Written by: Dominick at 12:15 am
Filed under: Horror,Movies
Movie Info:
Writer:: John Shiban
Director: Shawn Papazian
Cast: Joey Mendicino, Julie Mond, Graham Norris, Mikey Post, Michael Childers, Brionne Davis, Edmund Entin, Gary Entin, Gina Fricchione, Diane Salinger, Richard Tillman
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99
The direct to DVD horror movie Rest Stop came out in 2006 and reminded me of just how old I am (thanks to Joey Lawrence’s performance). Sure, this movie had some interesting moments and was a decent movie, especially for being direct to DVD, but who’d have thought that it’d only be a few years before the sequel, Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back would be released? I should have known because horror flicks are infamous for having sequels. Some franchises are successful and others just don’t have what it takes to continuously spew out another sequel.
Part of this is because most sequels aren’t as good as the original films. Another part of this is because most sequels were just made to capitalize on the success of the original film. Therefore, they are often shoddily made and hastily thrown together. I believe Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back isn’t nearly as good as the original, but I also believe it wasn’t hastily thrown together. There is an obvious plot, plenty of gratuitous violence and a dark feel to it. I just didn’t find it nearly as jumpy as I did the original and I’ve heard other critics say this as well, so I know I’m not alone here.
That being said, Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back does have its redeeming moments. It actually has a story. It relates to the original, which I find many horror sequels stray from excessively. The movie has some good ideas and some of those ideas are executed with success while other fall a bit flat. There is even a back story that explains the entire reasoning behind both Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back and its predecessor. This was a nice touch though it was slightly overemphasized throughout the film, making it less important or worthwhile, in the end.
I should let you know that I love horror movies, even if some of them are extremely cheesy and unrealistic. That’s part of the fun of horror. I liked Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back and I’m not sorry I watched it. It wasn’t the best horror movie I ever watched, but then again, it wasn’t the absolute worst. Not by a long stretch. You have to go into this with the mindset that its a sequel and you must like gory horror or you won’t like this. I’m sick of people saying gore equals torture porn, because that’s often not the case, and its certainly not the case in Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back. Just don’t take this movie too seriously and you won’t be disappointed.
Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back Plot
Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back essentially starts where Rest Stop left off. In the original, Jess Hilts (Joey Mendicino) and his girlfriend, Nicole (Jaimie Alexander) are on a cross country trip to California. When Nicole has to go to the bathroom, the two find a rest stop where weird things happen. Essentially, the two disappear and they’ve been gone for a year, by the start of this movie.
The movie starts with an explanation of how the odd family in the Winnebago and the crazy driver of the yellow truck are connected. This flashes the movie from 1972 to present day, where Jess’ brother Tom (Richard Tillman), who has just returned from active duty in the military, is trying to find his brother, whose absence has strained his family. Tom takes along his girlfriend, Marilyn (Jessie Ward), and his dorky friend (who Marilyn hates), Jared (Graham Norris). Of course, Jared’s true motivation for going is to find Nicole, who he’s been obsessed with for years.
While the three retrace Jess and Nicole’s steps, they find a very odd gas station manager/owner who obviously knows something about Jess and Nicole. He sends them off to the Rest Stop, where the two disappeared, but along the way, Marilyn and Tom get separated from Jared, who can’t keep his burrito breakfast in him. He ends up having to use a porta-potty (which the yellow truck driver attacks). Soon, both Marilyn and Jared are seeing Nicole and Tom has found his brother, but nothing is quite as it seems as the Yellow Driver leads them down nearly the same path that Nicole and Jess took.
Seriously, I can’t say much more for fear of spoiling the plot. Just know some creepy things happen along the way.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability: 
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Since Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back is a new movie, I expected an excellent transfer. I wasn’t too disappointed. The film looks clear. The color palette is nice with realistic tones, especially skintones. The DVD looked new and there were only minor problems that wouldn’t be enough to distract someone not looking specifically for said errors. The main error is some instances of noise. This error is minor and is only visible in the darkest of scenes. Otherwise, the 1.85:1 ratio, anamorphic widescreen transfer looks excellent.
The audio for Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back is English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. I like my horror films to have at least a 5.1 track because the soundtrack needs depth to it. This track is clear as a bell. Sound comes through easily and there is no need to fiddle with the volume throughout the movie because the audio track is consistent. There was great use of the speakers with dialogue forward and sound effects and music towards the middle and back. This track has a full-bodied, dynamic sound to it. That’s the kind of track I like!
There is a second audio track included on the Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back DVD. It is a Spanish 2.0 Stereo track. There are subtitles included in English, French and Spanish.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back does come with a few special bonuses. Warner Home Video took the initiative when adding on the special features. Of course, those who don’t like this movie will find these bonuses pointless, while those who like Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back will be happy these extras were included.
The bonus section starts out with a commentary that features the Writer/Producer John Shiban and Director Shawn Papazian. While this is an interesting track, the two aren’t overly formal. It sounds like two guys sitting comfortably on a comfy couch and chatting about, “that one time when they made a film.” This also means that they don’t talk the entire time. They do provide some insight into the making of Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back, but this certainly wasn’t the best or most interesting commentary I’ve ever heard.
There are advertisements for the Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back Blu Ray, as well as the video game, Project Origin. Additionally, there are trailers for Beetlejuice, Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back, Rest Stop, Sublime, Believers, Otis and Alien Raiders. These trailers are either played prior to the movie menu or are featured in a section called Raw Trailers.
From here, there are a series of deleted scenes from Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back. With over ten minutes of footage, there are four different scenes in this section. There is an alternative ending that’s less than a minute long. There is a featurette called “Doomed to Repeat: The Mythology of Rest Stop“. This feature is around 12 minutes long, which basically looks at how the plot of the original movie was doomed to repeat itself in the Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back sequel.
While these aren’t huge bonuses, fans of the movie will be able to get into them.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back is a fun horror flick to watch during this time of year. With Halloween coming up, I suggest you watch the original and then this one, to see the continuation of the story. While this isn’t as good as the original Rest Stop, it is fun for a few scares and won’t be too much of a waste of time. Then again, isn’t wasting time the entire point of horror? I suggest you rent this before buying it, just to make sure this is the kind of horror you like.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Rest Stop, Don’t Look Back, Rest Stop 2, DVD Review, Warner Home Video, Joey Mendicino, Julie Mond, Graham Norris, Horror
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.
