Year: 2006Genre: Musical Horror Comedy
Stars: Jason Yachanin, Kate Graham, Allyson Sereboff, Robin Watkins, Joshua Olatunde & Rose Ghavami
Director: Lloyd Kaufman
Overview: From the studio that brought you Tromeo and Juliet, The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke'Em High comes this latest campy gross-out-fest. Couple Arbie (Yachanin) and Wendy (Graham) enjoy their time together getting jiggy with it at the local Tromahawk Indian Burial Ground and are enjoying a final tryst before Wendy goes off to college. Wendy promises to stay true to the unambitious Arbie but as the very next scene shows, a few semesters in college has turned her into a protesting hippie liberal lesbian who marches against the opening of a fried chicken chain built over the same Indian burial ground. Out of spite, Arbie gets hired at the Chicken Bunker where strange things are occurring. Soon the whole restaurant is overrun by chicken zombies out for revenge. Oh and did I mention it's also a musical?
Writing: The dialogue in this movie is very nail-on-the-head type stuff and the satire is far from subtle. With names like Arbie, Wendy, Denny, Carl Jr. and Paco Bell, it's obvious what this movie is poking fun at. Fast food isn't the only sacred cow getting skewered in this musical however as each character fulfills a stereotype (socially or cinematically) to it extreme leaving very little left to the imagination. For example Lloyd Kaufman makes an appearance as a fellow Chicken Bunker employee who not too subtly suggests if Arbie stays in fast food, he'll end up like him. Near the end of the movie Kaufman upright tells Arbie he is in fact him. Obvious, maybe, hilarious? Absolutely.
Directing: In the tradition of Roger Corman, Lloyd Kaufman's flick is a bare-bones production. Unlike Corman however, Poultrygeist is much more considered as the special effects though older in design are incredibly effective. I would argue that the animatronics, prop body parts and schlocky blood-works enhance the movie's tenor. It's like a throwback to 1980's slasher flicks only with song and dance. The cinematography however is sorely lacking. Though it might have looked less authentic if done with better cameras, the grainy shots work against this film making it appear older than it really is.
Acting: Virtual unknowns crowd the screen and it's plain to see why they're unknown. Almost every character is supposed to be a caricature of something else which is fine but most of the young actors that populate this picture act like they're still in high school. Joshua Olatunde's manager Denny shouts every line like a bad Samuel L. Jackson impersonator and Rose Ghavami who is covered in a burqa for most of the film, exaggerates her eye movements to the point of eye-popping silliness. There are however a few actors that maximize their potential. Robin Watkins effectively hams it up as Chicken Bunker's proprietor General Lee Roy and Caleb Emerson's Carl Jr. keeps things interesting when he's on screen. Kate Graham also stands out as the only decent singing voice in the film.
Bankability: The only recognizable face in the entire movie is porn star Ron Jeremy who has about two minutes of screen time. The movie makes up for this with its breakneck pacing and incredible ability to top itself. Once you think the movie has done the most shockingly funny and gross stunt ever, it introduces a new set piece that keeps you on your toes. I won't give away too much but the very first scene includes a gruesome death involving a zombie hand that reaches up the rectum of its victim reaches out of his mouth and takes an 'item' out of his hand before pulling itself out again. And that's literally the first five minutes!
ALL-Factor: If you're not laughing at this movie by the first two minutes turn it off! For those of us with a sense of humor this movie is absolutely hilarious both as a "so-bad-it's-good" movie and as an unconventional musical comedy. It also accomplishes the very rare WTF reaction. throughout its brisk 103 minute run time it reduced me from a quiet and respectful film watcher to the stereotypical loud guy at the theatre who shouts at the screen telling characters "not to go in there!" Does this movie make me cry, or challenge my noggin, not really but then again the film never looks for tears; unless its tears of laughter.
Conclusion: I love this film. It makes no pretensions on what it sets out to do and it really wears its heart in its sleeve. You can tell Kaufman took a lot of care to craft this movie to what it is today and though it may not win any prestigious awards its still ten times more original than most of the crap out there today. With that said, I cannot recommend this movie to ANYONE! not a soul. It's one of those movies I believe is geared towards me and me alone. Anyone interested in the single best movie involving explosive diarrhea won't be disappointed. Otherwise, go rent The Proposal or something.
No comments:
Post a Comment