Review

Eleven stereotypical characters head into the bush for a weekend retreat, the primary goal being to select a team leader for the new job they all obtained in a household chemical outlet. Naturally things are not going to go according to the corporate requirements as one of the eleven is not who they claim to be and is out to add some slaughter to the weekend itinerary.

With the body count gradually climbing in unique and brutal fashion can the survivors work out who the killer is before more team members end up dead. There are certainly plenty of suspects for the strangely and inappropriately masked killer, but you may just find this movie doesn't conform to all the stereotypes we are expecting from a slasher movie. Queue the electrical storm, we're going in to discover what dark secrets might lurk at Camp Yurulgundie!

In case you may have missed it, English being a second language or you're stupid or something, The Killage is a spoof movie taking aim directly at all those slasher flicks that center on a group of easily defined idiots who one by one get slaughter by some masked antagonist who has some sort of agenda that really is moot to the carnage. Film maker Joe Bauer really isn't trying for anything higher on the cinematic food chain, you won't get any insights into the human condition or some Boredwood pretty boy contemplating their navel, what you do get is pretty much what the DVD cover promises, some laughs interspersed with some more than inventive kills. Death by dental floss and electric toothbrush, I'm calling that a new high in the slasher pantheon of inventive death dealing devices. The killer there didn't need to find the kitchen, everything he/she required was in the bathroom.

If I had to describe The Killage, and I guess it's a requirement of a review, I'd have to say it's sort of like all those cabin in the woods slasher flicks you've seen a hundred times before cross pollinated with Severance by way of one of the better Scary Movie flicks. Yes its absurdist comedy, but if you close one eye, poke your tongue out, and tilt your head to the side then it isn't a heck of a lot different to the supposed more serious slasher flicks we've all been subject to since Carpenter decided "the night he came back" sounded like a good idea. On the bright side in between some highly inventive kills the movie making is definitely of the competent variety, which to be honest is at odds with the general run of the mill flick in the sub genre The Killage is hoisting on their own collective petards. If Director Bauer had of wanted to play this one straight we would have got a damn fine slasher flick, though I for one was pleased with the spoof angle going down.

Things kick off pretty effectively with some unseen person working on a mask in a back shed during a stormy night that wouldn't be out of place in a Frankenstein flick. Keeping with the American International Picture theme the titles are splayed across the screen in sort of a 1950s "B" movie splash that had me smiling. We're also being treated to the array of killing devices your typical man cave is home to in the middle class suburban setting. But the real focus of the scene, besides the improbable introduction of a golf iron, is the antagonist making his mask, a dress requirement of all fair dinkum psycho killers in a slasher movie. The mask is carved out of wood and looks like one of those deepest darkest Congo affairs that Bogans buy in thrift shops to adorn their housing commission cribs, because people go on safari in African and bring them back or some such shite. Anyways I'm calling a first for a slasher flick, a reproduction African tribal mask replacing the standard hockey mask. You just know you're in for a good time from this scene onwards.

Write down the name Joe Bauer, we got ourselves another fine world class movie maker kids!

Next we get to meet the meat in time honoured fashion, at least in slasher terms, and don't worry it's the typical stereotypes one would expect in a horror flick. About the only two characters missing, must have been an oversight, were the slut and the ethnic minority person who generally goes down pretty quickly as the body count starts in earnest. So we get the dorky white guy, the Jock (named Jock for those with low attention spans), the bitch, and the complete dickhead (named Dickman for those with low attention spans). I actually warmed to a few of these characters and was saddened when they meet their demise, for about a minute prior to things rocking on to the next scene. Death by high heel, that's got to hurt. You simply have to love a movie that says "to hell with it, here's a bunch of horror cardboard cookie cutter characters", and is unapologetic in doing so. Yes we even get the Goth chica who is into death and Satanism and for all we know mutalited Justin Bieber corpses, hell aren't we all.

For some strange reason Joe Bauer decides to add some romance into the mix, but frack me it has to be naturally unrequited and off the planet. It does actually shoe horn in nicely with the plot however, and no we unfortunately avoid the whole have sex and die mofo angle. But nice to see some tender young love down in the slaughter house of amusement. I for one rocked out to the inclusion more than if I had of got a barrel full of parakeets.

So I guess what we get in the wash up, blood can be bloody hard to get out of white tees btw, are a lot of sight gags - Jock is going to crack you up on a couple of scenes, a lot of outstanding dialogue of a humorous kind with the sort of recurrent ideas that will bring a smile to your dial, oh and a number of digs at some well known horror flicks. Best send up of the remake of Friday the 13th I've yet seen, it was a throwaway line but hit the target square in the arse. Even cripples are not spared here, how PC is that, equal opportunity send ups.

Before I forget, T&A is on the low burner though it is Ladies night at the Cabana lounge, dig on in their girls you deserve it. There's also a decent amount of claret and body parts kicking around, so you have been warned. Oh and full marks to a survivor for not leaving the killer armed and ready to leap up after they are apparently dead.

The Killage comes to us via Downunder Product House ArtSpear Entertainment who throw next to no budget at Director Joe and a limited shooting schedule, the Director knocked it out of the park making you wonder where they spend all the cash in those high budget flicks. ArtSpear aren't letting the grass grow and have their next project Australiens already in the can. I'm already excited!

Got to say I had a lot of fun with The Killage, a horror spoof that for mine is best of breed since the Wayans hung up their Scary Movie hats. Surprisingly we get a well made movie, that does provide the advertised humour and some inventive kills to keep you bright eyed and bushy tailed. This one isn't falsely presenting itself, you get exactly what you expected going in with enough twists to the concepts to keep you jiving to Joe Bauer's beat. I've got no problems fully endorsing this movie, if after some fun times at the slaughter house that dripped blood then drop on in to The Killage, just watch out for the card sharps.