Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet
Get Gone
Directed by Michael Thomas Daniel
Future Proof Films / Sweet Nelly Productions / Phoenix Worldwide Entertainment / Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD Entertainment
91 minutes, 2019 / 2020
Back in the late 19th Century, a family known as the Black Donnelleys moved from Ireland to Ontario, living off the land. The problem was that the property they cleared and farmed did not belong to them. They just figured since no one was taking care of it except them, they would get the squatters rights deed since the landlords were not around. They found out the hard way that this was not the case, which led to a bloody “war” between them, and the owners and local government, leading to numerous deaths. Yes, this really did happen.
What does this have to do with Get Gone? Well, the premise is somewhat similar. Here, the Maxwell family has lived on a farm for three decades and now the local government and the Mining Company that owns the land wants to frack it. This sets up another bloody and revenge-filled confrontation.
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| Lin Shaye |
For the Maxwells, there’s Mama (horror stalwart-of-late Lin Shaye in a full, non-cameo role, who is better known as the backbone of the Insidious franchise) and Daddy Don (underrated character actor Robert Miano), the huge Patton (Weston Cage Coppola… gee, I wonder if he’s related to any other actors/directors…), and mentally challenged film cover boy Apple (Bailey Coppola), who likes to wear masks. Y’see, the water they’ve been a-drinkin’ has been affected by the drilling in the area over the years, and they’ve all gone a bit plumb loco. The sons have a genetic mutation that makes their skin look like they’ve been slathered in Zinc Oxide. Then there’s Pug (Joel Macha). In general, think more of the siblings in Spider Baby (1967) than the buffoons of the classic Mother’s Day (1980).
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| Robert Miano |
Between the family and the Mining Conglomerate is the de facto hero of the film, local ranger Rico (Rico E. Anderson), who sympathizes with the family, but is legally obligated to the Company.
But there is another complication added to the mix: a group of podcasters who produce shows about revealing the truth behind other podcasters’ faking of murder and supernatural goings on are on a camping trip that is supposed to be for team building (how can a podcast channel afford that, I wonder). Led by the zealous Rocks and Roots guide, they wander into the Oregon woods (around Cascade Locks, where it is filmed) and run straight between the squatters and the Mining Company, both of which have blood on their minds and hands. Luckily, most of the podcasters are superfluous and shallow characters – not to mention unlikeable Brett Kavanaugh-types – and make part of a nice body count.
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| Weston Cage Coppola |
References abound from other films, with the likes of the obvious The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), though one could easily add House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) without the weirdness, or correlate the Marshalls with the feral family from The Hills Have Eyes (1977), but there is a significant different in tone and especially the purpose of their homicidal tendencies. Another trope that is used here is one that is in too many films to mention, the local who warns the team building group off, only this time he’s a drunk, and no one pays any attention to him.
The acting level is varied, but sufficient, with some good moments and clumsy ones, much of which could also be said about the dialogue. One thing I liked, though, is that it takes to task the overuse of sexist language and behavior that is oft present in genre releases, and other verbal negative ticks such as something being “so gay.” So, back to the acting, most do fine, though Cage Coppola goes from pretty good hulking villain to ridiculous wide eyes crazy that’s laughable (like his dad, Nic).
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| Bailey Coppola |
A consistency with all these groups as units, it’s a local vs. stranger dichotomy. Essentially it is the former fighting against the latter two, be it the family, the Corporation, or the reluctant campers, though for the team building group it’s more a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time led by the wrong team leader who brings them to camp on questionable private land. Why this triggers such violence I’m not sure, but perhaps it literally could be in the water.
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| Rico E. Anderson |
This is definitely low budget, and the obvious way to tell is that there is no gore to speak of, hardly any blood, and no nudity.
The DVD extras are minimal, being chapters, a bunch of Cleopatra Entertainment trailers (mostly of films that have been reviewed on this blog) including this one, and a nice and large stills gallery that is mostly behind-the-scenes shots with a few being taken directly from the film itself.
If you wonder about the origin of the title, “get gone,” it is something that is said numerous times by Cage Coppola’s character. The reviews on IMDB are consistently either “It’s the best” (10 out of 10) or “It’s the worst” (1 or 2 out of 10). The polarization is enough of a red flag. Truthfully, it’s neither. While not a film that will probably be considered a future classic, I’m certain, it does do the job. Neither brilliant nor all that bad, it kept my attention even with the exploitation of overused tropes that the filmmakers probably hope will be recognized by the audience; this is a common rookie directorial mistake but oft forgivable if not egregious, which it is not, here.
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