The Tripper (2006)

Acting:		Partying:		Girls:
Blood:		Language:		Gore:
Violence:		Humor:		Sexuality:
Torture:		Predictability:		Overall:

Political horror is a trip. George Romero combines the worlds of political downfall, social satire, and zombie outbreaks quite well, while still supplying his audience with enough gooey carnage to keep his films entertaining and somewhat thought provoking on many different levels. Now, before I even popped The Tripper into my DVD player, I have to admit, that I already had a preconceived notion of the ways that David Arquette might go about making a film that is not only politically charged, but also quirky, gruesome, and ludicrously over the top. While I was watching the film, I wanted nothing more than for Arquette to have a firm grasp on all the material that he was delivering. Unfortunately, he does not, and the Tripper constantly looses step throughout its entire running time. What we're left with is a film that is barely politically thought provoking, due to its approach of the controversial issues, only the opening scene is at all frightening, and lastly, we're left with a film that grows tedious in the ways that it once tried to shock its audience.

***A bit of a spoiler here***

Best not get ahead of one's self. The Tripper is about a bunch of nature-loving individuals who get together, in the beautiful forest of California, for a groovy little concert and the celebration of peace, love, and tranquility. Each group comes to this annual festival with a car load of drugs, bongs, and every intention to have lots of fun that may or may not include an adequate amount of clothing. Little do they all know, a maniac is loose in the woods and he is hell-bent on slaying every one of these hippies until he can somehow, at least, in his own mind, bring justice to the death of his mother and have his revenge on the very tree hugging individuals that resulted in his families separation. Oh yes, and while he does his slayin, the killer wears a Ronald Reagan mask. How fitting! Well, the fact is, everyone in the area is very objective to the hippie festivities, and the films intent is to have you somewhat guess who the killer will be at the end of the entire massacre, but if you think about it just a little, it's no big mystery at all; however, it doesn't seem that the film is really centered around the mysterious identity of the killer either. Perhaps the film wouldn't have been nearly the mess that it unfortunately is if the plot was more aimed at the killer's true face. Instead, Arquette seems to aim the film more towards the exploitation of a culture that has already been exploited one too many times. In the end, you'll be saying..."who really cares anymore?"

***End spoiler***

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