Nerdy colleagues band together after co-workers become murderous via a weaponised energy drink. Okay-while-its-on comedy-horror with a Larry Cohen-esque conceit and a whiff of The Belko Experiment. No real surprises or scares, but some nice lines and action details.
Tag: horror-comedy
Peelers (2016, dir. Sevé Schelenz)
A strip-club owner has to defend her business and her co-workers against zombies. Awkward horror-comedy that delivers in terms of gore, but manages to mishandle what should be a gleefully tasteless B–movie; the result is too-often tacky and nastily exploitative.
George A Romero’s Land of the Dead [AKA Land of the Dead] (2005, dir. George A Romero)
![George A Romero’s Land of the Dead [AKA Land of the Dead] (2005, dir. George A Romero)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/lotd.jpg?w=650)
A gated community is threatened by an organising army of zombies. The slickest and most mainstream of Romero’s six zombie flicks, Land has some storytelling issues but also verve in its inventiveness and its writer-director’s trademark social commentary.
Demon Knight [AKA Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight] (1995, dir. Ernest Dickerson)
![Demon Knight [AKA Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight] (1995, dir. Ernest Dickerson)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Demon-Knight.jpg?w=600)
A remorseless demon stalks an immortal holding the last key to humanity’s survival. Under-appreciated siege horror-comedy linked (vaguely) to the EC comics. A game diverse ensemble cast of character actors jolly things along, supported by excellent direction. Unpretentious fun.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986, dir. Tobe Hooper)
An ambitious DJ and a vengeful sheriff hunt the Sawyer family. Scattershot sequel, foregrounding black comedy, gore effects, and a subversion of Reaganite family values. Gleeful rather than good or scary, it nevertheless has a few startling moments.
Canaries (2017, dir. Peter Stray)
A New Years’ party in Wales is the centre of an alien invasion. Low-budget SF/horror/comedy with some oddly irrelevant production values and an overly-complex backstory. Not great at all, but there are a couple of good moments.
Happy Death Day (2017, dir. Christopher B. Landon)
A female student has to relive the day of her murder again and again. Sprightly campus-based slasher horror-comedy, fairly unashamed in its mashup of Groundhog Day and Scream. Pretty good, within its limitations, leading to a direct sequel two years later.
Cooties (2014, dir. Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott)
Teachers are held under siege when their summer-school pupils contract a deadly virus. Serviceable horror-comedy which gets some mileage out of a game cast and script, and from its gleeful approach to child-centric gore.
Fear, Inc (2016, dir. Vincent Masciale)
A group of friends are terrorised by a company providing bespoke horror experiences. In-jokey horror-themed riff on Fincher’s The Game which starts slow, but gathers momentum, and is actually pretty good at disguising its payoff.
The Babysitter (2017, dir. McG)
A bullied teen finds his babysitter is the head of a satanic cult. Enjoyable horror-comedy with plenty of splattery jokes, a generally light touch, and engaging playing from its leads. Frothy but fun.
