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'Baghead'

Rating:

BY RAFER GUZMÁN | rafer.guzman@newsday.com

July 25, 2008

The mundane indie genre - all those talky, slightly trivial movies by and about talky, slightly trivial young people - gets a little shot of adrenaline in "Baghead," in which four would-be filmmakers are terrorized by a being of their own creation. The slasher is wearing not a hockey mask but a lower-budget prop: a paper bag.

Our heroes are two dudes, the handsome Matt (Ross Partridge) and his doughy-but-funny friend Chad (Steve Zissis). With them are two chicks: Matt's old flame, Catherine (Elise Muller) and a pretty new thing named Michelle (Greta Gerwig, the cast's most appealingly natural actor). Romantic tension is afoot, with second-banana Chad pining for Michelle, who in turn is eyeing first banana Matt.

Shut out of a film-festival party (of course), the four decide to hole up in a remote cabin to write their own film script. One night, Michelle dreams that a guy wearing a bag was at her window, which gets the creative juices flowing but in the wrong direction: A series of practical jokes soon spirals out of control.

"Baghead," written and directed by the Duplass Brothers (Jay and Mark, of the 2006 slacker comedy "The Puffy Chair") can't decide if it's "Swingers" or "The Blair Witch Project." It's entertaining, often funny and ultimately endearing, thanks mainly to its ensemble cast. But it's never truly scary. Though blood is shed, and girls scream, "Baghead" can't mask its identity: It's a talky, slightly trivial indie film.

(R)

PLOT In a remote cabin, four would-be horror filmmakers are terrorized by their own villain.

CAST Steve Zissis, Ross Partridge, Greta Gerwig, Elise Muller.

LENGTH 1:24

PLAYING AT AMC Empire and Sunshine Cinemas, Manhattan.

BOTTOM LINE "Baghead" deserves points for trying to inject life into the normally mundane indie genre, but its heart never gets pounding.