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JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981) Director: Jeff Lieberman. Hacktors: George Kennedy, Gregg Henry, Mike Kellin, John Hunsaker. Rating/5: The lowdown: Just Before Dawn is nothing more than a straight-up, old-school woodland slasher film. Now that it's finally out on DVD, horror film fans now have the chance to assess this rare movie from genre favorite Jeff Lieberman, director of such cult classics like Blue Sunshine and Squirm. Telling the story of a group of nubile teens and their camper van trip up into the mountains this probably seemed a bit cliché even in 1981 at the start of the slasher boom. Fortunately the film succeeds in bringing a few refreshing twists and turns to make things interesting. Good points: If you like slasher films, then this will do it for you. It has a suitably scary villain, a stock drunk crazy guy warning the kids not to go into the woods, a kooky ranger who ambles about doing very little, hillbillies running about the place and nubile teen women in hot pants. More crucially, Lieberman is a great director and makes maximum usage out of the amazing locations, working some fantastic shots which blew me away. The production also has a great cast and a nimble pace: it fair flies along with lots of set pieces. The cast are great too. Gregg Henry, who was destined to become a De Palma favorite, does a good job as the lead and the cast all do well with their roles which actually require them to act! Another strength is the Brad Fiedel score, which is suitably menacing throughout and shows why he went onto bigger things like the Terminator series. Bad points: The picture quality here is disappointing. It has a washed out look and makes you wonder whether the best master had been found. It certainly looks awful when compared to the recent Phantasm restoration. There is also some controversy over whether or not this version is uncut, but that is pretty immaterial as this is a surprisingly bloodless film anyway. Here's the crux: Just Before Dawn is a well-made, tense slasher film with a high body count but limited gore. So a good slasher film certainly, but no classic. DVD Details: The film reviewed here is the US two-disc special edition from Shriek Show. The film comes with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer with an optional Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 soundtrack. The extras include a director's commentary, in which the laconic Lieberman regales us with many a tale in an entertaining manner. There are lengthy cast interviews which show how much fun they had making it, as well as the fondness they have for the film. The package is rounded out by a photo gallery and lots of trailers. Overall: Just Before Dawn is well worth a watch, especially if you can get it cheap. It is a very nice package for a rare film, with two discs, lots of extras and a cardboard sleeve. I also love the orange-tinged sleeve art. Sadly, a number of folk will compare the film itself less favorably because of the lack of gore, but it works well as a tense thriller regardless and doesn't disappoint. It has some standout moments which I haven't seen in other slashers and shows that Lieberman has some real talent. Release Date: Just Before Dawn is currently available in the USA on DVD through Shriek Show. In the UK, Just Before Dawn will be released on February 20, 2006 through Odeon. Curiously, it's also available as an exclusive from Play.com at a budget price. Reviewer: Jon Kelly. [Check it out at Amazon US] [Check it out at Amazon UK] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present