Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018
Images from the Internet
A Meowy Halloween
Directed and edited by Steve Rudzinski
Silver Spotlight Films
48
minutes, 2018
Yeah, I
know, this isn’t really the kind of film you’d expect me to be covering. Well,
it’s an indie, it has a horror topic, and it’s directed by the creator of the
likes of CarousHELL, Everyone Must Die,
and Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan
(all of which, and more, have been reviewed on this blog). The fact that it’s
geared towards children (kinda sorta) is a positive thing, as it helps bring in
the next generation of fans to keep genre films going. Besides, this is also a
sequel to last year’s also holiday-themed A
Meowy Christmas.
Most of
Rudzinki’s stories revolve around a mysterious force that comes from the
unknown, or in the case of Captain Z,
conjured up, but even then the force behind it is a supernatural entity that originates
from occult worlds.
Our main
cast of characters in this live action comedy (who we hear think) are a cat named Whiskers (played by Gizmos
and voiced by Amie Wrenn), a pet rat who goes by Chuck (Kida, d. 2018; voiced
by Aaron Fletchersmith with a cartoonish Noo Yawwk axc’nt), and a human who is
a New York City Police Detective called Wally Griswold (played and voiced by
Rudzinski). As you may devise from Rudzinski’s character’s name, this film is a
non-stop pun mobile. Oh, and Griswold’s police partner is Rick (Ben Dietels,
who directed and starred in last year’s horror comedy, Slaughter Drive, also reviewed on this blog).
There are
two plotlines going on at the same time, which is never confusing. On the job, Griswold is staking out a house where
he believes a witch, Lisa (Cerra Atkins), is doing something nefarious, as kids
go in normal and come out monsters. He is obsessed with this. Oh, and Griswold
is not very bright, but generally cheerful, which is explained in the film’s
prologue.
Meanwhile,
the household animals are trying to figure out if the house is haunted, and
will go to wild measures and expenses to figure out the mystery. While Whiskers
is not exactly anywhere near a rocket scientist (after all, she’s a cat), she
certainly more computer savvy than your average kitty; for example, she uses
Griswold’s credit card to order a copy of the
Nekkomeownicon. But she is also a bit obsessed in her own right with a
television show hosted by a guy (Bill Murphy, co-writer of the story) who has
his own mumbled and rambling fixation on conspiracy theories (an obvious smirk
at InfoWars).
This is a
silly film, and is intended to be, as nods of self-reference and word play
abound. It’s a kids film the way Bugs Bunny was a kid’s cartoon, with humor
that will obviously go over the head of wee ones.
Short and
sweet, it’s worthy of a gander if you’re after a hoot, or you have some 10-ish
kids around (it may be scary for younger than that, though with what’s available
online these days, who knows). It is being made available on Prime Video, free
with subscription, or as low as 99 cents to rent. You can get a physical copy from
the company website.
Bonus Review:
A Meowy Halloween
Directed and edited by Steve Rudzinski
Silver Spotlight Films
55
minutes, 2017
As I said,
although this came out first, I saw it second, so please accommodate some of my
comments in that direction.
Underachieving
and over-emphatic Wally Griswold (Rudzinski) lives in a neighborhood that is being
besieged by robbers during the holidays who like to open the Christmas presents
and they pick and choose what to take. Meanwhile, one of the victims, Irene (Renee
DiAlisandro) has asked Wally to watch over her family heirloom, a huuuuge ruby
worth… a lot.
The two burglars,
Barb (Aleen Isley) and Larry (Blake O’Donnell), get wind of this, and decide to
make the Griswold household the last stop down the chimney, as it were, and get
the jewel as they head out of the country. However, they don’t realize what
they are up against with Wally’s pets: Chuck the rat (voiced by Aaron Fletchersmith)
and the kitty Whiskers (voiced by Amie Wrenn), who has a fear of Extra-terrestrials
taking over the world thanks to the InfoData show she watches, misunderstanding
the term “illegal aliens” (again, she’s a cat)
 |
| Steve Rudzinski |
Both films
are full of references to other ones, such as part of this nod to Home Alone (1990), but rather than a
bratty little kid setting up snares and traps, it’s a cat and a rat. And they’re
practically as successful without actually putting the burglars’ lives in
danger (seriously, a paint can on a string, Kevin?; you’re lucky you weren’t
sent away).
Also like HA, the burglars are bumbling, though
not as nasty as Pesci and Stern, but rather are merely more incompetent. An
amusing aspect is that Larry and Wally are probably equal on level of brain
power, and both get glee out of little things such as opening presents or pets.
Are these two
slices of short cinema a bit over-the-top saccharine? Oh, you bet, but because
of the context of the film and the way it is written and acted – not to mention
it’s short length – that’s more part of the charm than a hindrance.
Fun stuff.
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