JACK
BROOKS, MONSTER SLAYER
(Canada, R, 2008, 85 min)
This
brutally funny
Canadian horror/comedy is an unabashed throwback to
80’s horror flicks such as Evil Dead and Re-animator
– even the special effects and makeup (despite advances in
CGI) are deliberately retro. Jack Brooks (Trevor Matthews) is
a twenty-something plumber who suffers from severe anger management
issues, and why not? His girlfriend’s a nag, his
van’s barely running, and there’s also the little
matter of witnessing his entire family killed and eaten by a troll when
he was just a boy. Jack has a short wire all right, losing
his cool over the slightest thing. And yet, he’s
trying to keep his girlfriend happy by attending night school so he can
better himself. Unfortunately, Jack's teacher (Robert
Englund) unleashes an ancient curse and undergoes a transformation into
something not quite human, and Jack is forced to confront some old
demons... along with a few new ones. Often horror/comedy gets
bogged down in its own blood-soaked gags and over-the-top scenarios,
but Jack Brooks:
Monster Slayer maintains the difficult balancing act
and successfully creates 85 minutes of wonderful, escapist storytelling
that will entertain fans of the genre.
Viewer’s
Guide: Violence, gore, and language.
SCREENINGS - 9:00 p.m. Friday & 1:00 p.m. Saturday & 1:00 p.m. Sunday
