It is always a nice treat when something with a terrible title turns out to be quite good. As we all know, a title is what grabs us and what immediately sets our expectations. This is similar to how a person's looks are often our first impression. A title like Dark Chamber to me implies another run of the mill independent horror movie with no creativity that I don't look forward to reviewing. In this case, I was deceived because this is a tight little thriller that is not at all like its title implies. I got a movie that made me think and which relies on its story rather than the cheap thrills that gore and nudity provide many an independent film. I am not knocking those things but every once and a while, it is nice to see something a little more intelligent.

Eric Conley stars as Justin, a religious student who moves in with his dad while studying to be a cop. Soon enough, he meets a creepy redhead who becomes obsessed with him but ends up dead in his yard. This leads to Justin launching his own investigation into who killed her with the help of his friend Scott (Fred DeReau) and a shifty student named Rick (director Dave Campfield). Together, they set up hidden surveillance cameras in the homes of Justin's neighbours and look for clues which will reveal the killer's identity. As with any good mystery, all of the neighbours have traits that make them potential suspects and it is not until the final minutes that it all comes together.

The movie hooks you in right away thanks to a great script and a great performance from likable lead actor Conley (who reminds me a lot of James Van Der Beek in "Dawson's Creek"). Rather than relying on cheap scares, this movie takes you through the thought process of Justin and his friends as they unravel the mystery of the killing. To make things more challenging, they are also terrorized by a group of satanists called "The Black Circle" who are believed to be the murderers. A strong supporting cast brings more to the story as we are introduced to a aggro guy (Mark Love) who smacks around his girlfriend (Sara Baker-Bahr), a weird old man (Christopher Cooke) who makes hookers dress up as cheerleaders, a massage therapist (Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp), and her mentally unstable sister (Brenda Abbandandolo). There is also Justin's cop dad (David Rigg) who sounds like Sam Elliott and his prescription drug-addicted mom (Desiree Gould) who drift in and out of the story.

Overall, there is a strong cast, a good story, and the film is technically well-shot making for an above average debut from Campfield. It is particularly impressive as Campfield also wrote the script and is one of the co-stars as mentioned above. He is one of the more impressive talents to come out of the indie scene in a while and I hope that he continues to make films in the genre after he finishes the comedies he is currently working on. He obviously has a knack for the audition and interview process and has chosen a great cast and crew to make his film look much better than most low-budget pictures. I thought Desiree Gould was an interesting choice for the mother as it is the first movie she has been in since Sleepaway Camp and it was a nice touch to have return in a cast with Felissa Rose.

One thing that I don't understand is that the box says that the movie is inspired by the true story of the Say You Love Satan killer. This is a reference to Ricky Kasso and fans of the classic true-crime book documenting the Kasso case will be disappointed if looking for a dramatization of the events. Kasso has already been documented by Jim Van Bebber in his short film "My Sweet Satan" as well as the unreleased film Ricky 6 starring Vincent Kartheiser. (Josh Pasnak, 6/15/09)

Directed By: Dave Campfield.
Written By: Dave Campfield.

Starring: Eric Conley, David Rigg, Felissa Rose, Dave Campfield.

aka: Under Surveillance.

Picture Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: Good for a low-budget movie. I wish the transfer was anamorphic widescreen though.

Extras: First up, we get a commentary with writer/director Dave Campfield that is extremely informative. He packs a lot of information into this and those with an interest in the making of an independent film will get a lot out of it. There is a second commentary that features Campfield, actors Eric Conley, Fred DeReau, David Rigg, and a number of crew members. This commentary also highlights some of the music and soundscapes in the film with introductions by Campfield. Although the commentary is a little scattered it is an interesting method of giving the music some exposure while also giving the actors an opportunity to tell of their experiences. I was pleased that Conley was on this track as there are a number of references to him having an unpleasant experience on set on the other features.

There are a number of other extras on the disc as well. First, is a 17-minute segment about the making of the film which features interview snippets with a number of cast and crew members. Next, is an 8-minute behind the scenes segment featuring some footage that was shot on-set by a person named Jeff Hayes who I am assuming is a friend of Campfield. We then get a fun 4-minute piece showing how Campfield shot most of the film in one house by redressing different rooms. Rounding out the extras is some information on the Kasso case, interviews with Rose, Gould, and actress Raine Brown, bloopers, alternative scenes, a terrible music video, and some Shock-O-Rama trailers including one for Dark Chamber.

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