We’re sure you’ve noticed by now, but film has been becoming a very large part of Under The Gun Review. We are all huge film buffs and felt we could save everyone a few clicks by expanding our coverage (and honestly, it’s nice not having to write about (insert band) premiereing/unveiling/announcing (insert event) over and over again).

(If you’re a filmmaker or production company looking to have a film featured, please email utgjames@gmail.com.)

When it comes to indie film, I’ll watch almost anything, but when given the choice I will almost always choose horror. Whether it’s a psycho with a knife, evil children, creepy ghosts, or a good ole’ torture flick, something about the realm of fear has always appealed to me. Maybe it’s the way it makes my skin crawl or maybe it’s the idea that a single person’s idea can terrify throngs of people, regardless, I think it’s safe to say there’s elements to horror films that simply cannot be replicated in other mediums. This week’s spotlight is about a film that does just that not only accomplishes the aforementioned feats, but gives us hope in the future of indie horror.

Taking place in rural Arkansas, Eric England’s Madison County is just different enough from the mainstream to haunt you for days. The film follows a group of curious college kids that travel to a rural town to interview the author of a book that detailed a series of murders from decades prior. Things take a strange turn when residents claim to have not seen the writer in years and deny any knowledge of Damien, the notorious murderer at the center of the crimes. The students decide the best solution is to poke around on their own and, as you can probably guess, what they find is much more horrific than they ever imagined.

Say what you will about movies with lunatics in rural areas, but the plot description of Madison County alone makes my hair stand on end and the trailer only twists the stomach knots further:

I’m sure people will be quick to relate the initial look and feel of Madison County to similar genre films such as Wrong Turn, but if that’s the case then people are missing the point altogether. Horror isn’t about catching you off guard with a brilliant new concept, it’s about reinventing the wheel of reality in a way that shows you a side of life you’ve only seen in nightmares. To me, nothing says nightmares like being trapped in Arkansas while a masked killer with a giant knife chases you through the woods and so I’ll gladly support any film that attempts to tackle the topic.

The only downside I’ve found to this film in the months it has been on my radar is the continued wait for its release. Then earlier this week I was able to speak with Madison County actor/producer Ace Marrero and writer/director Eric England about the film and learned it’s release is probably much closer than people think. You can stream, download, and enjoy both of the interviews below:

Interview with actor/producer Ace Marrero:

Interview with writer/director Eric England:

Need more Madison County? Be sure to checkout the film’s official website, “Like” it on Facebook, and follow the crew on Twitter.

Written by: James Shotwell

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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