For years I've felt that Jeff Lieberman is one of the best unknown horror directors around. His first two films SQUIRM and BLUE SUNSHINE scored in all area including: originality, suspense, and genuine scares. Unfortunately this attempt, which is a strange mixture of DELIVERANCE and BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, just doesn't work. Concerns a bunch of very typical young people, who look just ripe for scaring, going into the woods and then become terrorized by some mutant twins. Of course it takes about 50 minutes of warnings, false alarms, and teasers before the action really gets going. Then when it does it just isn't very scary. The mutants look more like a couple of fat slobs (or even ESPN's Chris Berman with a puffy forehead) then anything frightening or monstrous. The mountain family that the kids come upon are so stereotyped that they almost seem silly. A very unfortunate and forgettable misfire.
Review of Just Before Dawn
