor Crowley” character featurette with costar Kane Hodder (10 min.), “A Twisted Tale” featuring Green and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister (9 min.), an “Anatomy of a Kill” scene-specific featurette (6 min.), a four-minute gag reel, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a so-so horror flick.] (B. Gibron)