2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams DVD: Review By B. Alan Orange

There's a lot of nudity and a lot of gratuitous violence. If that's not what you're looking for, why the heck did you rent or buy this? The cover says it all: Boobs, blades, and Buckman. Nothing more, nothing less. This quasi-follow-up to 2005's 2001 Maniacs, which was more a tribute than sequel to Herschel Gordon Lewis' own 1964 schlock epic Two Thousand Maniacs!, plays like a goofy exploitation comedy. Its not at all concerned with being a straight-up horror flick in the least bit. The plot is more than a bit dated as it riffs on Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie's reality show The Simple Life. We get a Winnebago-driven reality crew headlined by the Sheraton sisters. Two dopey, oversexed brats without a thought or care in the world. They are traveling the back roads of Iowa, shooting a reality-based sitcom, when they happen upon the (very) Southern residents of Pleasant Valley. This strange family-of-sorts is smack-dab in the middle of a Bicentennial honoring the 2001 Rebels who died trying to protect their land. The cannibal clan is quick to usher in the two lost heiresses and their companions. And they quickly make them part of their Guts N' Glory traveling road show. Which is a coup for the Sheraton Sister's producer and director, who both believe they are capturing ratings gold by filming Mayor Buckman and his lascivious followers. Little do they know; they are about to be served as dinner. The build up is a bit slow as each character gets a proper introduction. We're treated to a great barrel role right off the bat, which is a direct nod to H.G. Lewis' original flick. It finds a sheriff being tucked into a wooden barrel, rolled down a ramp, and shot into a bull's eye peppered with gnarly blades. We also get to see a woman ripped apart by a saw blade, which tears directly into her vagina. There's a painful ode to Brokeback Mountain that sees a gay man broken in half and then eaten alive. The gore is very cheap and cartoonish, but it's saved by the constant presence of Christa Campbell who gets a lot of mileage out of teasing us with her ample breasts. There isn't much merit to these proceedings. Or any underlining message except that Lin Shaye sure likes to stroke a corncob. If you enjoy pure, unadulterated schlock cinema, this has your number all over it. Its basically harmless fun, and won't be taken seriously by anyone who sees it. Though, it could warp a few young minds for the better. It's a rental, not a purchase.

Tim Sullivan gives an audio commentary; detailing the ten-day shoot he recklessly threw his crew into. He also serves up a behind-the-scenes look at the film, detailing the changes and challenges going between Part 1 and Part 2. He's an upbeat guy with a lot of great stories. It's obvious that he just wants to have fun, and he truly seems to hope people enjoy watching this as much as he enjoyed making it. Both extras are insightful, and useful for anyone eager to embark on their own low budget filmmaking journey. We also get a slide show of images featuring every actor in the film along with various different pieces of artwork. And an uncensored trailer.

The film is presented in the full frame aspect ratio of 1.78:1. In color. The runtime is one hour and twenty-six minutes. The film is unrated for gratuitous scenes of violence and sexuality.

The audio mix is all over the place. Sometimes it's too high; sometimes it's too low. Worst sound I have seen in a wide release DVD. It is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround (I think). Subtitles are in English SDH and Spanish.

With its white and blood-red color scheme, and its ubiquitous gore covered saw blades, it would be easy to mistake this for the latest Saw sequel. As it's curbing directly from that sales method. Christa Campbell is prominently featured all over the box, which is a very good thing. We get Bill Mosley in his Confederate eye-patch pointing and screaming at us, "Hey, you better buy this DVD! Or I'll kill you and eat you!" There are some crazy images on the back that certainly peak my interest. This doesn't look like your average Z level horror flick. It seems to have a little bit more panache going on. I'd definitely want to check it out.

T*ts and gore. Need I say more? I think it would be pointless. You know if you're going to like this just by looking at the cover. If you have to question the rental or purchase at all, its best that you put it right back on the shelf from which it came.