I just finished watching the film "Dark Country" made in 2009, directed by and starring Thomas Jane as well as Lauren German and Ron Perlman. Being the horror movie fan that I am, I figured other amateurs of 1960's genre horror film would appreciate knowing about it. Without giving too much away, I will concentrate on the formal qualities of film technique and plot development. No worries, no spoilers ahead.
It is the classic horror newlywed/honeymoon story line: a young woman and seemingly older man have just been married in Vegas and drive across the desert to start a new life. The whole story unfolds over one night. The plot of the story begins when the couple find that they are lost and come across a car accident and a badly hurt man who they evidently pick up. The man's face is badly mangled and covered in blood, obviously setting up the audience for the horror that is about to ensue. Being that there is not much action, the movie relies heavily on the classic 60's horror genre film technique of "contre-plonger" camera angles that create the psychology of terror. Think Alfred Hitchcock meets George Romero with Bruce Campbell. While in the car the filming is done from the front of the car much like the 60's genre. The mood is dark but contemporary. The colours of the images benefit from modern technology as you don't feel frustrated by the quality of light. You can actually see the characters and the background desert while they are driving.
But we eventually see that all is not perfect with this couple. It is not the virtuous couple of the typical 50's movie marriage. By the meager conversation that develops between the half-dead man in the backseat and the wife, Gina, we find out that she was a stripper and that she and the strange man may known each other-- which she denies. The latter, coupled with a wedding in Vegas tells us Dick knows little about Gina's past. There is then arguing, accusations and a tinge of madness that develops in each of the characters that gives us clues to what will eventually unfold.
If all this setting doesn't convince you that the movie is borrowing from the genre and influences I've described, the car the director chose for his protagonist is a 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix should be an obvious clue. At one point, Dick, the husband, now without Gina and the stranger (no spoilers!) comes across a rest station with a handful of abandoned and cobweb-filled 60's style cars. Trying to figure out where he is, he approaches an information/map sign which to his horror, is blank where the only thing written is a dot with "you are here." Ok, yes, we have seen this before but taking into consideration the genre, it is quite fitting and acceptable in this influence. He panics and drives madly down the highway and is stopped by Deputy Thompson (Ron Perlman-- of course!). The deputy is also a key element in this genre of film. He is the voice of reason within madness and is in the end the person who brings all the confusion to light. The story ends with a twilight-zone-style twist.
If you enjoy classic 50's and 60's horror/thriller type films, you will definitely enjoy "Dark Country." It has all the elements that made those films classics without being cheesy.
