Chillerama (2011)
Review by Jude Felton
Over the years there have been some great horror anthologies, Trick R Treat and Creepshow being among them, and there have been movies like Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horrors which wasn’t too memorable. They are, after all, a tricky thing to pull together. This is something I imagine is even more difficult when there are four directors involved, each adding their own segment into the mixing pot. So it was with a mix of excitement and apprehension that I approached Chillerama. The fact that the four directors attached to Chillerama are Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Tim Sullivan and Adam Rifkin did help ease the apprehension I will admit.
Chillerama is set at a Drive-In, where the night’s attraction is a selection of movies that have never been screened before are to be shown. The wrap-around section at the Drive-In itself is directed by Joe Lynch and is entitled Zom-B-Movie, and it is a blast. It probably doesn’t offer too much new in its subject matter, but the execution is one of fun. Indeed one scene in which Richard Riehle, as Drive-In owner Cecil Kaufman, starts rattling off movie quotes is priceless. Zom-B-Movie has what you want in terms of the gross and the gory, and will keep you entertained for sure.
The first movie within a movie is Wadzilla, directed by Adam Rifin, and straight from the get-go it delivers on the gag-factor. If I tell you that the story is about a killer sperm you might get an idea of the level of humor, and gross-out factor, we are dealing with here. It’s bloody funny and has the added bonus of Ray Wise and Eric Roberts over-acting the hell out of things. Fun times all the way baby!
Second up if probably the most controversial segment, and that is I Was A Teenage Werebear directed by Tim Sullivan. Playing up the beach movies of the 60s’, IWATW focuses on a young lad coming to terms with his homosexuality with the help of some Lost Boys-esque Werebears. Throw in a few musical numbers, plenty of bloody and a good old fashioned shower raping and you have one Hell of a premise. I thought it was a pretty damned cool story, I enjoyed it far more than Sullivan’s 2001 Maniacs sequel, although I did feel that there was too much emphasis put on the musical numbers which unfortunately broke up the flow a little.
Wrapping up the stories proper is The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. Directed by Adam Green this is without a doubt my favorite part of the movie. Starring Joel David Moore as Hitler, the story melds in the stories of Anne Frank and Frankenstein to wonderful comedy effect. Moore is a blast as Hitler and fans of Mel Brooks best work should get a real kick out of this.
Tagged on as a last segment is Deathication, directed by the fictional Fernando Phagbeefy, and it is pretty damned gross whilst it lasts. It’s not a movie proper as it serves to further another plot point, but it is fun in a disgusting shit-flinging way!
The whole look and feel of Chillerama is of the drive-in grindhouse flicks of old, and it succeeds well in that department. The actual quality of the stories within Chillerama is also pretty good on the whole. It is a little uneven in places but ultimately this is a case of the whole picture being greater than the sum of its parts. Chillerama is a party movie plain and simple, and should be enjoyed as such. There will be some out there that won’t like some of the subject matter or its execution, so kudos to Tim Sullivan for his entry as it will scare of some of the less secure viewers out there.
Overall Chillerama is a grossout, gory, dumb and fun way to spend a couple of hours. It may not be perfect but it sure as hell was a blast to watch.
Chillerama is released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 29th through Image Entertainment
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