Award-winning Texas heavy metal vocalist Ven Scott, of the band Runescarred, is venturing into the film world with the indie horror short Date From Hell, an 80's slasher-inspired 12-minute short film with ample doses of twang and bang as it tells the story of Susie (Ava L'Amoreaux) and Bobby (Samuel Brett Howard), a smalltown Texas couple on the date from hell where nothing's going right and that's before a lone drifter with murder on his mind starts trailing them relentlessly enjoying the chase and looking forward to the kill. 

With an opening shot evoking memories of The Town That Dreaded Sundown, the original and not that dreadful remake, Date From Hell is a stylish, suspenseful and downright fun indie horror short with two kickass, spark-filled performances from co-leads L'Amoreaux and Howard, whose chemistry is filled with enough sass and venom to make everything that unfolds here hella fun to watch unfold. 

The script, co-written by Scott and Tracee Beebe, seems familiar until it's not with the inspiration clearly planted within the 80's indie horror universe yet enough of an original spin that you feel like you're watching something fresh and inspired. 

Lensing by Brandon Torres is top notch throughout, while Tim Driscoll's original music is inventive and fun alongside Erika Lambreton's imaginative production design and surprisingly solid special fx given the inherent challenges of working on a low-budget indie. 

Currently getting set for a planned extensive indie fest tour, and I'd be amazed if that doesn't happen, Date From Hell tosses in quite a bit of gore then a little more in just the right ways. If this debut short from Ven Scott is any indicator of the guy's talent behind the camera, here's hoping this isn't the last we hear from him. 

For more information on Date From Hell, visit the film's Facebook page linked to in the credits. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic