Roadkill (2011 film)

Last updated
Roadkill
Roadkill 2011 DVD.jpg
DVD cover
GenreFantasy
Horror
Science fiction
Written byRick Suvalle
Directed by Johannes Roberts
Starring Kacey Barnfield
Oliver James
Diarmuid Noyes
Eliza Bennett
Colin Maher
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Ned Dennehy
Róisín Murphy
Eve Macklin
Stephen Rea
Theme music composerRay Harman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerAdrian Sturges
CinematographyPeter Robertson
EditorTony Kearns
Running time88 minutes
Production companiesMNG Films
Parallel Film Productions
RHI Entertainment
Syfy
Budget$2 million
Original release
Network Syfy
ReleaseApril 23, 2011 (2011-04-23)

Roadkill is a 2011 American television horror film directed by Johannes Roberts and written by Rick Suvalle. It stars Kacey Barnfield, Oliver James, Diarmuid Noyes and Stephen Rea. It is the 25th film of the Maneater series .

Contents

Roadkill premiered on April 23, 2011 on Syfy and was released on DVD on August 30, 2011.

Plot

Kate is traveling around Ireland in an R.V. with her ex-boyfriend Ryan, brother Joel, and friends Hailey, Chuck, Tommy and Anita. After driving into the countryside, the group stops at a small shop. They encounter Luca, who attempts to scam them from buying a medallion, and warns them it is dangerous before Chuck steals the medallion and the group attempt to make a quick get-away. However, as they drive away in their R.V., they hit an old woman, cursing the group and telling them the mythical bird the roc will take vengeance on them, before dying. The group quickly drives away in their R.V. but hits a patch of thick fog and becomes lost as the curse's fears heighten. Stopping the R.V., they encounter a young boy in the road. Anita leaves the R.V. to talk to the boy, but he runs away before the roc grabs Anita and drags her into the air. Her body is dropped in front of the R.V., with half of her face mauled off before the roc returns and flies away with her.

Ryan continues to drive down the road, as the group begin to panic as they have no way of contacting help. The roc attacks the R.V. and causes a tire to be blown. Armed with a road flare, Tommy goes to change the tires. As he finishes, the roc returns. The group hears the road flare set off and rush outside, to find Tommy with his face mauled off. The roc swoops down grabs Tommy, flies off and decapitates Tommy, while the others retreat into the R.V. The group begin to argue, but the roc reappears, chasing after the R.V., however it flies away when the R.V. reaches a secluded house. The group enter the house and find a family, including Drina, who are willing to let them use their phone. However, Luca arrives and takes them outside at gun point. Drina takes Kate to retrieve the medallion from the R.V., however Kate instead knocks her out and escapes, having already put the medallion on, while Luca ties the others to wooden poles so the roc can get them. As the roc arrives, Kate manages to free her friends before the roc flies away after seeing the medallion. However, Luca shoots Hailey in the stomach, killing her and forcing the others to flee into the surrounding forest.

Luca chases them throughout the forest, but they manage to escape back to the R.V. where they find Drina once more, who begs for the medallion. Kate discovers the medallion is protection against the roc, so escapes with it, leaving Drina to be killed by the roc. After driving down the road farther, the group pass a service station. Ryan leaves the R.V. after reconciling with Kate, to call for help, while the others continue to drive down the road to create a distraction. The roc briefly follows the R.V. but soon circles around to go back for Ryan. As Ryan is about to be attacked, the others distract the roc and manage to harm it with fire. They leave the R.V. to find Ryan missing and the phone broken. They hide in a restroom before they hear a policeman, Seamus arrive. However, he begins to tie them up for the roc, but they overpower him and knock him unconscious. While escaping, Joel is carried away by the roc. As Kate and Chuck leave, they run over Seamus, killing him.

After driving down the road, Kate receives a call from Ryan. However, the line is cut dead. Kate manages to get a signal and phones Ryan back. Hearing the cell phone ring, Kate rushes out into the forest only to find Luca, who shows Kate the roc's nest, filled with her dead friends. Chuck arrives and sends Luca away at gunpoint before Kate takes the gun and sends Chuck back to the R.V. to escape, while she remains mourning in the nest with the bodies of her friends, including Ryan, to be killed by the roc, by tearing her face off.

Chuck, the sole survivor of the group, reaches a gas station and stops for gas, but Luca is already there and forces Chuck to give him the medallion. The roc arrives, but Chuck manages to ignite some spilled gas, blowing up the R.V. and Luca with the roc. The roc, however, somehow manages to survive and attacks Chuck as he walks away, completing the old woman's revenge.

