Scareycrows

This is a low budget film that has used its budget to maximum effect and very cleverly. The idea is unique and works brilliantly. A town over run with possessed evil scareycrows. I don't like horrors generally I must admit, the exception is when they are funny, and scareycrows is funny. I won't do spoilers and so won't highlight moment but it is an educational in how simple a well placed gag can be and how it can make up for the lack of a sizeable budget. Most impressively this is Lucy Townsends directorial debut and is an impressive start to her career. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

If you liked Hot Fuzz, that film with Simon Peg, Scareycrows is right up your alley. This is a fun filled comedy horror fest. It is 100% pure entertainment. Can't be sure who had more fun, me watching or the cast and crew making the movie. Speaking of the cast, all strong performances. The director does an excellent job of keeping the camp and slapstick out and a funny realism in. Two thumbs up.

I've seen a lot of indie horror films and Scareycrows is now one of my favorites. It's a fun setup: the scarecrows setup all over a small town in England for a holiday celebration start attacking the residents. Some people amongst a young group of friends start disappearing and everyone is vulnerable to attacks from the scarecrows that appear EVERYWHERE around town.

As you could probably tell from the premise, Scareycrows mixes horror and comedy. The film is very well made for an independent film in all facets. Usually indie horror films are lacking in some department, but Scareycrows was well written, directed, and acted. Personally, I also enjoyed seeing a horror comedy in a small English town on the water since it just felt refreshingly different. For those who like horror/comedies, I highly recommend Scareycrows!

For the sake of full disclosure, I'm an anglophile, and specifically when it comes to English humor: The Monty Python/Young Ones/Benny Hill trifecta are all long-term tenants in my comedy Pantheon. From the opening moments of Scareycrows, I excitedly realized that I had stumbled onto a comedy that would prove indigenously, stubbornly English: The jokes are as dry as they are knowing; there's a high degree of ridiculousness that must be joyously embraced; and the suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite.

For those requiring plausibility, look elsewhere, as Scareycrows isn't that kind of party. Director Lucy Townsend waves her magic indie wand over a story in which a hairdresser in training finds her charming little town infested by murderous..."scareycrows" (fabulous!). Townsend takes a script that revels in the smartly inane and does a superlative job blurring the lines between indie and lower-budget major studio by exhibiting her great choices in casting, cinematography, and actor direction.

This film is boldly tongue-in-cheek and unapologetically veers into goofball territory whenever Townsend wills it there (which is often). Those whose eyes require the homogenized sheen of major studio productions are encouraged to consider how sadly rare true absurdity is in those larger offerings. Scareycrows is gloriously ludicrous filmmaking which awaits your courageous embrace.

This quirky horror/comedy film will catch you off guard with how charming and witty it is. It's gloriously goofy in all the right ways and thoroughly involving. It reminded me of SHAUN OF THE DEAD (which is a movie that I love) in the may that it deftly mixed comedy and horror, becoming more and more suspenseful as the story progressed. This film is a true original, though, and does its own thing. If you're looking for an offbeat and wickedly sharp film, you should definitely check out SCAREYCROWS.