NECROVILLE

Q: What do you get if you mix a low budget independent film with Buffy, Clerks, Blade, Fido, and Shaun of The Dead?

A: Necroville?....

Should I end the review there? Nah, this Z-movie is worth talking about.

Necroville is a film made for horror buffs by people who are obviously horror buffs. The "typical" American town is cursed with the undead, the supernatural, and bloodthirsty vampires. Life goes on. Jack (co-director Billy Garberina) and his best friend Alex (other co-director Adam Jarmon Brown) are stuck in the middle of it and have just lost their jobs. What can they do for work? They can't deliver pizza in case they're attacked by a bloodsucker, but they can become hunters of the supernatural so they can attack bloodsuckers. Great idea, great job…

They go through various tests to see what they're capable of. How about Jack ripping a heart out a vampire vixen? Nice…

The film gets all Buffy from here with holy water, special garbage men style costumes, elbow pads, and various ghoul-stopping weapons. Jack and Alex are out in the street working on assignments: it's a hard day's work of rescuing cats, drinking milk, and eating cookies. As time passes, work gets strained when they run into a master vampire who happens to be able to walk during the day. How can they combat such a creature?

Meanwhile Jack is having a hard time with his girlfriend. She doesn't like him hanging around with Alex and working as a hunter. Actually lets be honest, she's a total bitch who dresses like a goth and hangs around with vampires. Who's causing more trouble, the werewolves or Jack's girlfriend?

The rest of the film continues with Jack and Alex preparing for their date with the master vampire and saving the girlfriend.

Necroville, albeit as cheap as a movie can get, is actually a barrel of laughs (and buckets of blood), with wit all the way through. The acting is rubbish but the characters are so well thought out, you forget about it. Great lines are introduced early on. Such an example is when Jack and Alex attack a coven of vampires but discover they aren't as they seem. They pull out one of the vampire's fangs and shout "they aren't vampires, they're goths". Simple but effective!

Jokes are actually funny and the slapstick is not bad. Werewolves react in pain to dog whistles, Jack and Alex mess around constantly, and 9 year old girls beat the crap out of an armless (harmless?) zombie.

The film delivers the blood and the special effects aren't too bad for a Z-movie. Be warned of a scene with a baby that is probably the most gruelling part of the film. Another thing to mention is that if you like cheap-o-Troma gore flicks, you'll probably like this. However I found that the film didn't have that sleazy feel to it that I always sense when watching Troma. This is great in my book!!

The DVD is a nice 16.9 widescreen transfer. The sound is clear enough allowing you to hear the low budget shotgun blasts and terrible electro-goth music. The music varies from the yucky electro-goth to quirky pop punk which isn't too bad.

Extras: commentary, outtakes, deleted scenes, several mini features and short films, a thin booklet with an interview with one of the directors, and various Shock-O-Rama trailers

An excellent film for its $9800 budget (yes that's right, apparently it was $9800!!) that will make you and your mates laugh out loud on a Friday evening.

Review by: Broonage