YellowBrickRoad is Indie Art House Horror That Doesn't Take it Too Far
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YellowBrickRoad is wrought with discussion-provoking imagery and deep meanings (or not.) but still has plenty of violent gore.
Written by The Horror Czar , Don Sumner
May 22, 2011
Movie Trailer
Image Gallery
Release: June 1 2011 (Limited U.S. Theatrical)
Written and Directed by: Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton
Starring:
Clark Freeman as Daryl Luger
Anessa Ramsey as Melissa Barnes
Laura Heisler as Liv McCann
Alex Draper as Walter Myrick
Michael Laurino as Teddy Barnes
"In the Fall of 1940, the entire population of Friar, NH abandoned their homes and walked up an ancient trail, never to be seen alive again. Their fates have remained a mystery for over 70 years, until a team of researchers discover the trailhead and attempt to track the path the doomed citizens of Friar took."
That set-up is emblazed across the screen in the opening minutes of YellowBrickRoad. Immediately afterward Teddy Barnes (Michael Laurino) rushes into an office of records to ask again for any documentation or details regarding the Friar, New Hampshire event, an exercise he has gone through many times over the years of his obsession with the mysterious happening. Teddy is a writer and longs to walk the trail and find answers to why so many seemed to pick up and walk away to their peril. Miraculously this time the clerk hands everything over; pictures, police reports, recordings. and a map. The trail head is found and Michael immediately makes plans for an expedition with his wife Melissa (Anessa Ramsey) and family friend Walter (Alex Draper).
The Barnes' assemble a group of explorers to assist with the expedition and head off to Friar to see what they can find. What they find defies explanation, and this trip will become the most impactful of their lives.
YellowBrickRoad had an estimated budget of $500,000, and it appears that a vast majority of these dollars were applied to cinematography; the film is gorgeous. Most of the action takes place out on the trail and the scenes are well shot and very well edited. The sound and music is also fantastic.
YellowBrickRoad is extremely character and performance driven, and the performances are exceptional across the board. Hints of the inner person can be seen in each character from the beginning, and as the trek along the trail continues the darkness within each slowly rises to the surface. This film works on the strength of the actors and their seeming willingness to put their all into it and really expose themselves. Loosely seeming to follow the guidelines of Dante's Inferno the group of explorer descend from the Limbo of Friar through the circles of Hell as their dark side becomes the primary, showing less and less evidence of light.
This is where the art house comes in: YellowBrickRoad is quite experiential rather than particularly being about anything specific - other than a trip down a fabled trail and the psychological decline of the hikers along the way. This is a film that one thinks about afterward, and even those who don't typically discuss the deep meanings of their horror may find themselves theorizing. I've shared my theory, Dante's Inferno being the framework, but it will be interesting to hear what other theories arise. I can tend to have trouble with "artsy" horror where self-important filmmakers relish the thought of black-wearing Intelligentsia pondering their deep symbolisms. I always suspect that nobody really gets their meanings but the black-wearing yay-hoos don't want to lose face with their Intelligentsia friends so they pretend they find meaning when they don't actually have any idea what's going on. Typically pretty lame. Somehow YellowBrickRoad doesn't fall into this trap in my view.
The big kicker is the end of YellowBrickRoad. Maybe some folks will be expecting it, but I can't imagine it. I'm not sure I even get it, but don't tell the yay-hoos in black or they may not invite me to their next poetry reading.
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