When
the zombie apocalypse comes, it will be important to have good representation.
Fresh water and non-perishable food will also be helpful in the short run, but
if you survive, you will want someone who can negotiate a good back-end deal.
Fortunately, an aspiring screenwriter and his mega-pregnant actress wife just
happen to be at their agent’s house for a baby shower when the weird homicidal pathogen
rears its ugly viral head. LA will get even more nuts in Alex Drummond’s Killer Party (a.k.a. The Shower, trailer here), which releases
today on VOD.
Like
most of Joanne’s clients who haven’t already given up, Nick and Mary live
hand-to-mouth waiting tables. To make the get-together even more uncomfortable,
Joanne’s one famous meal ticket star has rather awkwardly taken up with the
profoundly discouraged nice-guy Tommy’s ex, KIm. However, all bets are off when
the zombie uprising dawns. Frankly, everyone is caught rather flat-footed,
except Joanne’s long-suffering assistant Beth, who almost welcomes the
opportunity to vent her frustrations.
As
a zombie outbreak comedy, Killer Party is
decidedly hit-or-miss, but it deserves credit for putting its own unique spin
on the sub-genre. Instead of brain dead shuffling hordes, Drummond’s infected
become ravingly homicidal loud-mouth jackasses, which is definitely different.
Logically enough, none of the zombies (or whatever) or more obnoxious than the
bargain basement clown Joanne hired to entertain the kids. He is one abrasive
psychopath.
Unfortunately,
the overstuffed cast of characters is often stuck on the sidelines looking
stupid while the clown talks smack and Beth takes the fight to any zombie
within a golf club’s reach of her. There are just too many bystanders and not enough
trash-talkers. Do we care whether Tommy and Kim get back together? Nope, sorry.
On the other hand, watching Beth club a feral child zombie to death—now that’s
entertainment. Yes, Stephanie Tobey is awesome as the freshly liberated
assistant—so much so, we can hardly remember anyone else.
