by RICKY J. DUARTE
Starring Diane Foster, Kelly Grant, Allison Lobel
Directed by Diane Foster
Written by Allison Lobel
WallyBird Productions
Through the years, the endless deluge of holiday-themed horror movies has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag (or shall we say, mixed Easter basket? Tis the season!) of hits and misses. Recent additions to the subgenre such as Thanksgiving (yay!) and Founder’s Day (nay!) prove that there’s no shortage of subject matter to slash through when it comes to hellish holidays, as audiences continue to gobble them up like a package of Peeps. The latest addition to the subgenre is Diane Foster‘s EASTER BLOODY EASTER, a surprising and delightful horror comedy that, frankly, has no business being as fun as it is.
Written by Allison Lobel and directed by Diane Foster (who also stars), the film blends blood-soaked silliness with witty humor and lots of plush bunny puppetry. (The film notably features a creative team composed mostly of women – an aspect worth celebrating and which feels delightfully present throughout.) With a screenplay as hilarious as the cast’s performances, the film is like a blood-soaked mashup of Sordid Lives, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Thankskilling.
Set in Walburg, a dusty Texas town with a heart of gold, EASTER BLOODY EASTER tells the story of its residents as they prepare for their annual Easter church function. A string of grizzly murders and disappearances have put the endearing townsfolk at ill ease, but that won’t stop local busybody/church bully Mary Lou (Lobel, invoking a deranged Pitch Perfect-esque Brittany Snow) from throwing the best damn Easter festival this town has ever seen. On the opposite end, Jeanie (Foster, displaying a wider range of emotion than expected from this kind of film) struggles to get through the holiday, as her husband Lance (D’Andre Cooper) has gone missing. Using alcohol and her smart mouth as coping mechanisms, she decides to sidestep the authorities and go rogue on a quest to find him with the help of her best friend, Carol (Kelly Grant), and local badass Megan (Zuri Starks). Together, they uncover the truth of their beloved town: It’s been cursed with the presence of a nefarious were-jackalope (yes, a were-jackalope) that’s hellbent on thinning out the town’s population with the help of its army of evil bunny rabbit minions.
Some of the film’s strongest points are in its quick, unexpected dialogue. With nothing but the best intentions behind this statement, looking at the film’s poster, one would never expect such wit from a movie like this, with a slew of chuckle-worthy quips and biting remarks delivered throughout. Even the film’s opening segment feels like something we’ve seen before – because we have. And that may be the point. Some of the most hilarious moments are when the film satirizes “bless-your-heart” Southernisms as church organizers say mean, cruel, and hateful things to one another with a plastered-on, fake smile on their faces —and pure, unbridled rage in their eyes.
It isn’t just the comedy that sets EASTER BLOODY EASTER apart from other holiday horror fare. There’s a surprising amount of heart in the film, as each memorable citizen of the town becomes someone viewers root for. Standouts include Miles Cooper as simpleton Eugene and Caitlin Olden as perpetual people-pleaser /Mary Lou’s assistant, Sally. The film also features a surprise line-dancing number and a couple of musical moments that, despite adding to the almost-too-long runtime, somehow actually work and give the film some unexpected and well-earned pluck.
As ridiculous as the murderous were-jackalope (menacingly embodied by Jamie B. Cline) seems, it’s a lot of fun to watch. Heading the makeup department, Alexandra Bayless and Ashley Stansbury successfully pull off over-the-top feats of bloody delight. The movie isn’t trying to do anything beyond its budget, nor should it. The script and actors more than compensate for anything that may be lacking, and frankly, the film still achieves a lot in the special effects department. While posing as a better-than-average “B” movie, with all its strong elements combined, it succeeds as more of a “B+” movie. (Perhaps even “B++”!)
EASTER BLOODY EASTER is now available on Amazon digital HD, with a DVD/Blu-ray release scheduled for April 2nd.
