FrightFest 2011: Chillerama Review

• 5th Sep 2011

In the lead up to FrightFest 2011 I had to procure a few screener copies of films in order to cover as many bases as possible. It isn’t ideal to watch a film on TV,  especially when you know it’s screening with the right kind of audience at a festival. But when you have so many other films to see, and photo-shooting and interview duties to pull of each day it is literally impossible for one person to cover it all. So I cheated with some films and saw them in advance.

Some of the films I watched, in particular Rabies, I wish I had seen with a crowd. Some films just demand that you soak up the audience reaction. And it is non-more evident than in Chillerama. And thank god when I asked for a Screener I was told that they were not available.

Chillerama screened right in the middle of the festival long after 11pm. I was in two minds about going. It looked like fun, I had seen one rough cut of one of the four main segments already the year before, so had a good idea what to expect. But it was on late, and I had two more full days of work ahead of me. So I was in two minds about going or not.

Cut to the Thursday night before. I was at one of the main drinking venues that the festival goers headed to  and I was introduced to one of Chillerama’s director’s – Joe Lynch (and shortly thereafter another – Adam Green). After a bit of banter I told Joe about my predicament, to which end he proceeded to try to sell the idea of going to the screening being worth my time. And oh boy did he succeed on all counts. He did provide many key phrases. Now bare in mind I told him that I was sick of watching Zombie films; comedy or serious, and he responded with “Zombie rape” and “Zombie Sperm”. Now these are not terms that I look for in the synopsis of any movie, but I have to say not only was I intrigued by the idea but also found myself laughing uncontrollably. Joe has a way of telling you things with a straight face that weaken anyone’s hardened defence.

So Saturday came and I duly hang around after a long day. I had been up since 8am that morning (with maybe 4 hours sleep to my credit) and had another long day full of screenings and more talent photoshooting. And eventually after 12 midnight (as the screening of  Chillerama was delayed) I sat and waited. Now I made sure that I had a few drinks to keep me in a better temper, but not so much that I fell asleep. Lynch and Green took to the stage and introduced the film and got the mood going. The film came on, and then two hours later I was walking on air!

So the film itself has a wrap-around segment (directed by Lynch) that revolves around people at a drive-in theatre (80’s style) watching each of the segments. But all the while someone has managed to infect the popcorn with, er, sperm. Watch this space on that one!

Before we hit the segments, it’s worth noting that as much as this film has been made for a crowd to laugh at – I have to give a huge hand to Lynch for filming certain sequences so well. There’s a nice long shot that moves from car to car as we are introduced to some of the occupants who are there to watch the films.

Anyway we finally get going and the first segment we are treated to is Adam Rifkin’s  WADZILLA.  Yes it’s 50’s Godzilla in the form of giant sperm. A man with real issues goes off to the doctor  and gets put on an experimental drug that is meant to help increase his sperm count. Instead it increases the size of the one he produces. And before we know it, the moment the guy gets a little horny we have a giant rogue sperm threatening NYC. This is probably the most boyishly immature episode. But it does sport some game supporting performances from the likes of Ray Wise and Eric Roberts.

Next up was what surprisingly turned out to be the highlight for me. Tim Sullivan’s I WAS A TEENAGE WEREBEAR. This is the 60’s segment and is basically a musical that plays on the Werewolf and Grease grooves. In fact it’s amazing how at home this whole idea comes together. Yes teenage boy – a little unsure about his sexual identity caught between girlfriend and local greasers ends up getting bitten and becoming the titular character. It’s all a giant gay parable, and a wonderful one at that. The songs may have lyrics that play with the context of the film, but they actually sound like authentic tracks from the era. It’s not as gross-out or even as gory as some of the other parts of Chillerama, but it’s pure fun from start to finish and deserves a little more credit that apparently it has been getting (Post screening Lynch was happy I liked that segment and instructed me to tell Green as apparently it was getting a bit of a backlash?). Personally if you are familiar with the genres it is playing with then there is no reason why this won’t go down a storm.

Next up was Adam Green’s The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein. This one previewed at last year’s FrightFest and has been tightened a little bit here. Basically Hitler (Joel David Moore) discovers Frankenstein’s diary and decides to make his own monster (Kane Hodder). Only the Monster he creates (through Jewish ceremony) isn’t all he hoped for. And it isn’t long before creature turns against his aggressive masters. The plot is a great “such bad taste” idea that it can only work. Half the fun is in the mix of Nazi and Jewish tropes into the humour, but also in the plain fact that lead actor Moore has no idea what the hell he is saying half the time. It’s literally a laugh a minute and Green has had fun not just with the dialogue and religious set up, but also the 40’s Bride of Frankenstein look as well.

Finally we get some more shit from Lynch. In fact his 70’s exploitation set-up is apparently all about shit. Some may be relieved (no not that way) that his film is cut short (in the wrap around segment the film is interrupted). So instead Lynch finishes up back at the drive=in with the zombie-sperm-popcorn causing a zombie outbreak. From here on its one famous film line after another, and many horribly gross ways for people to die as all hell breaks loose at the drive-in. It’s all gloriously 80s and ends the film on another high note.

So ends Chillerama, but hang on for outtakes in the credits, including Hitler’s lonely song that got cut from his segment. Chillerama was one of the highlights for me at FrightFest, and is easily my comedy highlight of the year so far. So my thanks have to go to one of the directors for effortlessly putting me in the mood for staying up late after a 14 hour day to watch it with a crowd. I can only suggest people watch it in likewise surroundings. This is a crowd movie and it does not disappoint. As Lynch said on stage while introducing the film “If you haven’t drank anything then drink something. Those that have drank something, drink more.” Enjoy.

Steven Hurst