Day 27: Jug Face (2012)

Can a once-prolific blogger who hasn't written 31 posts all year find it in his soul to review 31 previously unseen horror films in 31 days of October? Let's find out...

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Back to the well with Amazon Prime Instant. But only because this is a new release, and because it's named Jug Face. C'mon...that's awesome! I don't even have a clue as to what it's about, and it's awesome. It's so awesome that I'm naming my first-born Jug Face. "C'mon little Juggy, time for dinner!" Jeez...it's a good thing I decided never to have kids a long fucking time ago. Poor, little Jug Face would have gotten his ass kicked in recess every single day.

By the way, Jug Face is in no way associated with Juggalos. Juggalos are much, much more frightening.

Ah, backwoods country America...I love ya! Where young women are unwillingly joined in marriage to the awkward neighbor boy. Where local town-folk pray to the thing in the pit in the middle of the forest. Where personal hygiene is just as important as that high school diploma that you're never gonna get. Wouldn't want to live there, but boy-oh-chef-boyardee are they fun settings for horror flicks.

The young woman in question has been having sex with her brother (backwoods America!) prior to her unwanted betrothal. And remember that pit I was telling you about? Well, this slow-witted dude makes whiskey jugs from clay (backwoods America!) featuring the face of one of the town-folk. And if it's your face on that jug you get sacrificed to the pit-thing. Guess who's face wound up on that whiskey jug? Nothing is going well for this young lady. So she hides her brotherly lust along with the jug.

But the pit-thing must be appeased. Without it's sacrifice, it awakens and it starts a'killing. The slow-witted jug maker apparently makes them in a state of ecstasy, so he has no idea whose face is on the jug or if he even made one. It's quite the conundrum for these simple, pit-fearing folk. And that's when the fun begins.

One big problem I had with the film was the awful special effects that high-lighted the "shunned people". The shadowy light that surrounded them looked like something out of Star Trek. From the 1960's. Yeah, it was bad and unnecessary. Besides that it was okay. I mean, it started off strong. Real strong. Country strong. But it just didn't sustain that strong start over the second and third acts. Interesting concept and well-acted, but ultimately disappointing.

Yet, something has stuck with me with this film. I went back and watched several scenes over again after my first viewing. It really was such a great concept. Maybe I'll like it more on subsequent viewings.


Verdant Dude rating: 2.5 out of 5 pumpkins