It's hard to believe director Gary King was behind such an unusual exploitation splatter film such as "Dismal" when the first film I ever saw from him was a short comedy about the war of the sexes. Straddling the line between indie grit and the seventies grindhouse vibe, Gary King brings about the likes of "Wrong Turn," and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," that is pretty much just a cinematic twinkie, but one you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying. King's tone and atmosphere is insanely different from his previous short I watched so many years ago and it works nine times out of ten. "Dismal" is a movie you've probably seen before about three or four times a year on cable. A group of teenagers led by an older person head in to a wooded area and find that there's a deformed maniac waiting to strike any moment. Except King takes what could have been a misfire and makes it in to something very much worth sitting through. With his own flourishes and camera tricks, King composes a very engrossing story about a young girl named Dana. Failing in biology class at her college, she takes it upon herself to go along with her teacher's aide (who happens to have a crush on her) and a few other classmates to research a local Dismal swamp. Dismal swamp happens to house a cannibalistic lurker who is watching the fresh meat from afar and begins striking them down one by one.

Tim Morris though steals the show as the humble and meek Curt, the teaching aide who leads the students on the swamp trip and slowly transforms from a submissive teacher in to something you will never see coming. The character of Curt is the most sympathetic and Morris plays him very well with glances and stuttering that--once Morris flips the coin--completely takes the audience by surprise. Sadly the film loses its bearings around the one hour mark where the pacing slows when it should be amping up every minute and our final survivors are ensnared much too easily when it becomes obvious what's happening when they're discovered by the local park ranger just in time. Meanwhile there are some flaws that are difficult to ignore like the ultimate fate of one of the characters involving some quite obvious CGI. Nevertheless the final half is as gruesome as expected with an obvious influence from Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" as Bill Oberst Jr. delivers a very despicable performance supporting an otherwise hokey twist. He looks to be having fun with this character and King lets him chew as much scenery as he wants. Anyone interested in a genre twinkie that borrows from Hooper while setting the bar high for indie horror may want to check out "Dismal." I had a great time.

It's a real 180 genre wise for director Gary King who goes from this clever short comedy film director in to a potential master horror filmmaker providing us with an entertaining and gruesome (if flawed and derivative) "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" throwback. With strong performances, engrossing characters, and a very exciting finale, I think fans of the seventies splatterfests will love what they see.

• For more information on "Dismal," visit the official website.