From The Ashes review

By Mark Young

It always starts with a campfire. 

From the Ashes is a short presentation from Shane R. Preston and centres on two friends making their last goodbye to a fallen friend. Of course, this never goes well and we wouldn’t be sat here watching it if everything went according to plan. 

The arrangement here is pretty familiar; the introduction that suggests that the fallen comrade met his end via something that is not quite of this earth through to ‘best friends’ who slowly realise and recognise shortcomings in their relationship, the huntsman popping up with dire warnings of the Pale Moon Slasher, it shows that it has all of the right ingredients that you normally associate with this genre. The difference is that this is being delivered with one eye on the clock. If you imagine it ln the form of a condensed Friday the 13^th – Heavy talk before the action kicks in, which is presented in loving detail with some decent make-up. 

Its very much presented in the style of a classic portmanteau story that Amicus would have delivered in their heyday. Key scenes are bathed in colour which gives the practical effects a greater dimension. It’s a case of a production with strong performances all round and I also need to give props to the soundtrack that accompanies this too, jumping between 80’s electronica to heavy guitar. I don’t think it will surprise many, especially if you are a fan of this genre (Creepshow definitely springs to mind) but if you take it on its own merits it is a short and pleasant tale that would be worth catching up with.