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Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: November 3rd, 2015
Director: Brian James O'Connell
Cast: Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Yvette Yates, Joey Kern
Year: 2015
Purchase from Amazon
The Movie:
The comedy group known as Dr. God hit one out of the park here with their debut feature, with Bloodsucking Bastards deftly conquering the dreaded balancing act which is the horror/comedy.
The five friends who make up Dr. God all serve in some capacity here as actors and writers, with Brian James O'Connell heading up directing duties, while Cabin in the Woods star Fran Kranz and Cabin Fever/Super Troopers actor Joey Kerns serving up the most familiar faces on screen. The performances here are universally good from the entire cast, however, as Bloodsucking Bastards details the arrival of a corporate vampire, determined to turn around a failing office branch, one bloody corpse at a time.
O'Connell keeps the pace relentlessly funny and quick, with Kerns, Kranz and the entire cast trading off witty barbs and jokes at a mile a minute. The film actually spends plenty of time introducing the characters and their relationships with each other, to the point where the viewer feels immediately connected and invested in all of the inner-goings on of this slacker office supreme. The Dr. God crew specializes in improv comedy, and it shows, with Bloodsucking Bastards thriving on an infectiously kinetic energy.
The red stuff does flow fast and furious once the film's horror elements do come into play, however, with some satisfying practical effects (read: TONS of splatter) and well executed CG showing up great against the sharp and quirky cinematography. Tight editing and framing are still more aspects of Bloodsucking Bastards which are smartly and successfully achieved, adding to the laundry list of things Dr. God and crew did right on this picture.
Indeed, there are few things worse than an ineffective comedy, but Bloodsucking Bastards only gets funnier as it hits its stride, connecting earlier threads of dialog while simultaneously hammering home hilarious themes right on through its breezy 84 minute running time. I hesitate to use the words "cult classic" too early, but this film definitely surprised the hell out of me with how tight it feels and how quotable the dialog becomes after only a couple viewings. Comparisons to a horror-focused take on The Office or Office Space are solid, but ultimately don't properly get across just how much fun Bloodsucking Bastards achieves on its own merits.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Scream Factory's Blu-Ray of Bloodsucking Bastards in full 1080p high definition, with a super sharp picture in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. There aren't a lot of bright colors here aside from the blood, but that red stuff looks very nicely rendered, while there's also keen definition and plenty of solid skin tones. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio is also clear without any major issues to report.
Extras are nice, including a full length commentary from the Dr. God crew which is predictably irreverent; perhaps low on super detailed analysis, but a fun listen nonetheless. There are also humorous outtakes and behind the scenes footage and the film's original trailer to be had, while some hidden Easter eggs offer brief clips of what other shenanigans are going on around the office.
The Final Word:
Bloodsucking Bastards is really, really good, and will likely be able to convert even those least jazzed about the idea of getting comedy in their horror and vice versa. I know I'll be busting this one out to friends real soon, and thus can honestly give the film a really high recommendation.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
