another nz film premiering at nziff - this a horror/comedy film
the wimp in me avoids horror and the grump ditto avoids comedy
so heading into this one with a mix of trepidation and doubtfulness
a chance meeting/discussion with bill gosden had convinced me to attend
he the director of the whole nziff shebang so obviously knows his stuff
pre-film he introduces the audience to director gerard johnstone - nice
his words of advice taken on board - best idea is to laugh at the horror
no horror in the opening scenes but laughter pretty well from the start
a botched raid on an atm using hammers and dynamite by a man and lady
he knocked out and she jams the lowered toy-boy racer on a speed hump
kylie then seen in court and sentenced to home detention for 8 months
then seen standing outside her mother's house - the classic house of horrors
miriam lives there with her new husband graeme - but it's not a happy family
kylie is still in teenage angst mode and despises her mum and step-father
she overhears her mum on a radio talkback show saying her house is haunted
confronts her about this and then the fun begins - a few home truths revealed
the house a scene of a murder when kylie a child and then blissfully unaware
a young girl brutally stabbed multiple times and the killer never identified
implications that it is her ghost that is inhabiting the dank basement
more interesting characters are then introduced into the plickening thot
amos is the bumbling security guard assigned to monitor kyllie's homestay
dennis the counsellor who makes regular visits to assess her wellbeing
there's a creepy loner neighbour most likely to have murdered the girl
and a couple of over-officious police officers obsessed with paperwork
kylie buddies up with amos as they then try to solve the murder case
it turns out the house was once an asylum for mental illness patients
a folder found detailing the previous inhabitants - now murder suspects
a big clue is a denture plate also found in a wall cavity in the basement
so the pair mount a raid on the neighbour's house to extract his dentures
thinking if they match then that would prove his culpability - hmmm ok
but this leads instead to another unexpected discovery in their own house
turns out there's been a boy now man ex-patient living in a secret room
the film now descending into hilarious farce as the pace then picks up
plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments at the most unexpected timesmostly at the screams of other members of the audience at shock events
you know those are coming and surprisingly for me easy to deal with
thankfully the mood of the film now well established as comedy-horror
nothing to be taken at all seriously even with the amount of blood seen
spoiler alert - dennis the inept counsellor then identified as the girl-killer
now roaming the house with a large knife in hand and ready to kill again
one hilarious scene when he has a large plastic basket jammed on him
reference to a dalek - exterminate, exterminate quite clear - so well done
i honestly don't recall when i laughed so much at a film of any genre
particularly one billed as part horror - this film is an absolute hoot
of course it does contain the happy-ever-after kind of ending
but no problem with that at all - it and we kind of deserve it
a q&a with the director and lead actor rima te wiata follows
gerard johnstone clearly with a great dry sense of humour
the film taking 3 long years to complete on a small budget
but already obtaining high praise here and overseas
me - the next big thing i reckon - whale-rider-ish
completely different but still uniquely kiwi
brilliant - loved it - may it travel well...
