Lexi Giovagnoli

Wesley Scott

Debbie Rochon

Natalie Peyton

Blair Jackson

Elyse Bigler

Melody Herron

Jesse Ferraro

Kiarra Hogan

Payton Wood

Chris Hlozek

Elle LaMont

Taylor Moessinger

Manuel Chapa

Fabian Watkins

Tate Chapman

Abby Chapman

Jake Helgren

Adam Deyoe

Elizabeth Snoderly

Tom Jemmott

Troy Bakewell

Horror

Varsity Blood

Flashback Films

DAVED Productions

United States of America

_**A school mascot slashes teens at a pasture party in the heart of Texas**_

Youths from the high school in Hogeye, Texas, celebrate Halloween at an abandoned farmhouse where they’re picked off by someone dressed as the mascot of their school, an Indian warrior with hatchets and arrows.

"Varsity Blood" (2014) is a low-budget Indie that harkens back to the slashers of the early 80s with all the tropes thereof. I like the idea of the killer using the mascot costume of the school, which I don’t remember being done before. The cheerleaders & friends are attractive in a voluptuous way with only one blonde being the thin stereotype. Lexi Giovagnoli stands out as the doe-eyed protagonist, Hannah, but there are a few other choice females.

The filmmaking is fine, especially considering the micro-budget, but the story perhaps needed more suspense. Still, I was impressed by the all-around quality of the filmmaking. The problem is the wooden acting, which makes it seem like the actors are reading their lines from a teleprompter; not all the time, but often enough that it mars the movie. All writer/director Jake Helgren needed was more professional actors, but he obviously didn’t have the money for it. 

Nevertheless, if you can acclimate to the stilted tone of the verbiage, this is an entertaining traditional slasher. As usual, some of the characters are repellent, but there are likable (or bearable) ones as well.  

The notable football movie “Varsity Blues” (1999) was shot in the same high school where this one was filmed, which happens to be the alma mater of Helgren.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot just east of Austin, Texas, in the towns of Elgin, Smithville, Bastrop & McDade. Elgin used to be called Hogeye, the name of the town in the story, but it was changed for obvious reasons.

GRADE: C/C-

English

Varsity Blood Official Trailer (2014) - Lexi Giovagnoli, Wesley Scott Horror Movie HD