Cast

Release

Home media

Roadkill was released on DVD by RHI Entertainment on August 30, 2011. It was later released by Gaiam International on September 18, 2012, as a part of its three-disk Maneater Series movie pack. It was last released by Sonar Entertainment on March 10, 2015, as a part of its two-disk "Fright Night Collection" [1]

Reception

Dread Central gave the film a score of 3.5 out of 5, writing, "All in all Roadkill is a solid entry in the Syfy Original genre. While it suffers from some of the shortcomings we’re used to seeing with these films, there are enough pleasant surprises to keep it interesting. The filmmaking is strong overall, and it’s clear everyone involved was actually trying to make a good movie here. You never get the sense anyone involved simply showed up for a paycheck, and their dedication shows." [2] Bruce Kooken from HorrorNews.net gave the film a positive review, writing, "The distinction that Roadkill makes is that the acting is surprisingly good, the story concept is rather nifty even though the gypsy-curse angle has been recycled .. and there’s actually some credible character development." [3] Justin Felix from DVD Talk gave the film a negative review, writing, "Roadkill takes full advantage of its Irish countryside location, but little else works in this SyFy Channel Maneater Series entry that unsuccessfully tries to merge the creature feature template with the backwoods killer genre." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dead End</i> (1937 film) Film by William Wyler

Dead End is a 1937 American crime drama film directed by William Wyler. It is an adaptation of the Sidney Kingsley 1935 Broadway play of the same name. It stars Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart, Wendy Barrie, and Claire Trevor. It was the first film appearance of the acting group known as the Dead End Kids.

<i>Human Trafficking</i> (miniseries) 2005 television film directed by Christian Duguay

Human Trafficking is a television miniseries about an American Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent going undercover to stop an organization from trafficking people, and shows the struggles of three trafficked women. It premiered in the United States on Lifetime Television on October 24 and 25, 2005 and was broadcast in Canada on Citytv on January 2 and 3, 2006. It stars Mira Sorvino, Donald Sutherland, Rémy Girard, and Robert Carlyle.

<i>Blown Away</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Stephen Hopkins

Blown Away is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, Suzy Amis, and Lloyd Bridges, and follows a Boston bomb squad member pursuing an Irish bomber, who recently escaped from prison and is targeting the other bomb squad members. The film was distributed and financed by MGM, a studio which was in financial difficulty at the time. The head of the studio was former Paramount executive Frank Mancuso Sr.

<i>The Luck of the Irish</i> (2001 film) 2001 American made-for-TV movie

The Luck of the Irish is a 2001 American sports comedy-drama film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. The film, starring Ryan Merriman, Alexis Lopez, Timothy Omundson, and Henry Gibson, contains elements of fantasy and sports film combined with Irish culture. Conceived as a Saint Patrick's Day film, it was first broadcast on Disney Channel on March 9, 2001.

<i>Dead & Breakfast</i> 2004 American film

Dead & Breakfast is a 2004 musical zombie comedy film directed by Matthew Leutwyler starring Ever Carradine, Gina Philips, Erik Palladino, Bianca Lawson, Jeremy Sisto and Oz Perkins. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and went on to win over a dozen awards. It was also nominated for a Saturn Award.

<i>Legend of the Gold of Babylon</i> 1985 Japanese animated film

Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon is a 1985 Japanese animated heist comedy film directed by Seijun Suzuki and Shigetsugu Yoshida from a screenplay by Yoshio Urasawa and Atsushi Yamatoya. It is the third animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series Lupin III by Monkey Punch.

<i>Wrong Turn 2: Dead End</i> 2007 film by Joe Lynch

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is a 2007 slasher film directed by Joe Lynch and starring Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. An international co-production between the United States and Canada, it is a sequel to Wrong Turn (2003) and the second installment in the Wrong Turn film series. The film received a positive response from critics and remains the best-reviewed film in the franchise. It grossed $9.2 million in home video sales.

<i>Monster Man</i> (film) 2003 American film

Monster Man is a 2003 American comedy horror film written and directed by Michael Davis. It stars Eric Jungmann, Justin Urich, Aimee Brooks, and Michael Bailey Smith. In Latin America, the film was released with the title Wrong Turn 2.

<i>Grizzly Rage</i> 2007 television film by David DeCoteau

Grizzly Rage is a 2007 Canadian television horror film produced by RHI Entertainment that premiered in Canada on the video-on-demand channel Movie Central On Demand on June 7, 2007. It aired in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel on September 16, 2007. Filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the film is the 2nd title in the Maneater Series produced under an agreement with Syfy. Featuring a cast of four, the film focuses on a group of teenagers who struggle to survive in a restricted forest while an enraged grizzly bear hunts them relentlessly seeking retribution for killing its cub.

<i>Blood Monkey</i> 2007 American horror film

Blood Monkey is a 2007 American direct-to-video natural horror film produced by RHI Entertainment and directed by Robert Young. It aired on various video on demand channels, before officially premiering in the United States on the Syfy Channel on January 27, 2008. Filmed in Thailand, it is the first film in the Maneater Series produced under an agreement with Syfy.

