Arrow Video, out now

Six youngsters pick up a hitchhiker on a camping trip, but when they make an unplanned stop at a deserted house, all hell breaks loose.

It’s hard to believe that José Ramón Larraz’s (Edge of the Axe, Vampyres) toted and by the numbers slasher flick was released in 1990, a good five years beyond the genre’s sell-by date. And the fact that it plays it so straight, without any sense of irony that this was already old hat, just makes it even harder to watch.

It would be a pastiche if it were played for laughs, but the movie acts as if this is the first time we’ve experienced such tropes as annoying stereotyped adolescents, a suspicious hitchhiker, something in the basement, an old dark house. But more than that, there’s no sense of tension or fear – it just happens in front of you, with zero emotional connection. And when we find out who’s doing the killings and why… who cares?

Arrow have sourced a new 2K restoration from original film elements, there’s an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan, interviews with actress Jennifer Delora and producer Brian Smedley-Aston. The original script and shooting schedule is also a nice BD-ROM extra.

Verdict: One for fans of late career José Ramón Larraz and formulaic slashers, there’s a good selection of extras but little repeat viewing interest. 5/10

Nick Joy