Juicy, nasty, and very entertaining, Feast is one of my favorite movies. It has everything that a horror-comedy should have and more. Let’s start with a familiar story where a bunch of diverse characters is stuck in a single location while the monsters are trying to get in. I know, a tale as old as time. But it works so well here. Mostly because Feast doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s got this cool, grindhouse vibe about it. You know the one with the freeze frames introducing characters with funny lines like Name: Bozo, Occupation: Town Jackass, Life expectancy: Dead by Dawn. Dead by dawn, dead by dawn, dead by dawn! Blasphermate me!
If you’re wondering what kind of a movie Feast is just think Planet Terror and you’ll know exactly what to expect. Sprinkle a little bit of From Dusk Till Dawn, with a special focus on the Titty Twister bar and I think you’re already looking where you can watch this awesome movie. And while those two were big productions, this is a much smaller one. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with it. The cinematography is good, the special effects excellent and our monsters look really nasty and frightening. The way they move, in this jerky fashion, is also very disturbing, activating a certain primal fight or flight reflex.
After a car accident in the middle of nowhere, a guy bursts through the door of a local bar. He disturbs the usual night of drinking for all the usual patrons with a warning that there’s something out there. Something bloodthirsty, deadly, and nasty. And it’s coming this way.
I will skip the whole Evil Dead comparisons as Feast rips off and parodies so many other movies. I mean, you can guess who’s going to die first as soon as you see him. Despite the indie vibe, there’s a lot of big names involved here as producers. Wes Craven, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon are just some of them. Actually, Ben and Matt were supposed to be starring, eventually changing their mind and dropping out. The action starts pretty much immediately and doesn’t fucking stop for the next eighty minutes. The pacing is relentless and we’ll have just a few minutes of free time. Just enough to crack open another beer and roll another one.
Although we basically know what’s going to happen, we don’t know how and when it’s going to happen. So, you can play this game where you’re predicting who’s going to get it next all the time reveling in gory and vicious murders. The situations feel authentic and heavy like you really stumbled upon this bar in the middle of nowhere populated with obnoxious characters. However, as the story progresses, you will start to forget why you didn’t like them, focusing more on the action.
Action that’s quite brutal and strangely sexual. Rarely do we get monsters who are horny and want to fuck everything in sight. Something that’s a pretty terrifying prospect, you’ll have to admit. Just take me out quick and I’ll be good, thank you. The cast of Feast was great, with a couple of familiar faces, albeit in supporting roles. Sure, Henry Rollins and Jason Mewes gave good performances, but Clu Gulager as Bartender stole the show here. And I just have to mention Duane Whitaker as BossMan, the quintessential bar owner if there ever was one.
Hell, as I said, the whole crew is just awesome. I just love movies where people need to board up and defend against monsters. Finally, you should know that Feast spawned two sequels. And while they the second, Sloppy Seconds was panned by critics, I really loved it (poor Abuelita) along with the final part of the trilogy, The Happy Finish. And if you’re looking for something similar check out Demon Knight, Splinter, Altered and Critters.
Director: John Gulager
Writers: Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan
Cast: Henry Rollins, Jason Mewes, Clu Gulager, Duane Whitaker, Diane Goldner
Fun Stuff: Clu Gulager, the actor playing Bartender, is the father of the film’s director, John Gulager. Also, Diane Ayala Goldner, who plays Harley Mama, is John’s wife.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426459/