<i>Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon</i> 2008 multi-national TV series or program

Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon is a 2008 horror film that was broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel on November 8, 2008. The film stars Carly Pope, Peter DeLuise, Ona Grauer, and Crystal Lowe. Its plot concerns a group of people who, after crashing their plane into the Himalayan Mountains, encounter the Yeti. This encounter sends them into a fight for survival. It is the 14th film in the Maneater Series.

<i>Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore</i> 2010 film by Brad Peyton

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is a 2010 spy comedy film directed by Brad Peyton in his directorial debut, produced by Andrew Lazar, Polly Johnsen, Greg Michael and Brent O'Connor and written by Ron J. Friedman and Steve Bencich based on the characters by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. The film stars Chris O'Donnell, Jack McBrayer, Fred Armisen and Paul Rodriguez with an ensemble voice cast of James Marsden, Nick Nolte, Christina Applegate, Katt Williams, Bette Midler, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sean Hayes, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan reprising their roles from previous first film. The film is a stand-alone sequel to the 2001 film Cats & Dogs, with more emphasis on its animal characters than the previous film, and was released on July 30, 2010, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received mostly negative reviews from film critics and grossed $112.5 million on an $85 million budget.

<i>House of Fears</i> 2007 American film

House of Fears is a 2007 American horror film, directed by Ryan Little. It stars Corri English, Sandra McCoy, Michael J. Pagan, Corey Sevier and Alice Greczyn. The film was released Direct-to-DVD on April 27, 2009 in the UK. The DVD release in the United States was distributed by Your Indie Films. The movie features a cameo from American actor Jared Padalecki.

<i>Mothman</i> (film) 2010 horror television film

Mothman is a 2010 television film directed by Sheldon Wilson and starring Jewel Staite and Connor Fox. The film premiered on Syfy on April 24, 2010, and was released on DVD on October 25, 2011. The film features the song "Fuel" by Surfact in the end credits and on the DVD menu. The film received negative reviews.

<i>Beethovens 3rd</i> (film) 2000 film by David M. Evans

Beethoven's 3rd is a 2000 American comedy film and the third installment in the Beethoven film series. It is the first film in the series to be released directly to video and to receive a G rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. The film marks the onscreen introduction of Judge Reinhold as George Newton's younger brother Richard, Julia Sweeney as Richard's wife Beth, Joe Pichler as Richard's son Brennan, and Michaela Gallo as Richard's daughter Sara.

<i>Stitches</i> (2012 film) 2012 comedy slasher film by Conor McMahon

Stitches is a 2012 comedy slasher film directed by Conor McMahon and written by McMahon and David O'Brien. It stars Ross Noble, Tommy Knight and Gemma-Leah Devereux, with Shane Murray Corcoran, Thomas Kane Byrne, Eoghan McQuinn, Roisin Barron, Hugh Mulhern, John McDonnell, Tommy Cullen, Lorna Dempsey, Jemma Curran, and Ryan Burke in supporting roles. The plot concerns a young man dressed as a birthday clown returning from the dead to exact revenge upon a boy and a group of children/teenagers who contributed to his death.

<i>Hellhounds</i> (film) 2009 Canadian TV series or program

Hellhounds is a 2009 Canadian horror film directed by Ricky Schroder. The film was shot in Romania. It is the 20th film of the Maneater Series.

<i>Joy Ride 3: Roadkill</i> 2014 American film

Joy Ride 3: Roadkill is a 2014 American Direct-to-video horror film written and directed by Declan O'Brien and stars Ken Kirzinger, Jesse Hutch, Kirsten Prout, Ben Hollingsworth and Dean Armstrong. It is a sequel to Joy Ride (2001) and Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) and the third and final installment of the Joy Ride series.

<i>Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery</i> 2015 film by Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone

Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a 2015 direct-to-DVD animated crossover comedy mystery film, and the twenty-fifth entry in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo films. It was released digitally on July 10, 2015, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21, 2015. The design of the film is inspired by Jack Kirby's comics.

<i>Dinosaur Island</i> (2014 film) 2014 British film

Dinosaur Island is a 2014 British-Australian family adventure film. The film is written and directed by Matt Drummond and co-produced by Jason Moody and Megan Williams. It focuses on an island where a special kind of crystal acts as a portal that can bring different things from different times on the island.

References

  1. ↑ "Roadkill (2011) - Johannes Roberts". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "Roadkill (2011) - Dread Central". Dread Central.com. Raider Redux. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  3. ↑ Kooken, Bruce (11 October 2017). "Film Review: RoadKill (2011)". HorrorNews.net. Bruce Kooken. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Felix, Justin. "Roadkill : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". DVD Talk.com. Justin Felix. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.