Vicious Fun - FrightFest Glasgow

That title pretty much sums it all up and for me this film goes straight into my top three comedy horrors; the simple criteria being they must deliver on both.

Set in 1983, the opening of a man sharpening his knives then after picking up a woman and then being stabbed, give some clue that this is not going to be straightforward. Cue to Joel (Evan Marsh) who is a film critic for a horror magazine ‘Vicious Fanatics’ who lives what could be described as the stereotypical nerd lifestyle which includes fancying his house mate Sarah (Alexa Rose Steele).
Its eating him up and the sight of her with her beau Bob (Ari Millen) leads him to follow him to an odd Chinese restaurant come bar where he strikes up conversation and proceeds to get drunk after Bob leaves him for another conquest.

Falling asleep and getting locked in Joel wakes to find that the bar is now hosting what appears to be some sort of self-help group. Not having a clue what it’s about and now nervous Joel joins assuming the identity of one of the members who hasn’t turned up.

Winging it as much as he can it soon dawns on Joel that he’s in the presence of some of the most notorious active serial killers in the country, and that they don’t really get on that well, there being a lot of professional envy. With each have their individual quirks be it stabbers, cannibalism, clowns, government sanctioned mass murder and a high IQ super killer, that’s Bob. Also that Joel is not the only infiltrator in the group but that comes later and for him its only a matter of time before his inexperience is exposed.

Vicious Fun is a rollocking ride of humour and horror that doesn’t let up (or let down) on either front. Not entirely confined to the bar, it loses nothing as the locations transfer to a police station to hospital as the killers’ squabble amongst each other (who other than killing have very little in common) to solve their problem and the bodies start to pile up.

Co-written with James Villeneuve, director Cody Calahan successfully takes us back to the 80’s and what in the UK was the time of the video nasties and a developing interest of horror, from the underground regardless of quality.

It’s a generous script too with each character having plenty to work with. Genre stalwart Julian Richings as the killer clown comically disturbing, as they all are but for sheer scenery chewing its Millen who rips through with a high-octane performance of bravado and the simply nasty.

The colour palate is the key here being lurid with excellent use of shadow. The synth score by Steph Copeland cements it in that the 80’s too. Vicious Fun prompted me to think back to one of Neil Gaiman’s early Sandman stories The Doll’s House when a serial killer ‘enthusiast’ attends a ‘cereal convention’ to get try and get some understanding of the thought patterns and motivations. Which he does…