Saturday 30 March 2019

You Might be the Killer

"You Might be the Killer" (2018, Brett Simmons, Chuck Wendig, Curmudgeon Films) is a horror comedy set at a Summer Camp in America.

Sam (Fran Kranz) is a camp counsellor who awakes from a blackout to find that there has been a massacre at the summer camp he works at. He can't remember much before the blackout, but while on the phone to his horror movie fan friend, Chuck (Alyson Hannigan) things begin to clear and he begins to question his role in the bloodshed.

A fun and extremely meta horror comedy which plays tropes from a range of genre favourites for laughs. Starting out as a viral Twitter conversation between authors, Chuck Wendig and Sam Sykes, the film is very playful, suitably gory and extremely tongue in cheek.

As a fan of both Kranz and Hannigan, I can't say I went into this film anything but keen and open minded, but I'm happy to report that the film was solid and irreverent enough that I know I would have enjoyed it anyway, even without those two filling the key roles. Kranz, however, continues to be able to get away with (on screen/in universe) murder while remaining a very sympathetic character.

Like most horror comedies, the main plot joke does lose some of its sting by the end of the run time. But its cheeky styling and ability to poke fun at the genre whilst remaining respectful of horror as a whole makes this a playful and entertaining watch.

Available to watch on Shudder.

[Image: Curmudgeon Films]
Hani

Saturday 2 March 2019

Society

"Society" (1989, Brian Yuzna, Wild Street Pictures) is a body horror film which was actually the directorial debut from Yuzna who brought us "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" so... you know what you're in for.

Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) is a teenager in Beverly Hills. He lives with his wealthy parents and sister, Jenny (Patrice Jennings). Despite his luxurious lifestyle, Bill feels alienated from his highfalutin family, and this is the main focus of his weekly meetings with his therapist, Dr. Cleveland (Ben Slack). Bill becomes obsessed with finding out what's going on when Jenny's ex-boyfriend, Blanchard (Tim Bartell), gives him a cassette tape which seems to implicate his family in a disturbing and murderous act. As Bill begins to delve deeper into the mystery of his family and the apparent elite cult that they are a part of, he begins to suspect that he may be more alone than he thought.... And that his enemies may have gruesome plans for him...

An entertaining and gooey horror comedy which builds to a fairly disturbing and equally funny climax. The effects (by Screaming Mad George (Joji Tani)) are surreal, perverse and delightfully gruesome and are, in all fairness, the true star of the film which is admittedly a little clunky in the plot department.

This is definitely a must-see for any body horror fan and will leave you chuckling and possibly also a little traumatised.

[Image: Wild Street Pictures]
Hani