Monster Man

This was on Showtime the other night, and I figured it was going to be another made-for-video crap fest, like "Earth vs. the Spider" or any of those other HBO horror shorts. Instead, I found a comedy/gore classic. It was legitimately funny, and surprisingly, the acting was quite good. Even my wife, an overall horror-hater, agreed and was laughing at parts. In addition, the FX were high-quality.

Overall, the film felt like a parody of Joy Ride/Jeepers Creepers, and the 2 main characters reminded me of the pair from Shaun of the Dead. Definitely worth watching, but don't take it seriously.

The End.

Monster Man is a small and modest production, made by a bunch of people who're obvious genre-lovers and ambitious fantasts. I really can't be too harsh on it as the goodwill and enthusiasm of both cast and crew can count on my sympathy a lot more than the uninspired and plot and messy script. Unoriginal is one thing this film surely is since it borrows ideas from films like Spielberg's Duel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Hills have Eyes and even Jeepers Creepers!! Seriously, why anyone would want to steal ideas from junk like Jeepers Creepers is a complete mystery to me, but still… The plot involves two lowlifes (a male virgin nerd and a boisterous, chubby joker) who're on their way to wedding of a girl they both worshiped in their youth. They pick up the inevitable hitch-hiking sexy babe, which leads to new cliché intricacies. Meanwhile, they're being terrorized by this huge Monster Truck, driven by a ghoulish and severely mutilated madman. The make-up effects in this film are playfully gore and the bloodshed is very explicit…Heads and limbs are cheerfully being crushed under the giant wheels of the truck and numberless `roadkill'-corpses appear out of nowhere. The comedy-horror approach of this film reminds you about other memorable titles such as Evil Dead II, Braindead and The Return of the Living Dead…however, I severely doubt that Monster Man will ever enjoy the same status in the field like the previously mentioned titles do. The extremely far-fetched and stupid climax is a bit too much and hard to swallow, even though I was in a generously mild and open-minded mood. Even for an absurd comedy, Monster Man has a dumb ending and that's a shame because the previous 80minutes are a well-intentioned attempt. Oh well…Monster Man will certainly be appreciated by young and over-enthusiast gorehounds and cinema thrillseekers… The more trained and experienced horror fans can keep themselves busy by tracking down the references and tributes to classic horror delights….IF they're in a good mood, of course.

Well, it has to be said that Monster Man is a huge mess of a film, but somehow multiple different genres and a clichéd plot come together to make one of the most enjoyable modern horror films I've seen in ages! The two biggest styles that the film mixes are a 'Road Trip' style teenage comedy and a 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' style redneck horror vibe, and while one gets in the way of the other quite often; director Michael Davis manages to keep things moving thanks to the fact that the constant shift in tone means that we're never quite sure where the film is going to be taken next. Things start out worryingly as we're introduced to two characters, both irritating in different ways. Adam is a wussy virgin, while Harley is a fat big-mouthed "A-hole". They're both driving across the desert to attend the wedding of some chick they both liked in high school. After a couple of strange events, they pick up a hitch-hiker, and then find themselves being chased by some maniac in a monster truck for reasons unknown...

The idea of someone being chased by someone else in a bigger vehicle is hardly original, but the way the monster truck is used here is one of the film's biggest assets. The truck itself looks spooky because it's so haggard and rusty, and the fact that it bounces around the screen makes the unfolding action exciting and suspenseful. After a while, you begin to get used to the characters and once Aimee Brooks enters the fray, things start to look up. The teen comedy side of the movie actually works pretty well, as Justin Ulrich is always on hand to deliver some entertaining lines of dialogue and the scenes between the dorky virgin and the hot female hitch-hiker are interesting enough. Just when you think the film couldn't possibly get any messier, things take a turn for the weird in the final third. Without spoiling things, it has to be said that Monster Man features the sort of ending that couldn't possibly be seen coming, and along with the twist, is a big surprise. Some people may feel ripped off by the sudden turn at the end - but I actually thought it worked quite well as it fits the film in that nothing here really fits... Overall, this isn't a 'great' film by any means - but if you're looking for some silly entertainment, Monster Man should hit the spot!

I rented Monster Man because I thought watching people being chased around by a freak in a monster truck was kind of appealing, but I knew in my heart that I would be sorry, for I have been burned by the cool box covers many, many times now. I can honestly say, I am pleasantly surprised and I actually enjoyed the movie MUCH more than I ever thought I would.

I have to admit that they borrowed from many other movies of this type, most notably to me was Jeepers Creepers with the creepy vehicle and the freaky monster type. However, that monster truck was so cool. It was freakier than the truck thing used in Jeepers Creepers. Whoever designed that thing can be very proud of himself. I loved how the truck's front end raised up on it's hydraulics when letting off of the gas and dropped down when flooring it. When letting off the gas and quickly flooring it, it gave the impression of a hungry animal trying to bite it's prey, which was especially creepy and cool.

The two main characters, Adam and Harley (Eric Jungmann and Justin Urich), are two guys on opposite ends of the extreme. Harley is an obnoxious, loud mouthed punk and Adam is a meek and timid guy who needs to stand up for himself. Along the way to a wedding they were going to, they meet up with a beautiful hitchhiker named Sara (Aimee Brooks), who joins up with them from that point on.

The special effects were great, with the exception of the obviously rubber corpse. The roadkill scene was hilarious, whether or not it was meant to be. The monster truck was awesome. The Monster Man was creepy enough to make it work, despite the so-so appearance. Brother Fred was probably the creepiest and most likable at the same time (hard to imagine I know). Overall, if you are into the low budget horror movies, then I can recommend this one highly to you. The two main characters get annoying but the violence more than makes up for it. 7/10

Two city guys are driving through Hicksville USA when a rusty monster truck suddenly appears and repeatedly attempts to run them off the road.Having picked up a mysterious blonde hitchhiker,they pull up at a truck-stop full of redneck amputees,one of whom warns them of 'the demon out there'. But they don't listen.Big mistake!"Monster Man" by Michael Davis mixes comedy with horror surprisingly well.The film borrows heavily from "Duel","The Blair Witch Project","Jeepers Creepers" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".The story is pretty silly,but there is enough gore and violence to keep splatter freaks happy.I enjoyed especially the performance of Justin Urich,which offers the film its comedy relief.Still the complete lack of suspense is hard to forgive.Give this one a chance,if you have some time to waste.7 out of 10.Did I mention that Aimee Brooks is sexy?