The Ridge
The Ridge
R | 05 October 2005 (USA)
The Ridge Trailers

Some people travel to their vacation property, and are attacked by a hooded killer.

Reviews
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.
Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Michael Ledo Cabin in woods, cue spinner, and we get axe slasher. Noah (Neal Bledsoe) and his girlfriend Anna (Lauren Powell) go to his parent's secluded mountain home, one that is much nicer than anything I have owned or will own. He also takes a long his brother Blake (Brett Haley) an obnoxious, rejected, frustrated individual who is frequently called a DH. To pour salt in the wound his ex-gf Cara (Lydia Hyslop) comes along as well as a college jock friend (Jesse Patch) who wants to hook up with Cara.The film opens with bad acting, bad dialogue and a lame soundtrack and doesn't get any better. There is a story about a Hunter who kills people on the Ridge and that is our killer introduction. Normally these types of films show a killing in the beginning to peak out interest and then relate it later on. This one did not. The killings took place in the dark and were not graphic, even with an axe.The biggest horror was when 4 people were all screaming and talking at the same time. The film attempted to get sexy as Anna takes a dip in a striped bathing suit. She removes her bottoms, which are now flowered and tosses them at her boyfriend, then a moment later has on the original bottoms. Like Ed Wood would say, "Who would notice?" That is how bad the directing and editing was on the film.Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.
Wuchak RELEASED IN 2005, "The Ridge" chronicles events when five college youths take a getaway to a luxurious vacation home on a scenic ridge and somehow incur the wrath of the legendary Ridge Runner, a murderous woodsman.This is a micro-budge film written and directed by Brett Haley, who also stars as the semi-pathetic Blake who's rejected by the woman he craves and disrespected by his brother (Neal Bledsoe) and another dude before going off to brood. Will his suppressed rage conjure up a beast from his Id that will give birth to the rash, murderous actions he could only daydream about with his conscious mind à la "Forbidden Planet"?I was wondering if that was how the film would pan out, but I'm not going to say.Anyway, "The Ridge" begins with all the hallmarks of spare change budget fare, like poor sound, hand-held cams, less-than-stellar acting and dull dialogue/drama. The entire first half of the movie (43 minutes) is like this, which will tempt some viewers to tune out, but that would be a mistake because everything kicks into gear at the halfway point and Hayley's talent is showcased from there out. Seriously, the change in quality is so great that "The Ridge" is almost like two movies. Drama obviously isn't Haley's forte, but suspense/horror definitely is. The quality score by Austin Donohue accentuates the suspense.Lydia Hyslop as Cara is a highlight; she's sweet & beautiful and (almost) worth the price of admission. Neal Bledsoe plays the main dude; I hear he went on to greater things.Someone compared "The Ridge" to the Friday the 13th movies and said that it was better than some of the sequels. While it's true that it's a taken from the Friday the 13th mold, it lacks the budget of any of those films and is therefore one-dimensional and amateurish by comparison (the first half, at least). It also lacks the humor of some of the sequels of that franchise. It's totally serious, particular once the killer is revealed. Speaking of which, I like the fact that the Ridge Runner is presented as a mysterious killing machine with zero attempt to explain his (or her) insane actions, except for the legends spoken about him, but only in hushed tones late at night when the fires burn low.THE FILM RUNS 87 minutes and was shot on a ridge somewhere in the East, likely Pennsylvania or New York (I don't know; I'm just guessing; there's no info about the shooting locations in the end credits or elsewhere, probably because they didn't pay for permits).GRADE: First half C- and second half A for a balanced grade of B-
Sam Sundquist Five college students gather to spend the weekend at an isolated mountain retreat. Two are brothers; most are friends. Yet when they couple up, one will inevitably be left out, scorned not merely by the woman he loves but by his own brother. As he broods alone at midnight, will his suppressed rage engender a monster from the Id who will enact the fantasies of vengeance he wouldn't dare entertain in his conscious mind? Alas, no. But when he recounts an urban legend about a hunter who terrorizes the unsuspecting denizens of the local forest, we know that another sort of rampage can't be far behind.'The Ridge' provides a measure of entertainment value, though perhaps not in the way its creators intended. Its premise, performances, and production values inspire laughter more than terror. But it does feature solid pacing, and it effectively suggests what it can't graphically depict. In the end, only its technical limitations truly set it apart from its big-budget brethren. Hackneyed plots and amateurish acting are, after all, the lifeblood of horror cinema. So if viewers find too much fault with this hopefully-witting B movie, they ultimately have a problem with the genre, not 'The Ridge.'I admit that I watched this only because I am related to its leading man, Neal Bledsoe. He has since moved on to projects far more likely to burnish his reputation. But 'The Ridge' could rise again, as a re-released DVD prominently featuring his image in order to capitalize on his subsequent stardom. It happened with Naomi Watts's pre-fame thriller about a homicidal elevator, 'The Shaft.' When that happens, Neal will know he's truly made it.
Pierre St. Thomas St. Christopher Like many of you, I came across this film in a four-pack of other forgettable B-movie horror flicks. That being said, I wasn't expecting to be entertained by any stretch of the imagination. As it turns out, I was horribly mistaken.The Ridge (Runner) is non-stop hilarity from beginning to end. From the opening sequence where Cara and the jock playfully discuss sentence structures, to the belabored discussion of the 'mess' left by Mr. Jenkins, to Blake's inability to shut the 'heck' up, it's laugh-out-loud fun for the whole (18 and over) family. Are there plot-flaws? Sure! Does it matter? No! The Ridge is a B-movie powerhouse filled with a few scares, quasi-decent acting, and non-stop laughing. In fact, it is a group favorite on movie night. There is only one question that my friends and I have. During the 15-minute continuous scene at the house (btw, doesn't the house look like an Elementary School when they drive up?) when Noah, Noah's GF, and the jock are talking, does Noah in fact state "Get her, Tiger! Get her, poop!" ?? I can't tell, but it sure sounds like it. To me, that question far surpasses knowing the true identity of the Ridge Runner. Favorite Characters: 1) The Raccoon from Blake's story 2) Mr. Jenkins 3) Noah and Blake's mom
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