Directed
by Brian James O’Connell, Starring: Fran Kanz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Emma
Fitzpatrick. Horror Comedy, US, 2015, 80mins, Cert 15.Given
its European premiere at FrightFest 2015 (when it was known as BLOODSUCKING
BASTARDS), this low-budget comedy horror now finds itself re-titled for its DVD
release presumably to make it more palpable to sit on Tesco shelves. Described
rather flatteringly as “The Office meets Shaun of the Dead” (it’s
not a patch on either and actually features vampires rather than zombies – but
let’s not split hairs too much), it does however serve up a few reasonable gags
during its belated bloody finale.
Evan
(Fran Kanz - the likeable stoner from THE CABIN IN THE WOODS) is trying to get
his noncompliant sales team to actually do some work whilst his girlfriend and HR
manager Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) is giving him the cold shoulder after his
abject failure to reciprocate her declaration of love toward him. Seems Evan’s
heart is instead focused on finally being able to remove that temporary
‘acting’ label over the ‘Sales Manager’ door sign. Unfortunately Evan is shit
out of luck, as his boss has instead chosen to bring in ruthless outsider (and
former college enemy) Max (Pedro Pascal) to increase productivity by fair means
or foul. While the office lighting dims, and his colleagues gradually becoming paler
and uncharacteristically work-focused, Evan comes to the realisation that Max
is gradually turning the employees into vampires (or vampire fodder), and it’s
left to him and slacker friend Tim to rescue Amanda and take the fight to Max’s
vampy sales-force.
Co-written
by Dr. God (a Los Angeles comedy group apparently), the first 50+ minutes
largely rely on crudely drawn characters delivering a script straining every
sinew for laughs which overstretches to the point where the dialogue merely snaps
back in the characters faces rather than being snappily witty.
Ironically,
the comedy only really begins to bite (no pun intended) once the splatter and
vampire stakings are eventually introduced. The exploding gory dispatchments
are effectively milked for comedic effect, and the dry-humoured lift scene
earns another tick. Not sure what Matthew Lillard’s grinning cameo was meant to
achieve (my immediate reaction was: he played ‘Shaggy’ in the SCOOBY DOO
movies, wouldn’t Fran Kanz also make a great ‘Shaggy’?) Granted he’s no Ricky
Gervais or Simon Pegg, but Kanz does seem to have the knack of getting you to
root for his underdog persona – especially when he’s drenched in vamps blood. Not an
obvious contender for induction into the comedy/horror hall of fame by any
stretch of the imagination then, but it doesn’t entirely suck either (unlike
that lazy pun which clearly does).
***(OUT
OF 5*)
Paul
Worts
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