Some quick thoughts on Hide and Creep (2004)

Here's one that seems to have unfortunately slid off the map in recent years and from the cover art I was expecting something more amateurish and goofball. The story involves a localized undead outbreak in a podunk Alabama county and how a group good ol' boy hunters, a video store clerk, an infected Reverend, a police department secretary, and a guy who wakes up naked in the woods deal with the crisis.

It's still a goofball 16mm low-budgeter, though instead of going the packed with gore path, Hide and Creep opts to hitch up its boots for the less traveled road of a character-centric romp. Surprisingly, everyone pulls their weight and generally succeed in evoking laughs at a consistent clip, but those looking for a full blown gorefest will be disappointed. Otherwise the film's strongest aspect is actually its southern fried score by then first timer Eric McGinty that's too impressive not to be noticed every time its goes forth diddling on unplugged guitars and harmonica.

Still, nothing really happens besides the characters joining up, running into each other, and battling a few zombies with no police or widespread chaos up until the credits appear. It's certainly not "...better than Shaun of the Dead.", but going in with the right mindset and a few beers makes this a funny heap of lighthearted hicksploitation...with zombies. Even if Hide and Creep didn't have any redeeming qualities; you can't help but smirk at a film that mentions Coast to Coast AM.

The DVD I viewed was the out-of-print Asylum Home Entertainment edition that was fetching high prices online, but it appears the film is currently available on disc from Celebrity Video. I'm unsure of the specs of the newer release (billed as a Special Edition), but the Asylum DVD has an anamorphic transfer, commentary, making-of, and short film.

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