DVD review (region 2)
Directed by John Gulager
Starring Balthazar Getty, Henry Rollins, Clu Gulager
Release date 22 September 2008

A bar in the California desert turns into a death trap when a horde of mysterious carnivorous creatures surround the establishment and try to force their way inside…

This was the result of the American television programme Project Greenlight wherein Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Wes Craven presided over a host of potential horror movie projects. Luckily, Feast is an exciting and seriously gory debut offering from director John Gulager (son of Clu – himself no stranger to big screen terror having featured in the likes of The Return of the Living Dead and A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2).

The plot plays out the tried and tested scenario of Night of the Living Dead all over again: a group of bickering personalities are trapped in the middle of nowhere and placed against a group of marauding ghouls. This time the zombies are replaced by toothsome beasts with acidic vomit and an incurable hunger for human flesh. The result is some high suspense, and Evil Dead-type splatter-comedy. But Feast never quite reaches its potential, largely because it feels a bit too much like a second-hand B-movie. Even so, this is about as skilful as a Romero rip-off can get.

The DVD has a fine audio commentary track, featurettes and some deleted scenes. Calum Waddell

VERDICT: 7/10
A feast worth having, but you’ve tasted this meal many times before.