Joanie (Katie Harbridge) is a reporter with mental health issues who decides to get away from it all and goes on a vacation in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Along the way, she stops to take pictures at a rundown haunted house attraction called “Blood Cove” where she is kidnapped by a killer in a skull mask known only as “The Skull”. Her father (Deron Morgan) wants to know what’s being done about her disappearance, and together with a doubtful detective (Jeff Angel), they investigate the seemingly deserted attraction.
Blood Cove may be a low budget horror flick, but it’s rather competent in most respects. The characters have a little more personality than usual, and some of the suspense scenes are handled assuredly enough. Things kick off with a decent opening sequence where The Skull torments a tied-up hostage, and the scene where the killer stalks Harbridge through the titular establishment works reasonably well. The Skull himself cuts a memorable figure as his bony visage makes for an intimidating silver screen slasher.
Sadly, the pacing starts to drag once Harbridge disappears from the narrative. The long scenes of Morgan wandering aimlessly around the swamp and yelling, “Joanie!” don’t help either, as they quickly become tiresome. Although it sort of finds its footing once again late in the game, it’s pretty much undone by the weak kills and some fake looking effects. (Like the pole through the head gag.)
Harbridge makes for a likeable heroine, and it’s a shame she’s kept off screen for so much of the second half. George Stover is the only “name” star as the town crazy who knows there’s a killer lurking in the haunted house, but of course (say it with me) no one believes him. It’s Tara Bixler though who steals the movie as the horny cop who makes it a priority to bang all the new police recruits.
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