We've All Known A Few... "Bloodsucking Bastards"

Bloodsucking Bastards  (2015)

Rated R

Starring Fran Kranz, Emma Fitzpatrick, Joey Kern, Pedro Pascal, Joel Murray,

Directed by Brian James O' Connell

The Story:

Evan (Kranz) thinks he is about to get promoted at work by his boss (Murray). Instead, he loses out to Max (Pascal) and things really begin to change around the office. Add to that, the fact that he lost his girlfriend (Fitzpatrick) due to a bone-headed decision, and suddenly Evan's life is horrible. The only thing that might make it worse, is discovering that his co-workers are being turned into vampires.

Yep, things are about to get worse!

Another fine entry in the horror-comedy genre has arrived, and it's great fun.

The cast sucks you in and you're along for the ride as Evan and his best friend Tim (Kern) slowly unravel the plot to turn everyone into vampires, and then battle for survival and to try and save Amanda.

However, in their defense, the vampire outsourcing program is a very sound fiscal and productive move.

:)

Blood will be shed...launched... across the screen, but that's part of the fun from the film.

It's played straight, and for laughs, all at the same time.

I've seen a lot of enjoyable horror comedy this year. This and Freaks of Nature are the cream of the crop.

Final Grade:  B+

So Much Horrific Goodness... "Freaks Of Nature"

Freaks of Nature (2015)

Rated R

Starring Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Denis Leary, Ed Westwick, Vanessa Hudgens, Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, Bob Odenkirk, Joan Cusack, Ian Roberts, Rachel Harris, Mae Whitman, Chris Zylka

Directed by Robbie Pickering

The Story:

Welcome to Dillford, home of the riblet. Mmm, mmm, good! It also happens to be a town where humans, vampires and zombies all peacefully coexist, though there are bound to be some temperamental flare ups now and then. However an alien invasion has put its sights on Dillford (and the riblet!) and the uneasy peace is destroyed and now it's human vs. vampire vs. zombie, none of the groups aware of the existence of the alien menace. It's up to 3 teenagers to restore peace and save the world... or die trying!

I've been lucky so far this year with some great additions to the horror-comedy genre.

I'd never heard of Freaks of Nature before, so I gave it a whirl.

I'm so glad I did!

First, the cast is phenomenal and they get some hilarious dialogue throughout the film. Usually I stop at the main cast, or sometimes add a bit player or two, but I decided to just rattle off the full cast today. Whether they were on screen for the entire movie or just a minute or two, they all add to the rich texture of the story and provide momentum for the story progression.

The three main members of the cast are Dag (Braun) a human, Petra (Davis) who becomes a vampire shortly after the movie begins, and Ned (Fadem) who winds up becoming a zombie. These three band together to figure out what is happening with their town, and as they are all new to being non-human (save Dag), they don't hold the longstanding grudges that their communities have towards one another.

Yes, in a way, there's a bit of social commentary that can be found in the middle of a horror comedy if  you're not looking, so be careful, you could laugh AND learn something.

It's a fun story, the special effects are top-notch, and it's just a lot of fun from start to finish.

So far, this has been my favorite horror film of the year. :)

Final Grade: B+ / A- range.