Horror is alive and well!

Independent horror is alive and well in the hands of New Jersey native Alan Rowe Kelly whose latest 'A FAR CRY FROM HOME' is a disturbing and dark trip into the realm of homophobia, inbred rednecks, and religious fanaticism. He takes them to 'DELIVERANCE' meets 'TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE' heights. Kelly's film details the horrors that await a gay couple who make the mistake of stopping at the wrong curiosity shop. Curiosity, as you know killed the cat, but what it doesn't prepare you for what the cat suffers before its dispatch.

'A FAR CRY FROM HOME' is Director Kelly's portion of an omnibus entitled 'Gallery of Fear' to be released in 2009. This is his third trip behind the camera as a director and if it is any indication of where he is headed, the future of hard-edge horror is in very capable hands. His previous efforts, 2002's 'I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW' and 2007's 'THE BLOOD SHED' were both consummately put together exercises in fucked-up behavior taken to dizzying heights. 'A FAR CRY FROM HOME' continues in the same vein as 'THE BLOOD SHED' featuring backwoods fuckups, but this time without the surrealistic insanity that spiraled through 'BLOOD SHED'.

'Lane' (Alan Rowe Kelly) and 'Kayle' (Don Money) are headed for a relaxing weekend at a cabin in the woods. A chance to get out of the city, marred only by the fact that Lane is terrified of losing Kayle over the difference in their age. As the couple argues over Lane's insecurity, they miss their turn and find themselves in an unfamiliar area. Spotting a curio shop called "Hung by a Thread" Kayle pulls in and wants to look. Not wanting any part of "another junk shop" Lane remains in the car. The couple's romantic getaway has just come to a sudden end.

What happens next is the stuff of nightmares, made real as Kayle and Lane become acquainted with the denizens of this rural hell!

This is a short film, but it carries all the visceral impact of a film twice its length. Director Kelly serves up a hot plate of steaming horror with few, if any, punches pulled. He does so with manic glee that's sure to please any fan of real horror. This ain't kids stuff and the performances from the entire cast bring this feral inbred to full fruition with a pantheon of gruesome goodies that has to be seen to be believed!

This was a team effort, according to Alan Rowe Kelly, and it is evident in every frame. This film doesn't suffer from many of the downfalls that plague indie productions. The production value here is consistently high, from the top notch cast to Bart Mastronardi's cinematography which makes this film look as if cost a hell of a lot more than it did. When you combine that, with sharp edits courtesy of Stolis Hadjicharalambous and nasty effects from Benzy, Michael Todd Schneider & Brian Spears, you wind up with a short, classic little piece of grim cinema.

Gallery of Fear, write it down and put it on your fridge because you don't want to miss what is sure to be one of the horror film highlights of 2009! Next up for Director Kelly is a remake of S.F. Brownrigg's 1973 oeuvre of depravity 'DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT'.