Review of Just Before Dawn

(***1/2 out of *****) So, maybe this is a derivative cross between "Deliverance" and "The Hills Have Eyes" (which, itself, borrowed heavily from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") -- I still enjoyed it as much as "Hills." Ignoring the cryptic warnings of forest ranger George Kennedy (who talks to his plants), a group of kids go up into the mountains to look at a piece of land one of them owns and to camp and do some mountain-climbing (this was filmed on location at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, so the cinematography is refreshingly beautiful and authentic.) Alas, no sooner does the gang set up the tents and get settled than a big, inbred mountain man with a raspy laugh and a rusty machete starts a backwoods game of search and destroy. There are some irritating character inconsistencies and minor plot holes, but not as much as you usually find in these movies. Lieberman (also director of the infamous earthworms-run-amok film "Squirm") creates genuine feelings of fear and helplessness, and there are a number of creepy and suspenseful scenes (one involving a couple skinnydipping and another involving a kid not wearing his glasses). Another effective jolt is provided when we find out how the killer is able to cover so much ground in such a short amount of time. There are also some gruesome (but not excessive) gore scenes thrown into the mix (a machete through a crotch, a fist shoved down a throat) for those with discriminating tastes. Deborah Benson plays the heroine with an instinctive nack for tonsillectomies, and Gregg Henry (from Brian De Palma's "Body Double") plays the tough-acting, but ultimately wimpy, boyfriend. Also stars Chris Lemmon and Mike Kellin.

HIGHLIGHT: Pretty skinnydipper Megan (Jamie Rose) thinks that's her boyfriend down there, groping her bare back and legs beneath the dark water... until she spots him climbing up onto the bank fifty yards away!