In 2009 special makeup effects artist Robert Green Hall made his directorial debut with the film Laid to Rest. While the script was nothing too exciting gore fans were drawn to the film’s ample amount of blood and guts as well as the film’s killer Chrome Skull. Chrome Skull’s unique characteristics being his chrome-skull mask and the video camera mounted on his shoulder to document his recreational activities.
ChromeSkull picks up exactly where Laid to Rest ended. Chrome Skull, having just had his head bashed in, is rushed away to a medical facility in hopes of saving his life. It seems that Chrome Skull is a wealthy overlord with a loyal following of minions including Preston (Brian Austin Green), a psychopath in his own right, and personal assistant Spann (Danielle Harris). Spann spends her time trying to raise Chrome Skull’s spirits by enticing him with video footage of a possible new target. Meanwhile Preston, believing that Chrome Skull won’t recover, looks to establish himself as the new killer in town.
While I wasn’t nearly as taken with Chrome Skull as many horror fans were the last thing I wanted to learn was that he was a wealthy eccentric that gets away with his nasty habits simply because his money makes him untouchable. I suppose it’s a bit more realistic than the supernatural elements behind Freddy Kruger or Jason Voorhees but it’s hardly the sort of thing that enhances the mystic of a character.
Not that ChromeSkull is actually about Chrome Skull. It’s more about Preston running around in Chrome Skull’s chrome skull. This builds up to a final showdown that doesn’t make up for the general lack of tension that precedes it.
Hall is a talented makeup artist with a wild imagination when it comes to making a death scene but when it comes to writing a script or squeezing good performances out of his actors he comes up short. Yes, the film might be the crème de la crème when it comes to gore but if you want anything more engrossing than that you’ll have to look elsewhere.