Today, Ariescope Pictures released their 22nd annual Halloween short on Ariescope.com! In honor of their 22nd Halloween-a-versary, I’ve decided to dedicate Day 20 to my favorite Ariescope film: Chillerama!
I know, I know; Chillerama is vastly different than any other Ariescope project, and it’s arguably their strangest film. But that’s exactly why it holds a special place in my heart—it makes me laugh, it grosses me out, and it makes me look at werewolf movies in a whole new way.
Chillerama is a three-story anthology film with a dying drive-in amidst a zombie outbreak as its wraparound story. Each segment has a different director, and while each story has a similar tone, they each work to varying degrees.
The first story, “Wadzilla,” is directed by Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City). This story is about a man who can’t seem to get a break, and every time he’s sexually aroused by a woman he experiences a sharp pain in his testicles. When he finally…*ahem*…’fixes the problem,’ a portion of his spooge turns into Godzilla-type creature that wreaks havoc on the city. The hills will run white with goo.
Of all Chillerama’s segments, this one definitely has the most gross-out gags, particularly the ending. The first time I saw this movie, I was with a group of new roommates, and we were all film snobs. We didn’t care much for “Wadzilla” as the opening story, but one of my friends brought their girlfriend along, and she’s someone who typically suffers from a terminal case of Stickupherassitus, but she laughed til she cried and told us later that “Wadzilla” was the funniest part of the whole anthology. I think she was viewing the movie through white-tinted glasses, but hey, maybe I was just wrong.
Another noteworthy segment (and my personal favorite) was "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein." This story was directed by Adam Green (Hatchet, "Holliston"), and it’s by far the funniest part of the entire movie. Hitler (played by Hatchet’s Joel David Moore) uses the fabled Diary of Anne Frankenstein to create the perfect killing machine (played by Kane Hodder). This segment reminded me of Mel Brooks’ style of comedy, being that it was both offensive and incredibly hilarious. A funny extra touch, which I didn’t realize at the time, was that Joel David Moore’s German dialogue says something completely different than what the subtitles tell us.
The strangest story is “I Was a Teenage Werebear,” directed by Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs). This movie was a bit of a throwback to teen musicals like Grease, and it follows a young man’s song-filled journey to discovering his true self while ignoring his girlfriend’s sexual advances. It turns out the only people who really understand him are leather-clad “werebears,” who help him come to grips with his inner-beast. I really liked this segment, mostly because it was so ridiculous and because I fucking hate the movie Grease. Arguably, the songs in “I Was a Teenage Werebear” are much more memorable than anything John Travolta ever sang.
The wraparound story is directed by Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Point Blank, Everly), who’s also Green’s other half in The Movie Crypt Podcast. Lynch’s story, "Zom-B,” is told in small bits throughout the movie, starting with the opening shot. A man digs up his wife’s corpse and, through a series of events, gets bit on his penis by her reanimated corpse, infecting him with the zombie virus. He makes his way to the aforementioned drive-in, and while there, he discovers a handy new use for popcorn butter, which has serious repercussions.
While Chillerama might not be for everyone, it’s certainly worth watching if you’re looking for something far, far, far off the beaten path of comedy-horror movies. Hell, it’s my go-to “first date” movie…which may explain why I’m always single.
Grab yourself a copy of Chillerama today! Autographed Blu-ray copies are also available over on the Ariescope website.
7/10
Throughout the month of October, I’ll be reviewing 31 movies I’ve never seen before. Is there an excellent movie you think I haven’t seen? Tell me in the comments below, and I’ll check it out!
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