Heavy Metal Haley's Neon Fear

Heavy Metal Haley's Neon Fear

Bruce Von Stiers

The horror film Friday the 13th came out in 1980. There was a sequel, and then another and then another. Not only were there sequels, but a bunch of fan films have been made about Jason Voorhees, the masked psycho killer who became a legend in the horror genre. Some of these films were features while others were short films.

One of the more recent short fan films dealing with Jason Voorhees is Neon Fear. But this is not your typical Friday the 13th film. This one has a reality television show, androids and a time warp. It's not the usual slice and dice format that is the basis of most Friday the 13th fan films. Although there is quite a bit of slicing, dicing and blood.

The film opens with the fuzzy pink glow of a bedroom and there's a portable TV playing and someone is using a remote to switch channels. That evolves into a river and a mist covered lake. Then a group of people, sitting around a campfire, beginng to tell ghost stories. It's revealed that the lake they're at was the scene of a massacre. The woman in the group starts feeling weird, something about her head.

One guy, Chris, goes to investigate a sound they just heard. There is a video camera lens that's he's being seen through.

Then, all of a sudden, a man in a mask appears behind Will, one of the other people around the fire. The ma has a sledgehammer. He kills Will with the sledgehammer. Then everyone else is freaking out. The one guy who dared Chris fires a gun at the bad guy, but it doesn't do any good. Then he gets killed. The woman is drug out of her tent.

Then one guy gets a chance to gain his freedom in some obscure reality show called F-13. But is this just an illusion. Maybe not, as the television in that room at the first of the film is airing the show.

We learn that F-13 is an actual show. Apparently, it has been a ratings bonanza. That is, until recently. The big boss behind the show, Castro, is unhappy with Gary, who is basically the showrunner. Gary assures Castro that he will be adding more boobs and ramping up the androids and the show will be back up on top in no time. Wait. Androids?

Yes, androids. It seems that the world doesn't have enough real-life homicidal maniacs. So, Gary and his group of scientists are utilizing androids in place of live killers.

But Trish, a woman whose role in the scheme of things isn't really defined, has an issue with this ramping up of things.

The remainder of the film revolves around Trish trying to stop this new iteration of the show, called Neon Fear. This includes going back to the 1980's via some kind of time warp and trying to get rid of the young man who started everything, Jason Voorhees. When that fails, Trish brings back a reluctant camper to help her wreck mayhem on Gary and his horde of android Jasons'.

The film has actors who have varied careers, including a lot of horror films. Gary was played by Clifton Taylor, who has been in other Friday the 13th films such as Jason Escaped From Hell. Michael Noyola played Castro. He has a role in the upcoming horror film, Birthday Bash.

Matthew W. Flynn played OZ Tyrell, the scientist who controls the androids for Gary. He played Ripp in a film I recently reviewed, A Hard Place. Justin Hackney played Chris. Way back when, he appeared in 28 Days Later. Vlad Derun played Will, the first victim in the film. He appears in the horror film Blood On The Bleachers.

Other people appearing in the film include Jacob Simpson, Maria Parker, Jaysin Kidder, Mirabella Thames, Randy Bailey, Jacob Richard and Adam Gentile as Jason Voorhees. There was also George Tounas, Nico Abiera, Ralph Cahill and Lew Morris.

Jennifer Stone played Trish. She also co-directed the film. Strix and Blood Sombrero are just but two of the horror films Jennifer has starred in. She also co-starred in a horror film I recently reviewed, A Hard Place.

Heavy Metal Haley co-directed Neon Fear. She also wrote the screenplay based on the original Friday the 13th concepts. Haley also makes a couple of appearances in the film, including one as a hardbody who is about to be killed by a Jason android. Haley is a model and artist who loves horror films.

The director of photography duties were shared by Benjamin Ward and Remy St. Paul. Ward was the director of photography for Strix. St. Paul had a role in Blood Sombrero and was a producer for Arena Wars.

Neon Fear was a strange but fun bit of Friday the 13th fan filmdom. I wouldn't have thought a film utilizing androids for a horror slasher film would work. These aren't the “host” androids of Westworld or the replicants of Blade Runner. But Heavy Metal Haley and Jennifer Stone do indeed make it work. While not campy, the film doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. It is definitely a strange but fun film for the family of Friday the 13th fans. And, of course, other horror film fans.

Neon Fear can be viewed for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afLAL8KXljc

Back to the BVS Reviews Main Menu

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _