I've been wanting to see Chillerama for a number of years, even if most of the reviews out there have been mixed to negative. But you know, an anthology movie with one of the episodes named Wadzilla... I just can't resist that! I was almost expecting Lloyd Kaufman to do a cameo somewhere, because Chillerama in many ways feels like a movie from legendary production house Troma. It's not that far from the truth actually, considering Ron Jeremy has two cameos - one as the childrens TV-host Captain Fatso (you see, he's someone who can poke fun at his own look - I could never do that!) and also on a couple of photos in the porn mag Playbear, which is very funny.
So what the hell do we have here? First out is Adam Rifkin's Wadzilla, which also is the most ambitious and fun of them all. A man producers less and less sperms and those he produce is enormous! One day he just need to wack off, it's an emergency, and after a wild fight with the critter he think it's over because he flushes it down the toilet... but it only makes it more angry and grows bigger and bigger for every minute, until it's big enough to attack New York!
Wadzilla reminded me of the monsterboob episode in Woody Allen's Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask, except Wadzilla is a lot more gross and graphic in every way possible. The title - and poster within the movie - spoofs Gojira, of course, but the movie itself feels more something so strange as an American monster movie from the fifties - and colour! So it sure have an intersting look.There's a couple of very funny scenes here and the monster is well-made. Eric Roberts and Ray Wise makes cameos and there's enough sperm for the whole family!
I Was a Teenage Werebear have a fun concept, but because of the lack of money it looks very cheap and never captures that beach party feeling. It stars real-life gay porn star Sean Paul Lockhart as a young man who's confused over his sexuality - and when he's bitten by the leather tough guy Talon he gets infected by the bear-curse, yes, when he gets horny he turns into a hairy, big man! A bear. I really think Sean Paul Lockhart makes his part work, he's a good actor and seems into the joke. In 2012 he starred in a movie called Buttfucked, sounds like a must. The atmosphere, even if its jokey of course, feels a bit harsh towards gay people. But because it spoofs a sixties beach movie/fifties teenage movie, it would be odd if they made the werebears too positive rolemodels. But the main problem is the style of the movie. It just doesn't feel to be made with enough passion... or money.
Adam Green's The Diary of Anne Frankenstein had a fun set-up, and looks very good, but this episode about Hitler himself discovering Anne Frankenstein's secret diary where she explains how make the dead live again fails on so may other levels. Mostly the comedy, which is the most important part in it. I saw this one yesterday and I honest can't remember that much. Yeah, there's one very fun joke where they use an afro-american stuntman in one shot, which could be a very discreet reference to KISS meets the Phantom of the Park.
The wrap-around story, Zom-B-Movie, is set on the last drive-in theatre in the US, where they're having a final all night marathon of trashy movies - the above mentioned films. It's the second best part of the movie, with some decent acting, it looks great and cheap and fun gore. It's directed by Joe Lynch who also gave us the fun Wrong Turn 2. Time to watch that one again I think...
Chillerama is a mixed bag. If you expect something like Troma, but more coherent, this might be the movie for you. I could in all honest only have seen Wadzilla and been happy with that. But of course, then I wouldn't had the chance to see a constant half-naked Sean Paul Lockhart ;)
"But you know, an anthology movie with one of the episodes named Wadzilla... I just can't resist that!"
No....how could you?
hahahhahhahahhahh....I want to see wadzilla too!
"It's not that far from the truth actually, considering Ron Jeremy has two cameos - one as the childrens TV-host Captain Fatso (you see, he's someone who can poke fun at his own look - I could never do that!)"
Well.....there is one BIG reason.....hahahhahahh....cameos by Jeremy, nice.
"Chillerama is a mixed bag. If you expect something like Troma, but more coherent, this might be the movie for you. I could in all honest only have seen Wadzilla and been happy with that."
Like most anthology movies, it has flaws...?
Good review and thanks Fred.
"But of course, then I wouldn't had the chance to see a constant half-naked Sean Paul Lockhart ;)"
No, I think I can live without that......hahhahahhah
Posted by: Megatron | January 22, 2014 at 14:48