CHILLERAMA
(unrated)
MOVIE: **** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
Even though most anthology movies miss their mark, I still love them and will give almost any one of them a chance. Few reach the greatness of the original “Creepshow” or “The Twilight Zone: The Movie,” but there’s something fun about them, especially if it’s near Halloween time (which, at the writing of this review, it is not). I look at a fun anthology film as the equivalent of a book of short stories. If one installment isn’t great, it’s only a short time before I can move to the next one. And with multiple directors on a project, there’s a fresh twist to each story.
“Chillerama” blends a love for the horror genre, raunchy comedy and great anthology movies into a neat little package. Plus, as someone who has spent many a night at horror movie marathons, there’s a great degree of nostalgia for the set-up.
“Chillerama” begins in the drive in where an all-night horror movie extravaganza is playing. With a wrap-around story of stock teenagers dealing with their own drama (and eventually turns into the clever plot of “Zom-B-Movie”), the additional installments are crass horror films meant to pay homage to a particular era of filmmaking.
“Wadzilla” is the first installment, directed by Adam Rifkin with some help from the Chiodo Brothers in the special effects department. An homage to 50s monster movies, it tells the story of a nerd who gets an experimental injection that causes his sperm to grow to monstrous proportions. As the giant sperm attacks the city, the nerd helps the military find a way to destroy it. This episode is hilarious simply because of how raw it gets. And considering the giant sperm is spotlighted on the cover and poster, it’s even more funny, especially for those who don’t know what it is.
“I Was a Teenage Werebear” comes up second, directed by Tim Sullivan. Somewhat self-explanatory by the title, “Werebear” knocks of the 60s beach movies with a teenage boy (played by real-life gay porn star Sean Paul Lockhart) who discovers special feelings for the gang of greasers in town who happen to be lycanthropic teenagers with assless chaps. This was my least favorite installment, mainly because I’ve never been wild about the genre it pays homage to. Still, it’s funny enough and has some great red-paint violence moments.
My clear favorite of the batch is the third film “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein,” directed by Adam Green. As offensive as this can be, the tongue is planted firmly in the film’s cheek. Knocking off 40s Universal horror films, Joel David Moore incredulously plays Adolf Hitler, who builds a monster from the dead bodies collected in the concentration camp. This installment is so over-the-top and ridiculous that it’s impossible to not laugh. Moore makes Hitler easily the biggest buffoon we’ve ever seen on film, finding the comedy in his fake German language balanced by the otherwise full cast of German-speaking actors.
A mini-installment near the end also made laugh out loud quite a bit. “Deathication” is a shortened film shown at the end of the film, paying homage to 70s exploitation and low-budget celebrity producers like William Castle. It’s full of shit, sure, but it’s so crassly spread out, I can’t help but laugh. Yeah, I’m a ten-year-old boy when it comes to most potty humor.
If you love horror films, or if you love movie marathons and the drive-in, take a chance on “Chillerama.” It’s not for the easily offended, but it’s funny as hell.
The Blu-ray comes with the directors doing a video commentary, plus deleted scenes for “Wadzilla,” “I Was A Teenage Werebear” and “Zom-B-Movie.” There’s also a great “Making of The Diary of Anne Frankenstein” which lets the viewer in on some of the jokes. Additional features include interviews with the directors and the theatrical trailer.