Just Before Dawn

Just Before Dawn is a 1981 slasher film from director Jeff Lieberman. Though the film came and went quietly upon its theatrical release the film has now developed a devoted cult following among horror fans. It is praised for its eerie atmosphere, lush cinematography, and above-average cast. Unlike many films of its kind however, Just Before Dawn focuses far more on suspense and atmosphere, rather than upon gruesome violence, which the film features very little of. The film was shot on location in the Silver Falls State Park in Sublimity, Oregon. It featured early performances from actors Chris Lemmon (Jack Lemmon's son) and Gregg Henry (the star of another horror film Slither), as well as early work from music composer Brad Fiedel who wrote and performed the films unique, if bizarre, music score. Lieberman cites the 1972 film Deliverance as the main influence on Just Before Dawn. He also calls Just Before Dawn his personal favorite of his works.

Plot summary

The movie opens to a bright forest, where two men, including Mike Kellin, are hunting, and come across an abandoned church. They go in and explore, and one of them receives a machete to the groin by a laughing man wearing a checkered jacket, Mike Kellin meanwhile takes off screaming. Flash to park ranger, Roy McLean (George Kennedy) at his home, followed by a van of five teens looking to go camping, but becoming lost. He warns them not to keep going the way they're going, but they ignore him and keep driving straight, and we are introduced to them, Warren (Gregg Henry) the blonde, body builder, his girlfriend Constance (Deborah Benson), the shy, blonde gal, Jonathon (Chris Lemmon), the goofy, horny partygoer, his slutty girlfriend, Megan (Jamie Rose), and the nerdy camera operator, Daniel (Ralph Seymour). On their way to the campsite, they almost hit a frantic, dirty Mike Kellin who tells them to drive away, but of course they don't listen, and he goes running off into the trees. They finally find a campsite and begin to set up, drinking beer, eating food, and listening to music, not caring about anything around them. When night falls they go to sleep, all the while being watched by something or someone in the woods. The next morning, they eat breakfast and go to the waterfall, seeing a young girl named Merry Logan (Kati Powell) who runs off into the woods. Meanwhile, Megan and Jonathon have gone skinnydipping in the lake, fooling around, not knowing someone is under the water with them. Megan doesn't realize that Jonathon hasn't gotten out of the water, and feels hands touching her, assuming it's Jonathon, until seeing him on shore, in which she begins to panic and swims to safety.

All of them then eat lunch, and break off to go exploring, and Jonathon spots Merry and begins to chase her asking what her name is and telling her he won't hurt her. She thinks this is a game and runs out into a clearing where she sees something horrible, backing up towards the trees. Jonathon figures it's the roped passageway over the river ahead, and begins to go across, but Merry runs away, and he goes to get her, only to be hit in the hand with a machete by an ugly deformed, giggling man in a checkered shirt. Jonathon runs to the other side, only to have the rope break, almost plunging him to his death in the rapids below, so he begins to climb up, only to be greeted by the same man, who shoves him off to his death with his boot. Megan and Daniel have gone off to takes pictures of the woods and come across the church and a graveyard. Daniel breaks his glasses and sees a figure coming through the woods, and thinking it's Jonathon tells Megan, who decides to make it look like they're making out. Daniel sees the figure approach, and upon realizing it's not Jonathon, pushes Megan out of the way and is stabbed through the stomach with the machete. Megan sees the checkered shirt killer and runs into the church, where she sees him outside picking up Daniel's camera. She turns around and is greeted by the same man, and realizes that they're identical twins, just as he begins to chop her up with the machete as the other takes pictures through the window. Meanwhile, Warren and Constance have met up back at camp, but can't find anyone else, until they spot Jonathon's body floating around in the river, and pull him out, knowing it's too late to save him. Him and Megan go to find the others but can't find any trace of them, as night approaches, so they go back to get the keys from Jonathon's body which has disappeared! Mike Kellin finally meets up with Roy and tells him all about the killer twins at the church, and Roy goes out on his horse to find the teens, and comes across Merry's family, who consist of a crazy father, and silent sister/mother. They tell him that the twins were actually theirs and that their mother died after having them, so he mated with his daughter and had Merry. Warren goes to find Jonathon's body to get the car keys, and leaves Constance at the campfire, where she is attacked by one of the twins who chases her up a tree. Warren finds Jonathon's body along with Daniel's who is wearing sunglasses and gets the keys, running back to camp, with the ranger. The twin cuts down the tree Constance is in, and is about to kill her when Roy shoots him in the chest, killing him, and he tells the couple to go pack their things. They go back to camp, as Merry runs through the woods to find them. At camp, the other twin stabs Warren and tries to kill Constance, who instead rams her fist down his throat, choking and killing him. Then she stands up, and makes the same noises as them, noting that she may have gone insane, as Warren questions her and Merry watches from the trees, cut to the sunset view of the forest at the beginning.

Cast

• George Kennedy .... Roy McLean
• Mike Kellin .... Ty
• Chris Lemmon .... Jonathan
• Gregg Henry .... Warren
• Deborah Benson .... Constance "Connie"
• Ralph Seymour .... Daniel
• Katie Powell .... Merry Cat Logan (as Kati Powell)
• John Hunsaker .... Mountain Twins
• Charles Bartlett .... Vachel
• Jamie Rose .... Megan
• Hap Oslund .... Pa Logan
• Barbara Spencer .... Ma Logan

Release

According to director Jeff Lieberman the film very nearly got picked up by Universal for release. Unfortunately business issues with the distribution company prevented it from happening.

Production

The original script included a sixth camper named Eileen and a different fate for Megan. It also included a climax involving Connie being forced to handle rattlesnakes by the in-bred villains. The title of the original screenplay was 'The Last Ritual'. The title was changed after the script's heavy religious theme was axed and the story was rigorously revised. Despite its authentic, weathered appearance the 'old' church house used in the film was actually built for the production. Director Jeff Lieberman said that countless strangers showed up at the filming location on the day that the scene with Jamie Rose swimming topless was to be filmed. Lieberman said that word of this shoot had apparently gotten out among the local forest rangers.^[1] While shooting in the woods one evening the lighting went out without explanation leaving the cast and crew in total pitch darkness. After several minutes the producer yelled out 'let there be light!' and sure enough the lights did indeed blare on - again without explanation. According to director Jeff Lieberman despite the numerous reviews of Just Before Dawn that have implied it was inspired by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) or The Hills Have Eyes (1977), he had not seen either film at the time of making Just Before Dawn.

Soundtrack

The eerie whistling motif heard in Brad Fiedel's music score is a reference to the rescue whistle that Warren carries in the film. According to composer Brad Fiedel many of the ominous sounds in the music score were actually electronically-altered audio clips of himself vocalizing droning noises.

Release

In France, the movie was released under the title "Survivance", as if to emphasize its thematic connection with John Boorman's Deliverance.^[2]

Background

• Actor Richard Kiel was at one point auditioned for the role of the film's dual killers.
• Actor Chris Lemmon was performing a his own dangerous stunt hanging on the ropes over the river and under the infamous falls.

DVD Release

Just Before Dawn was released on DVD on July 26, 2005 from Media Blasters. It is a 2-Disc Special Edition, and the features include:

• Commentary with Director Jeff Leiberman
• The Making of Just Before Dawn documentary
• Photo Gallery
• Original Trailers
• Bouns Shriek Show/Media Blasters Trailers

There is a debate if this DVD is uncut or not, but the first murder scene is three seconds shorter. When listening to the audio commentary, the movie is out of sync.

Notes

External links

• Just Before Dawn at the Internet Movie Database
• Just Before Dawn at Allmovie