Dark Haul

**_Ambitious, action-packed Jersey Devil thriller_**

A female with superpowers (Evalena Marie) is held captive and transported on a semi tractor-trailer with her gargoyle-like twin brother by a sect of "keepers" who are in conflict with other "keepers" over the interpretation of cryptic prophecy. Damon (Rick Ravanello) has developed father-like affection for the girl while Knicks (Tom Sizemore) thinks she's wholly evil, like her monster brother, who happens to be the inspiration for the Jersey Devil myth.

Released to TV 2014, "Dark Haul" (aka "Monster Truck") is surprisingly good, particularly compared to the typical half-baked SyFy flick (I was shocked by the low ratings). The script is well thought-out, the main cast is stalwart, the desolate wintery Northeast locations are great and the film's fast-paced with lotsa action. It's so original I walked away thinking, 'I've never seen this movie before.'

The only negative you have to withstand is the unbiblical Catholic-tinged gobbledygook, but this is almost expected in a fantasy-based story. The cartoony monster CGI could be cited as another negative, yet this is offset by the superb traditional F/X used in the climax where the creature looks like the devil incarnate, hooves and all.

Redheaded Evalena Marie is comely in a girl-next-door kind of way, not to mention all-around effective as the protagonist/antagonist. Too bad she disappeared from film afterward to all intents and purposes. There are a couple of other quality women in the periphery, like Maya (Adrienne LaValley) and another brunette (which might be Kate Billard; it's hard to tell by the credits).

It's short 'n' sweet at 1h 27m and was shot in Dec-Jan 2013-2014 in the heart of Connecticut south of Hartford in Rocky Hill and Newington, as well as east of the city in Manchester; meanwhile the train sequence was done in Thomaston, which is southwest of Hartford.

GRADE: A-/B+