Movie Review : Trailer Park of Terror (2008)

I live in Kentucky, and I've seen a lot of trailer parks. Some of them are just OK, while some of them are flat out frightening. I wanted to see just how close Steven Goldmann could get to the real thing. After all, the real horror is in the truth of our lives sometimes.

While I found Trailer Park of Terror trying a bit too hard at times-too hard to be campy, too hard to be funny-there were some genuinely effective parts that kind of made me want to add this one to my collection.

Norma is a young lady with a lot of potential, but she's stuck in the trailer park. She tries to leave, but the crass bastards that live there just won't let her. Finally, after making a pact with the Devil (played well by Trace Adkins), Norma mows down the rednecks with an automatic rifle and then razes the trailer park. Because of her pact with the Devil, she is destined to be the trailer park queen for all eternity, coming back every night (or once a year perhaps-it wasn't quite clear) to mutilate wayward travelers.

In death, Norma (played by Nicole Hiltz) rules the roost. All the rednecks that kept her down before are now under her thumb as zombie-like monsters. It is sad to me that Norma has changed from the yearning, underprivileged trailer park girl into the devious, torturing succubus. I suppose she is only a product of her environment and probably happy that at least she's finally on top.

The rest of the plot is pretty standard. A group of wayward teens finds their way to the ghostly trailer park only to be set upon by Norma and her minions. There are the usual grotesqueries and hillbillies "yukking it up" as they tear into our teens. The makeup and special effects weren't too shabby at all, and there were some hilarious one-liners.

Michelle Lee is amusing as Miss China, the trailer park hooker. "You want number one massage?" she screams, just before tearing your spine out..."no happy ending!" The gigantic Larlene (played by Trisha Rae Stahl) is probably the most grotesque character. You can't help but wince as she waddles around going "Where's my meat?"

And there is a lot of rock 'n' roll in this movie...that sort of horror-punk psychobilly associated with off-beat horror films. It works for this movie, but sometimes get's a bit distracting.

For what it's worth, Nicole Hiltz as Norma makes this movie. Just based on her performance, down home good looks and amazing screen presence, it is odd to me she hasn't landed more niche roles in larger movies; superhero, main villain, etc. She's a very compelling "bitch". At the very least she should be cast in more leading roles for more horror films. She has the same kind of potential as Shauna Macdonald (The Descent). You can see Nicole Hiltz in a series called "Bones" and also as Ginny Dannegan in "The Riches".

Trailer Park of Terror is an "almost" movie-the little train that almost could. You'll make it through the movie just fine, but you'll feel that there's just something missing. Perhaps it's the bad timing, annoying music, or poor execution of humor and horror.

Now where's my meat!?!