A Triple Feature Review by The B Movie Avenger
Review Courtesy of Drew Mead at B is for Best Movie Reviews and More
Since i started doing this I’ve run into a lot of talent but most of the better film makers and production companies are pretty well known amongst the indie movie fanatics like myself. I spend a lot of time purposely seeking out films by companies I’ve never heard of for that very reason, in hopes of discovering something most of my readers probably never have heard of. While doing this i stumbled upon a film called MOURNING WOOD, a zombie film that if the cover could be believed was a film about tail chasing zombies caused by pubic hair shampoo..Obviously this was something i needed to look into. I looked into the production company behind the film, which turned out to be Fat Foot Films And discovered on their site (fatfootfilms.com) a slew of witty, funny and really well shot shorts.
Intrigued i contacted Fat Foot and they sent over 2 short films and their feature Mourning Wood…and let me tell you these movies far exceeded any expectations i had from seeing their shorts on the site!
THE COMMITEE Explains the origin of some our nation’s oldest sexual slang words..Turns out a group of statesmen got together and had a meeting on the topic..And what a meeting it was!
The camerawork, intricate use of lighting, props setting and top notch comedic acting put into this short was breath taking. Where most filmmakers would have gone the cheapie route Fat Foot really went the whole mile on this one, making sure everything was perfect for this little film. It features some of the funniest, creative dialog and the wackiest payoff I’ve seen in a short film in many years and i could easily see this short being expanded into a workable feature length film.
I give it no middle fingers up, if you’re looking for a well shot, genuinely funny film and only have a short time to do so you can’t do much better then THE COMMITTEE.
UNPRETTY is a much more serious film, following a rather large, unattractive young high school girl. She is the target of constant ridicule, emotional abuse and cruelty from her classmates and has no friend to turn to until one day the school principle decides to give one of the school’s biggest trouble makers an ultimatum, either she can get expelled for her actions or she can befriend the school outcast and try to make her feel better about herself..but we soon learn that the only thing worse for a mentally unstable, deeply hurt young woman then not having friends at all is having an insincere one.
Dark, sad, and extremely relevant, this short really served to show how wide of a range of talent Fat Foot is capable of. The characters (unlike most in high school based films) was dead on to the behavior and attitudes actually found in today’s high schools, and the message of the film, that trying to force friendships not naturally forged can be just as damaging, if not more damaging then allowing bullied youth to remain friendless is quite a ballsy one to present in today’s world where such arrangements are actually being attempted in many high schools. It was also interesting that rather then take the route most films do where the harassed youth becomes the villain and kills of their oppressor, this film took a completely different and surprising twist at the end. I won’t say what that ending is because i hesitate to spoil this film for those who haven’t seen it. The end result here plays out like the most fucked up, realistic and darkly enlightening after school specials ever made!
I give this one no middle fingers up as well. The cinematography was gorgeous and expertly executed, the acting was beyond good and the story was engaging, heart breaking and carried out in a surprisingly respectful way. What easily could have been an exploitation film was much more and actually came across as trying to make the audience think about how we see High School angst and what we think are possible solutions.. An impressive feat, especially considering the low running time.
The big question is could Fat Foot carry this level of talent and flair for an entire feature length film?
MOURNING WOOD- Tells the story of Dr. Jacob Pendelton, a seedy, eccentric mad scientist type who makes his living selling his innovations in “health products” on late night TV infomercials, His newest invention, Shampube, was meant to be the ultimate in pubic hair cleansing but when his arch rival Texas Jim (a used car salesman whom the doctor screwed over on a business deal and who blames the doctor for his partner Texas John Wood’s disappearance) appears to have tainted the batch in an attempt to ruin the doctor for good, the result is it’s users and their victims turning into wild eyed, gyrating copiously ejaculating zombies! Now it’s up to a group of pot head wannabe film makers and the doctor himself to stop these undead skeet machines before the world succumbs to their humps of doom! Who will survive and what will be left of their dignity?
The stellar camera work I’m quickly growing to expect from these guys is present here in full, although they went with an older camera for the film which actually works quite well for this film giving it that “home made” look so popular in the straight to video boom. The acting, dialog and situations are purposely and knowingly bad in this little homage to exploitation cheese horror, with obviously homemade props and special effects, manic pacing, and seemingly random acts of lunacy.
Top it all off with surprising and hysterically out there ending and you have one hell of a weird and undeniably fun film.
This film is sure to become a classic amongst the cheese crowd, coming across as a bizarre, disgusting mixture of The Nutty Professor (the original not the shit remake), Night Of The Living Dead, The Shivers, and Die You Zombie Bastards. This is one that may not be massively through provoking but is sure to bring you quite a few grins,
I give this film no middle fingers up, If you’re having your buddies over for a beer (or greenery) and B-movie party this flick is absolutely perfect for the occasion.
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