A true labour of love co-produced (along with his wife, Courteney Cox) by, directed by, co-written by and starring Arquette, The Tripper also features one of the most amazing casts ever likely to grace a horror-comedy, bringing together the considerable acting talents of Thomas Jane (The Mist; The Punisher), Balthazar Getty (Alias; Lost Highway), Lukas Haas (Last Days; Brick), Jaime King (Sin City; Pretty Persuasion), Jason Mewes (Clerks II), Paul Reubens (Blow; Mystery Men; Batman Returns), Richmond Arquette (Halloween; Zodiac) and Courteney Cox (Friends; Dirt), as well as featuring cult LA ska-rockers, Angelo Moore and Fishbone.

En route to a counter-culture rock festival being held in a remote California redwood forest, a van load of drugged-up neo-hippie friends find themselves harassed by both the local rednecks and the conservative law enforcers. Also on their tail and out for revenge is the ultra-Republican and psychotically jealous ex-boyfriend of hippie chick Samantha.

But these minor downers on the planned weekend of sex, drugs and rock n' roll pale into insignificance when it becomes apparent that an axe-wielding, Ronald Reagan-obsessed serial killer, complete with "Gipper" mask and a pet dog called Nancy, is stalking the forest intent on finishing a killing spree he started years earlier. As the debauchery commences, only one thing is certain – before the weekend is over, hippie heads are definitely gonna roll.

Obviously aiming to make the kind of movie he loves to watch, David Arquette pulls out all the stops to ensure The Tripper delivers in terms of gore, humour, profanity and manic inventiveness. A no-holds-barred slasher that also manages to pack in the laughs, The Tripper will not only delight horror fans but will also appeal to cult movie aficionados with a taste for offbeat comedy-shockers.

• The Cast on The Tripper (on-set interviews)
• Trailer