Feast

Title: Feast (2005)
Dir: John Gulager
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5 stars



I am so thankful I got to see this in theatres. There's nothing quite like an old-school horror film on the big screen! Feast, the horror project created through Project Greenlight, is flawed but still a bloody good time (pun fully intended).

First, let me acquaint you with a few of Heather's guidelines for making a good horror film:
1) No heavy reliance on CGI. Get your hands dirty, for Christ's sake!
2) Find yourself a first-time director.
3) Don't be afraid of comedy. It is your friend.

Feast happily fulfills these three qualities. The film is set in a small-town bar, where a ragtag group of locals are ambushed by some ravenous monsters. Gulager, making his directorial debut, was wise to limit his film to one location, both for the sake of the script and the finances. He does defy one golden rule of horror filmmaking - use a small cast. However, he somehow managed to keep us interested in all the characters, despite how may there were. Kudos, sir!

My only real problem with Gulager - and this movie - is the jumpy directing style that renders the film almost unwatchable at times. But with a low-budget and short production span, I am not surprised, either. Beyond that everything is gravy! Feast is beautifully gory, often in original ways. There may have been some CGI, but not any that I recall. Much of the splatter is done really well.

Feast homages Evil Dead 2 quite a bit, but not so much that it feels derivative (*cough*Versus*cough). Expect some silly humor, at which you will either roll your eyes, or laugh out loud (especially if you enjoy old Peter Jackson work). Not all of the jokes worked for me, but many did.

I pretty much loved everyone in the cast. Gulager deliberately assigned them to be horror stereotypes, which is both original and a lot of fun. And this guy really loves the pull the rug out from under you. He'll set it up like traditional horror, and then do a complete 180 on you. As long as he tones down the hyper direction, I'd like to see what Gulager does next.

Since I didn't actually finish this review until October 27th, Feast is now on DVD. I suggest you check it out.

**Sidenote: While I was Googling the film to find the poster, I came across this...

...and I can't stop laughing now.