Movie review: Attack of the Tattie-Bogle

It’s fast approaching March and for those crazy folk in Wisconsin it can only mean one thing… the return of the much-anticipated MidWest WierdFest and all the strange mayhem that comes with it.
So it seems fitting that our first film review from the festival line-up should take place in Wisconsin, Attack of the Tattie-Bogle, but first things first, what the fuck is a Tattie-Bogle?
It’s not as the name suggests some kind of potato snot.
No, this is a Scottish term for scarecrow, but although it may bear some similarity to The Town That Dreaded Sundown, this film goes for all out realism with its characters reactions and the ordeal that they are faced with.

Set on Independence Day, where we see a mixed group of patriots, liberalists, and romantics, who gather at a remote cabin to celebrate the festivities only to be forced to use their wits and guile from a rampant and bloody attack.

As the movie winds you in, my first reaction felt a little stifled as the acting and pace felt a little strained and the dialogue, although going for naturalism comes across a little forced at times.

This is all forgiven by the time it reaches the first onslaught, which comes thick and fast, with such brutal savagery it tears apart the senses with stark reality.

Half the group is dispatched with quick severity, which is a good thing as it would have been hard to track who’s who without this swift attack.

From here on in, it’s anyone’s guess who will survive and with each attempt of escape and moment of solidarity quickly snuffed out by the attacker, the tension mounts with incredible unease.

By the films conclusion at just over the hour mark, you certainly feel like you’ve gone through the wringer. And the film satisfies as a result.

The Diagnosis:

Despite some dubious acting and dialogue in places, director Pete Macy offers a delightfully savage look at the slasher genre in which the brutal reality shines through and becomes its champion.

Check this out to see a low budget, bloody film which pits the question of what would you do when confronted with an ambush in a land far removed from your own.

– Saul Muerte

Catch the screening of Attack of the Tattie-Bogle at the MidWest WierdFest.

You can already purchase discounted day or full festival passes to the 2018 festival here, through the festival’s ticketing partner site FilmFreeway.  (Tickets to individual films will be available closer to the festival, directly via the website of the Micon Budget Downtown Cinema). Go on. Get weird!