Fantastic Fest Review: Doghouse
10.04.09 By: Horror Squad Staff
Written by Brad McHargue
A plethora of zombie films have saturated the horror film landscape for almost a decade, drawing the ire of those who simply want something more than the same ol' same ol' out of the walking dead. Every so often, however, we're given a unique zombie film, be it outright horror or the increasingly popular zombie-comedy ("zom-com"), to satisfy our lust for originality. Sadly, many of these fail to get the recognition they deserve and as such, they tend to make the rounds at film festivals and gain popularity through word-of-mouth before ultimately being released to DVD without so much as a limited theatrical release. With luck, Jake West will buck the trend, as his splatter zom-com Doghouse is a triumph of horror-comedy that takes basic zombie tropes and turns them every which way. The result is one of the most inventive and gut-busting horror comedies to be released in years.
The plot is simple yet creative. A group of British lads, in an attempt to cheer up one of their own after being left at the altar, make theor way to the isolated town of Moodley for a weekend of drinking, debauchery and, presumably, wild sex. Upon arriving, they soon discover that the town appears to be completely empty, with nary a nubile young woman in sight. After some exploration and startling discoveries, they discover all the females of the city have become wild, animalistic, man-eating cannibals. So much for women being the fairer sex. Thoughts of bottomless pints and easy women give way to panic, fear and hilarious dialog as our protagonists spend the night fighting for survival.
A major problem with zom-coms is the tendency to start off strong and then falter, with the humor tapering off as the film progresses into outright horror territory. It happened with Shaun of the Dead, which although a phenomenal film, has been cited as being inconsistent in the level of humor as the film reached its climax. Doghouse is not that film. It's on point when it comes to consistent humor, showcasing the witty banter and friendly jabs common among friends, yet it's made all the more humorous in between the desire to survive the endless onslaught of the pseudo-zombified female denizens of a small town.
One of the most appealing aspects of the film, and indeed a major source of the humor, are the characters, with each bringing a unique personality that lends itself perfectly to the terror that unfolds throughout the course of the night. Each character plays off the traits of the others, which in turn lends itself to situational humor made all the more humorous by their broad British stereotypes. This level of character development extends to the afflicted women, with each possessing their own personalities and defining characteristics that, as you will see as the story unfolds, serve to accentuate the defining characteristics of the protagonists.
Throughout the film we're given an interesting score, with intense moments bolstered by the heavy riffage of electric guitars that are apropos of the chaos unfolding on the screen. The gore is top notch, given to us in the form of your generic stabbings and shootings as well as evisceration and splayed-open bodies with still beating hearts. In this the flick gives the audience exactly what they expect and without pulling any punches.
Doghouse is a wonderful way to round out another year filled with to the brim with mediocre attempts at horror, most of which have failed to ignite any sort of mainstream interest or bring anything new to the table. While Doghouse is steeped in the tradition of conventional zom-coms, it's wildly irreverent and hilariously misogynistic without shoving it down your throat. The film is utterly hysterical, and serves as one of the most fun and engaging experiences you can have in a movie theater this year.
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Reader Comments (1 of 1)
Stilichoat 10-05-2009
Maybe the US will find the "broad British stereotypes" humorous. Over here in the UK we thought it was garbage.