Chillerama

It's just one of those poser "horror comedies". Decent poster/cover but nothing to offer. The jokes are obvious dad jokes, but dirty. The first segment is called "Wadzilla" about a Godzilla sized sperm, and from there it does not get any better or funnier. It's as if this movie was written by grade nine students who were kept after health class for detention.

It's the closing night at the last drive-in theater in America and Cecil B. Kaufman (Richard Riehle) has planned the ultimate marathon of lost film prints to unleash upon his faithful cinephile patrons.

I had moderately high hopes for this film, and for the most part they were met. "Wadzilla" was better than I expected, and "Diary of Anne Frankenstein" far exceeded my hopes... it was, without a doubt the highlight of the film (the fake German was hilarious, Joel Moore plays a great Hitler, and Kane Hodder as a golem? Perfection). I also enjoyed "Deathification".

The problem comes with "I Was a Teenage Werebear". This is the segment I had the most hope for, and it was just boring. It slowed down the pace of the movie and made the overall film seem much too long. I appreciate the concept and the throwback to 60s beach films, but I think they blew it. I just did not find it very well developed.

I still recommend this one to all horror fans. If nothing else, watch the "Anne Frank" segment. Just downright hilarious. And see how many references to classic films you catch (some horror, some not). It is no secret that Joe Lynch and Adam Green are passionate about horror, and this film proves it.

Each of the four segments has its moments. The tributes are appreciated and there are a few laughs to be had. The Hitler/Frankenstein segment was probably my favorite. All that said, the grossness extends to a level where you cringe and want to throw up. This film makes you laugh as quickly as you want to forget. I would never willingly watch this film a second time.

From some of this generations most innovative filmmakers comes a film that pushes the boundaries of good taste and endeavors to bring the good ol' style of the drive-in right into your living room. Does it succeed? For the most part, yes! Segment One, Wadzilla, features star/director Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City)as a timid businessman who is given experimental medicine to increase his sperm count, only to unleash a monster of immeasurable horror! The effects are charmingly horrible but it is quite a funny ride.

Segment Two, I Was a Teenage Werebear is, unfortunately, the proverbial black sheep of the family. Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs) is a real talent but the short's taboo pressing plot line only serves to alienate this movie's target demographic (straight males). It is a rousing musical about a sexually confused young man who is bitten by a were-bear (long story) and struggles to keep his morality.

Segment Three, Adam Green's (Hatchet, Frozen)The Diary of Anne Frankenstien, is a real treat. Although admittedly a little short on the horror aspect, it is actually quite funny. The Nazi's, led by Joel David Moore as Hitler, attempt to use Anne Frankenstien's journal to build a monster to help in the war effort. This segment is shot in a sublime old fashioned style and is subtitled as everyone speaks authentic German except for Hitler himself, who comes off as quite a bumbling fool.

Segment Four, Joe Lynch's (Wrong Turn 2) Zom-B-Movie, serves as the wraparound story and as the finale and it is just righteously over the top fun enough to completely win over this reviewer. A zombie outbreak threatens the people who had to sit through the last three shorts only to be threatened by a pack of sexually charged zombies. The real highlight is character actor Richard Riehle who gets to brandish a shotgun and quote more movies then any character in history.

For this reviewer's money, this movie succeeded at becoming exploitation without falling prey to insincerity like the similarly themed Grindhouse.

As my rating would suggest, I am very nearly in love with this movie. Horror-comedies can be quite fickle...very often having too many elements of one and not nearly enough of the other. Sure, you have movies like Shaun Of The Dead that get it just right, but for every one of "Shaun" there's about 15 that just don't get it. And now we have Chillerama.

From start to finish you get the impression that someone was trying to get the aforementioned mixture just right. It interweaves 3 different movies (essentially hilarious mockeries of the old grindhouse/midnight drive-in genre) with a story of what takes place in between at the drive-in where they're being shown (think of it as the play within a play from Hamlet). Mocking these types of films is certainly nothing new, but few have gone so over the top while still somehow staying true to the source material. I have to say my favorite segment has to be "The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein" if for no other reason that Joel David Moore's portrayal of Hitler. Watching him make up gibberish that was subtitled as legitimate German had me laughing my ass off.

Gripes? Only minor ones. The movie runs a bit long for this genre. Two solid hours is typically a bit more than you'd expect, but then again it doesn't feel stretched or wasted. I also kind of wished they had put a little more effort into the story of what happens at the drive-in. All in all I would (and already have) recommend it to just about anyone who enjoys a good, albeit sometimes crude, laugh.