Horror Movie Review: Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2009)

Are you ready for a ton of gore? A ton of nudity and a ton of horrible characters? If the answer is yes then you are ready for Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet.

Stupid title aside, there is a lot of entertainment to be had in this mix of 80’s inspired supernatural/slasher horror although its best bits come in the first 15 minutes.

Beginning in 1978, young Mary has her first period and goes absolutely ballistic murdering her parents with a hatchet. Too young and considered unfit to stand trial, the young girl is institutionalised. Later, as a teen she is raped and impregnated by a guard. If things weren’t bad enough for Mary the institution covers it up and when she gives birth the baby is stillborn. This is just one step to far for Mary who escapes her cell and goes on a rampage killing hospital staff and guards.

Mary is found outside by the police. She is completely naked and holding the head of the guard who raped her. In an absolutely sublime scene the police order her to put the head down. Her response? she roars before throwing the head at the them resulting her being shot dead.

As the years go by the tale of Mary Hatchet becomes folklore and the youngsters of the town turn her name into a Halloween style night of fun, called Blood Night.

A group of interchangeable teens decide to hold a seance at Mary’s grave, a pretty terrible idea backed by the caretaker, Gus (Bill Moseley). He shares with them a story that suggest the ghost of Mary still exists as she searches for her lost child. Mary will kill any and all who come her way until she is reunited with her baby.

The teens all laugh it off and head to a house party where, guess what? The body count begins to rise as they are picked off by an unseen killer. Is Mary back for her child or is it someone doing it in her name?

Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet is a lot of fun. If you like your horror covered in blood and guts. The 80’s influences are layered throughout and it was hard to not smile when subtle references to Return of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th are dropped.

The story is fine, nothing spectacular although a late twist in the plot is well done. Blood Night isn’t a serious movie. Playing up to its tropes with a tongue firmly planted in its cheek. Its problems come from its bland characters with even Danielle Harris failing to bring much to the table (at least until the finale). The acting is fine, it’s not that, it’s just that they are interchangeable stereotypes meaning it’s hard to give even the smallest damn about them.

The star of the show is Mary who makes sporadic appearances in the nude. If that’s your jam, you’re in luck here as nothing is left up to the imagination). She’s a pretty effective villain with a sympathetic backstory. The actress, Samantha Facchi certainly exudes threat and menace.

You’ll not only remember this movie for Mary but for the hefty amount of gore it throws at the screen (quite literally at times). We’re talking a pair of scissors to the eye, numerous hatchets to the head, an eye-watering neck break that sees a head turned completely around and intestines wrapped around a pick axe like it is spaghetti on a fork. Fantastic stuff.

Simply put, you could do so much worse then giving 80 odd minutes of your time to Mary Hatchet.

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