JUG FACE

(director/writer: Chad Crawford Kinkle; cinematographer: Chris Heinrich; editor: Zach Passero; music: Sean Spillane; cast: Lauren Ashley Carter (Ada), Sean Bridgers (Dawai), Sean Young (Loriss), Larry Fessenden (Sustin), Daniel Manche (Jessaby), Scott Hodges (Corber), Katie Groshong (Pyer), Alex Maizus (Emaciated Boy), Marvin Starkman (Coops), Mathieu Whitman (Bodey); Runtime: 81; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Robert Tonino/Andrew van den Houten; Modern Distributors; 2013)

“Has a chilling atmosphere.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

First-time feature film directed without much invention by Chad Crawford Kinkle. It tells the whack story of the pregnant teen Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter) trying to escape a backwoods community when she discovers that she may be sacrificed to a creature in a pit. You see that’s just the custom in those parts, a ritual to keep the community safe by the self-sacrifice of the vic. The ceremony is dictated by the visions of the moronic village potter (Sean Bridgers), known for his creations of jugs with the faces of the vics. By the way her brother Jessaby (Daniel Manche) knocked her up. The story plugs along as Ada tries to get out of this eerie jam, which includes calling ou the ghosts of past vics for help.

The pic as written by its young director has a chilling atmosphere, and offers a knowing wink to how it is in hillbilly communities. Ada’s domineering parents are played by cult film director Larry Fessenden and B-movie maven Sean Young. So you can well see, she has good movie bloodlines.

The ridiculous minor pic is more about setting such a downbeat mood than shooting for scares. It might suit a viewer to catch it on late night cable, because it just doesn’t cut it as a theater release.

Its tagline is “The pit wants what it wants.”

REVIEWED ON 2/1/2016 GRADE: C