Abandoned houses are found in a variety of neighborhoods around the world. I have lived in a few areas where these creepy houses exist and have often wondered why these houses are just left to wither away and what it is like behind their lonely doors. Of course the usual visions of rats and insects scurrying around fill my mind but it doesn't take long for more sinister scenarios to take over. Thoughts of ghosts in the attic and creatures in the basement take form and play on my fears. These types of thoughts that many horror fans will share with me is what makes these houses so uninviting.

Director Lance Weiler obviously is one of these fans as he has concocted an unnerving tale of a drifter named George who has come back after an extended absence to reclaim his dead grandmother's house and fix it up to sell before a wrecking ball reduces it to rubble. On the first night in the house, George begins to have nightmares/visions of a man in a hooded jacket. As the days go on, George begins to clean up the house with the help of a neighbor named Julian but the nightmares persist and become more severe as the root of the visions become more clear as the movie proceeds.

Flashbacks and dream sequences are not something I am a fan of but I found that they work quite well in this movie. Weiler incorporates these sequences into a fairly simple narrative so as not to confuse the viewer too much and also reveals various clues throughout the film so that we can try to figure out why George is having these thoughts. This is a good thing as so often in films like this, the filmmakers tend to wind a tale that it is so confusing to the viewer that we couldn't care less what happens to the character by the time the final act comes around. Weiler understands this and like a good mystery writer, he keeps us guessing but allows us to follow the story rather than overindulging in a selfish exploration of what he thinks are wonderful ideas. The best types of mystery writers always keep the audience in mind and Weiler has a firm grasp of this. The house is used extremely effectively with lots of dark rooms illuminated with single flashlights; junk strewn everywhere, and a flooded basement that reminded me of the hotel's cellar in The Beyond. This creepy atmosphere provides plenty of jumps although one has to wonder why George wouldn't vacate the premises immediately. I wouldn't last five minutes in this house at night.

As a lead, Vince Mola does a good job as the awkward and disturbed George but the character was so flawed that I didn't find myself feeling much sympathy for him. Fortunately, Weiler and co-writer Brian Majeska have given us a few interesting supporting characters such as the neighbor Julian (Jamil A.C. Mangan) and his mother, an old friend/love interest of George's named Mary (Mary Monahan), and a dingbat named Chester (Jim Sullivan) who is hellbent on seeing George's house destroyed as it is affecting property values. I thought all of these characters were well acted and added a great deal of flavor to the story. Although George on his own is not the most likable chap, his interactions with these supporting characters moves the story forward and gives us something to focus on other than this lonely bearded loser who is having nightmares.

The cinematography, editing, and music really shine in this flick and give us much more than we are expecting from a low budget effort. The production value is pumped up with things like aerial shots, clever editing, and obvious care taken in camera setups and production design to give us a feature the is engrossing and that never lets its low budget show. Weiler already has a decent reputation due to his previous film The Last Broadcast (which some have claimed The Blair Witch Project stole extensively from) and he clearly knows what he is doing behind the camera. Although this type of psychological horror film is not my favorite, it was a very good entry into the genre that makes good use of the resources available and tells us an engaging story rather than simply relying on visual masturbation. Look for Steve Garvey (formerly of punk legends The Buzzcocks) as a bartender. (Josh Pasnak, 10/11/06)

Directed By: Lance Weiler.
Written By: Lance Weiler, Brian Majeska.

Starring: Vince Mola, Jamil A.C. Mangan, Mary Monahan.

Picture Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: The disc looked pretty good to me. The filmmakers have obviously taken care to ensure that things were lit properly and looked good and it shows.

Extras: Heretic Films has given us another nice package with the Head Trauma DVD. We get a cool little eight page booklet as well as a number of nifty special features.

First up, we get a very informative commentary from director Weiler who has obviously spent some time preparing and is extremely well spoken. He offers a lot of insight into the story as well as a number of tips for aspiring filmmakers.

Next, we have a series of six featurettes. The first, which is entitled "Blowing Up A Car" is an eight minute look into what is involved in an effect in the film where a car crashes and explodes. The crew recount stories of some of the frightening aspects and challenges that filming in an abandoned house provide in the eight-minute "Shooting In The House". The third featurette is a short three-minute piece entitled "Johnny Magdic" which briefly outlines how Weiler managed to get the aerial shots very cheaply using a man and his ultralite. A brief sound byte from comics artist Steve Bissette is the focus of the next featurette entitled "S.R. Bissette". This four-minute segment sounds like a phone message recording of Bissette trying to tie in the comic to the film. The fifth featurette consists of eight minutes of cast interviews with Mola, Mangan, and Monahan and shows that all three of the principals enjoyed making the film. Finally, we have three minutes of an interview with composer Brian McTear about the "Music of Head Trauma".

More info is available at the Official Website.