Kevin MacDonald's Beg is a reminder to me of exactly why I love watching and reviewing indie horror. After floating around the indie horror fest scene for the last couple years, Beg has found its way to a distribution deal with ITN Distribution and should prove to be quite popular with those fans of horror conventions who will absolutely love its cast and the film's decidedly retro vibe.

The film stars Tony Moran, best known as Michael Myers in the original Halloween and Halloween 2, as Jack Fox, a burnt out detective being forced into retirement about the same time that a maniac is stalking the streets of Salem, Massachusetts. Torn between a life of ease, retirement, and helping out rookie detective Steve Ryan (Brandon Stumpf), he has a hard time resisting the case.

Beg is filled with a truly all-star cast that includes not only Moran, who'd left the indie horror scene for quite awhile before showing up on the convention circuit, but also Tony Todd (The Candyman, Final Destination, The Crow), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil's Rejects), Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie's Halloween), Tiffany Shepis (Nympha, Nightmare Man), Debbie Rochon (Night of the Living Dead), and P.J. Soles (Halloween, Carrie, The Devil's Rejects). The film is even scored by the legendary Harry Manfredini, whom any fan of indie horror should know as the mastermind behind the unforgettable score for the original Friday the 13th.

Not surprisingly, Fox will initially resist partnering up with the newbie detective. Also not surprisingly, he will eventually find the partnership to be a path to redemption of sorts as he attempts to prove his worth on the force just in time to help the detective when Ryan's sister (Ally Tully).

In terms of what most folks expect from a film like Beg, you can rest assured that the body count is high and there's a significant amount of T&A to be found within the film. The film has the look and the feel of the old 1980's slasher flicks, partly because of its low budget and partly because this cast really knows how to bring that to life.

There's no denying that Beg is a low budget effort. It's lighting can be hit-and-miss and, despite the best efforts of D.P. Aaron Cadieux, there's inevitably a challenge in shooting a feature film on a low budget. That said, there's something both captivating fun about watching this film and an entire ensemble cast that should be incredibly familiar to indie horror fans. The film won Best Film at Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival and, I can honestly say, that once the closing credits were rolling I found myself wanting to sit down and watch it all over again.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic