The Third Saturday In October (2022)

My quick rating - 4.0/10. This came along with number 5 from the same year (part of the joke, I guess, it is horror/comedy), so I may as well check it out. This movie spends entirely too long on these 4 characters, who are the local pot-heads and their way over-acted interactions with one another and the local townsfolk. On one hand, this flick does a decent job of being a throwback to the 70s in its look. The film stock looks grainy, and the background artifacts like posters and signs look damned authentic. It is a slasher-type film, which is also fitting in that we have a botched execution that takes place seemingly at the local school. They also must kill a lot of criminals in this small town since the electric chair has its own nickname and a little spot for the audience to watch. After the switch has been thrown and the body gets taken away, presumably dead, old Harding, played by Antonio Woodruff, hops out of his coffin and is back to his old tricks. I am also sure that his non-threatening appearance and mannerisms are also part of the joke, which I missed. That is how this movie can be summed up, really. It is not funny enough to be a comedy but not nearly scary enough to be a horror flick. So it more or less fails on both levels while still being mildly entertaining. I found that scenes at the Bronco Burger were stretched out way too long, while scenes involving someone actually being slaughtered were way too short and budget-restricted. For a movie where the killer is on the loose nearly from the get-go, there is so little paid attention to him roaming around, stabbing, and a lot more time worrying about what the oblivious locals are up to. At 98 minutes, I don't want to be thinking about how slow it is going, but that is exactly what was happening. The biggest draw to this movie is its authenticity, since I felt like I just found a movie that literally was made in the 70s, not just emulating it. Those kudos I cannot deny, but the rest of the flick just didn't deliver on the aspects it was shooting for. I guess onto the sequel to see if it redeems itself. The ending made sure you knew another story was on the way for Harding.

Amazon and a few other streamers have this one for rent or buy if it is any good.

The Third Saturday In October (2022)

#horror #jackmeatsflix #IMDB #Plex