This Halloween-themed indie film from the late eighties isn’t one of those low-budget horror gems that manages to be enjoyable despite its shortcomings—like “The Majorettes,” “Blood Harvest,” “Blood Hook,” or “Luther the Geek.” "Hollowgate," also sometimes called "Hollow Gate," simply doesn't measure up. The narrative centers on two teenage couples who find themselves at a secluded rural estate on Halloween night, where they become the targets of a man who apparently missed taking his medication. It’s a workable premise that could have been effective, but it fails to live up to its potential. I can overlook the film's cheap production values and the fact that all the actors are unknowns; what hurts is that the writer/director didn’t do enough to keep the audience engaged with basic horror elements. For example, the character of the “final girl” feels miscast—the actress just doesn’t seem right for the part, unlike the portrayals in the "Friday the 13th" movies. The dramatic moments feel drawn-out and uninspired, and the female performers aren't particularly strong. There’s also a lot of unnecessary padding throughout. On the bright side, the opening scene with bobbing for apples is amusing, and the actor playing the unstable man does have some fun chewing the scenery—though he overdoes it to the point where he doesn’t seem believable. It's similar in quality to the unremarkable “Hack-O-Lantern” from around the same time (but without that film’s budget), and even then, "Hack-O-Lantern" is a far more entertaining movie by comparison. The runtime is 1 hour, 25 minutes, and filming took place in Thousand Oaks, California, which is about twelve miles west of northern Los Angeles and eighteen miles northwest of Malibu. GRADE: D+

Source on TMDB