Scared Shitless

Often Frightfest is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are usually a couple of bangers, and it’s always nice to catch one of those on the final day. If you’ve been put off by the title of this one because you’ve seen too many German comedies saturated with scatological humour, don’t be. Comedy this may be, but it’s a very different beast.

Don (Steven Ogg) and Sonny (Daniel Doheny) are plumbers – or, at least, the former is, and he’s determined that his boy will follow in his footsteps despite his unfortunate fear of germs. He’s not a cruel man and there’s evident warmth between them, but he does want to pass on the family trade. Unfortunately, their first job together will turn out to be very much a case of pushing the youth in at the deep end.

The film opens with a clear statement of intent: a large building is already on fire. This, as it turns out, is a laboratory where a scientist has been doing what scientists do in films like this, and violating ethical codes of conduct in order to have fun with some creative DNA splicing. Upon his creation being discovered, he decides it’s time to cover his tracks and move the experiment to his apartment, but the thing about developing the ultimate super weapon is that it can’t be guaranteed to behave. One unfortunate accident later and it’s wiggling through the building’s sewer system – and our pipe-wrangling protagonists have been summoned to solve a problem with more serious consequences than a few blocked toilets.

With special effects by Psycho Goreman’s Steven Kostanski and a droll, very Canadian sense of humour, this is a natural crowd-pleaser. It doesn’t waste time with tired innuendo and it keeps the fecal ickiness to a minimum, preferring to splatter sets with traditional blood and gore. The horror is counterpointed by the affectionate way in which the characters are drawn, and the astutely observed relationships between them. This may present itself as a B-movie but it’s very well crafted, at every level from the dramatic to the cinematographic, with director Vivieno Caldinelli (who has clearly learned lessons since Seven Stages To Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through The Gateway Chosen By The Holy Storsh, though the bathroom fixation remains) keeping everything in perfect balance.

With a great supporting cast including genre stalwarts Marcia Bennett and Julian Richings, plus newcomer Daisy the dog, this is more than just a monster hunt or an advert for a certain digestive aid. It’s a future cult favourite, and fun from start to finish.