Watching Satan’s Playground was something of an unusual experience for me. First and foremost, I’m not a fan of horror. I’ve seen my fair share of horror classics dating through the mid 1980s, but by and large it’s just not my thing. Only rarely will I turn my attention to a horror film. That brings me to the second reason why the experience was a bit unusual. You see, while covering last year’s Fangoria convention for this site, I was afforded an opportunity to preview scenes from this film - it really grabbed my attention for reasons I'm about to go into - and later to score an exclusive interview with director Dante Tomaselli, who proved to be a thoughtful, fascinating guy. So going into this film, I already had some background with it.

But there was something much more important that colored my viewing. The fact that it was filmed right in my proverbial backyard.

The woods the characters are running through, fleeing for their lives? Those are my woods in a very real way. I’ve hiked in those woods. I’ve walked those paths. I’ve driven those roads. Not in a vague, “same patch of real estate” sort of way, either. The very same buildings featured in the film are in my personal photo albums. The very same paths these characters walk along are paths I have walked. I know the feel of those woods; they way the winds blows through the trees; how the chilled winter air feels at night.

You see, Satan’s Playground is, in part, a riff on the legend of the Jersey Devil, a demonic presence said to inhabit vast expanse of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the 13th child of a 19th Century woman called Mrs. Leeds. Take a long hike through the sparse, drab forest of scrub pines that dominate centralNew Jersey, and it’s not hard to imagine how and why such a legend came about. There is something unsettling about the air there (no New Jersey jokes, please!); about the way the sunlight filters through the canopy; about the way all that life can look so dead.

I know these woods. Some of my best memories are in those woods. But I also remember how downright creepy they can be.

And so it was that I launched into Satan’s Playground, Tomaselli's mash-up of the Jersey Devil legend.

Despite utilizing aspects of the Devil legend, it would be untrue to suggest that Satan’s Playground treads new thematic or storytelling ground for the horror genre. While one might be inclined to mine it for subtext about family, internal demons, purity, and trust, its surface is pretty damn typical. A family on a trip gets stuck in an out-of-the-way location – in this case, the Pine Barrens - encounter evils both natural and supernatural, and die one by one. It’s a description one could use for dozens of other films. Don’t expect this film to go anywhere you haven't before. Or anywhere, for that matter. It doesn’t. It’s an exercise in style, not in storytelling. While more clearly focused and accessible than Tomaselli’s previous films, Horror and Desecration, the narrative is pretty thin. Very thin.

But that doesn't mean there is nothing here to see. Stylistically, Satan’s Playground has a lot to like. Tomaselli has a knack for picking interesting angles, composing great looking shots, and for using the space in a frame to great effect. While working in a drab, all but empty location, he manages to create one great looking shot after another. He knows how to move that camera around, too, with dramatic pushes and pulls at all the right moments, Kurosawa-esque horizontal pans, and hazy point of view shots. Visually, it’s a lovely film in its haunting ugliness. While the narrative left me wanting more, I was continually impressed by Tomaselli’s way of setting mood and tone with the camera. This guy can make some pretty pictures.

All in all, what we’ve got here is something of a homage to 1970s horror cinema, apparent in the story, style, presentation … and the acting.

The cast isn’t going to win any Oscars, no. Yes, at times their delivery is kind of stilted, especially in the earliest scenes – but by and large their performances are stronger than you’d expect considering this is a low-budget, 1970s style horror movie made in the backwoods of New Jersery. With no dialogue at all, Christie Sanford manages to creep you the hell out as the maniacal Leeds daughter, the ancient Irma St. Paule makes a great Mrs. Leeds, whose gravely voice reeks of evil, and Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) brings the terror hard in the film’s second half, emoting well with her big, expressive eyes. Ellen Sandweiss (Evil Dead) could be more convincing, but she does “scared” pretty well. Too bad the cast is rather stiff during the opening scenes in the car, because they do they get better as the film goes on.

Oh, and Salvatore Paul Piro? I’d like to drink beers with that guy. Don’t ask me why, I just would.

Also, he makes a good corpse.

For genre fans, there is one last thing I should make clear: if you want horror horror, you’re not likely to find it here. The gore factor is pretty slim. The scares are less visceral and more cerebral. It’s not the sort of relentless assault on the senses you’d find in, say, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If you’re looking for scares or new and inventive ways to see dismemberment, this is not the film for you. However, if you’re looking for a slow-burning thriller with just enough strangeness to keep you unsettled, beautifully shot and stylized, Satan’s Playground fits the bill. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is a well-crafted foray into 1970s style horror.

Disc Presentation
This being an Anchor Bay release, it shouldn't be altogether surprising that the quality of the presentation is generally quite good - these folks know what they're doing, after all – but it is surprising. At least, a little bit, it is. Filmed with a fairly small budget, in the woods, in the dead of winter ... you think it will look good? I wouldn't expect it to look good. But it does. Blacks are a bit washed and grey, but overall the colors are bright and vibrant when cutting through the moody murk Tomaselli creates.

As far as the sound goes, it's no surprise the mix here is a good one. Tomaselli does much of his own music and pays close attention to the impact audio can have on the viewing experience. The score is appropriate and non-intrusive, the dialogue always clear, and the overall ambiance of the subdued surround track quite good. The Matrix it ain't, but then, it's not aiming to be.

Disc Extras
Achor Bay? The extras are going to be great, right! Sorry. Wrong.

The extra features were, I’m sorry to say, on the disappointing side. Having spoken with director Dante Tomaselli before, both in person and via email, I know he’s an articulate, thoughtful and intelligent guy. Why, then, is our behind the scenes feature little more than a montage of production footage set to a musical score? I’d like to hear what he has to say; his thoughts in filmmaking and the themes he works with and his influences and all the rest. I want to know about how difficult it was to film in the Pine Barrens (Tomaselli told me the bitter cold made night shoots a difficult experience), about working with performers from his favorite films, and more.

Yes, yes, he covers all that and more on the director’s commentary – a very good track during which Tomaselli gives you good insight into his personal creative process - but I’m a whore for documentary material, so the lightness of the behind the scenes doc was disappointing. No interviews with the cast, even! (The commentary track is quite good, though. I may not be a fan of the genre, but I really enjoy hearing him talk about his working mindset.)

The short piece Dante Tomaselli And The Jersey Devil is worth the five or six minutes, though. He explains a little bit about the Jersey Devil legend, why it interested him, and how it prompted him to make this film. I would have preferred this to be a smaller segment in a longer doc, but I'll take what I can get.

Rounding things out are some irritating trailers that open up the disc every time you pop it in, and your usual poster and stills gallery.

Despite my gripes about the behind the scenes footage, it's hard to argue that this extra material is sparse, considering Satan's Playground was a rather small release.

The Bottom Line
Satan's Playground received some pretty strong pre-release praise, setting expectations high. In some cases, really high. Understand that you're not walking into a low-budget classic ala Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but rather a very stylistic, capable film that hearkens to the same era, and your expectations will likely be met. The story is sparse, but the style is compelling.

Horror fan or not, I enjoyed the ride. Manage your expectations, and you will, too.