Adventures of Serial Buddies

The movie Serial Buddies was an extremely funny and entertaining movie that left you fully engaged and supportive of a strange and eclectic group of characters. I wonder where the writer drew his influence from in real life? I left the theater thinking how could I possibly attempt to explain what I just saw for the last 90 minutes in a way that someone who hadn't seen the movie could appreciate? I don't think it is possible as I have unsuccessfully tried a couple of times. I highly recommend seeing Serial Buddies with the understanding that your preconceived notions of what the film is about don't scratch the surface of what you will see!

Saw this movie on a lark without reading any reviews (turns out later there weren't too many to be found anyway) or even seeing a preview. It's been years since I've done that, and now I remember why.

For some reason when we walked all the way to the back of the multiplex to get to the one theater this movie was showing in, and found that it was empty, I wasn't concerned. In retrospect, I guess that should have been my first clue.

The two characters meeting each other for the first time was a little funny, but it went downhill fast. I was a little worried when I saw the film quality. It looked like it was filmed on a low-end consumer digital camera, like if you kept playing the movie you would have found scenes of one of the director's niece's birthday parties or something.

Then the fat guy showed up. That's when I knew.

Here's this guy who looks to be in his early 40s playing what I suppose is supposed to be a fat teenager (I guess? it's never explained). His voice cracks and he really wants to learn how to make trophies. Something about that is supposed to be funny because there are all these "baaaawooom" and kazoo noises going off in the background as he walks around. Ya know, because it's funny.

Then there's one of the killers who dresses in brightly colored clothes and prances around. I guess this is meant to suggest he is gay, but maybe not? Again, more wacky noises going off in the background when he's dancing around.

I could go on but at some point I fell asleep. Next thing I know my wife is nudging me to tell me it's time to go. I think we were about 30 minutes into the movie at this point.

this movie was fun to see and made you laugh at the foibles you see in the world today, especially the nutty ones. making fun of crazy peoples'' hang-ups, is very funny,especially when you make it double up, reminds you of napoleon dynamite, only twice as good. go see it and do not be afraid to laugh, its funny. black comedy is very hard to master, it takes a very astute writer to know where the line is between comedy and stupidity. keven handled this extremely well, first by giving a main character a speech impediment, and showing the other main character's religious confusions, and then directing it so that it the characters owned them for real. great show.

I recently got a chance to preview Serial Buddies at the Boston Film Festival. This is the second effort I've seen from Writer/Director Keven Undergaro, and I have to say, he has come a long way since "In the Land of Merry Misfits". Serial Buddies shares some of the fantastical elements of Misfits (you get a strong sense that you're not quite in the real world) but the characters in Serial Buddies are much more fleshed out, as is the storyline.

Paul Ashton carries the film as the flamboyant Gregory. The subtleties of his performance filled in many blanks as the offbeat characters pursued their bloody quest. In the hands of a lesser actor the audience might have faced a few head-scratching moments, but Ashton kept the action chugging right along.

I suspect many reviewers are going to point out the great narration by Henry Winkler and the cameo roles by Christopher Lloyd, Artie Lange, Maria Menounos (also the film's co-producer) and Kathy Lee Gifford (all of whom shined) but to me the highlights came in the unexpected performances by Danielle Weeks as Winter, and Sir Richard Wentworth as Kravello. Not big parts for either of them, but they were both hysterical. They gave a real boost of momentum to the second half of the film. As I left the theater, my most prominent memories were of Weeks' drunken shrieking and Sir Richard's flashback montage. Either one alone would have been worth the price of admission.

Viewers hoping for a catalyst for some lively après-movie philosophical debate should be warned that Serial Buddies is not a morality play. In fact, Undergaro completely ignores the ethical implications of serial murder. Which is precisely what makes the movie funny. His comedy applies tension on the audience by not serving up the expected, obligatory antagonist. I was so pleased by the absence of the cliché cop-with-a-heart-of-gold hot to offer some banal counterpoint that murder is bad. More fun to see how it all plays out in the bizarre world of Undergaro's imagination. Well done.

An odd-ball quirky, comedy about serial killers. Haven't see this before! The film begins by introducing us to our leads -- outcast loners who just want to be loved. One, a wanna-be priest who kills for God's glory, the other a trophy-maker who worries about trophy production problems. They become partners in a weird rampage that brings them to strange lands and ever more increasing numbers of eccentric characters. This film is a visual feast, with colors and costumes that treat the eyes. Characters surprise and delight with their peculiar world-vision. And the story is certainly one never seen before.

Writer/Director Undergaro clearly possesses a rich inner life, and spending some time there, through his film, is a treat. Kinda like chocolate covered bacon -- it's strange, and you might have to think about it, but undoubtedly, you like it!

With cameos from the brilliant Christopher Lloyd, hilarious Kathie Lee Gifford, and brilliantly underplayed Christopher McDonald, among MANY others, this film constantly surprises and delights. In a kooky and uncommonly wonderful way.