If you want a movie for the spookiest (read: best) month of the year, a good B horror movie is a must, but even better is one which hits the high notes of horror in unexpected and innovative ways, something you can sink your teeth into. So why not celebrate with a bloody Feast this Halloween? Directed by John Gulager- of Piranha 3DD and Children of the Corn fame- 2005’s Feast is a gloriously-gory film and a raunchy, raging good time that’s perfect for a movie night with friends for its varied cast, black humor, and overall polish.
The characters are what make Feast a standout spook-fest, and from the first ten minutes, they set up the tone and shocks for the rest of the film, at least those who survive do. Feast begins at sundown in a musty, rustic backroads bar filled with a motley assortment of what at first glance seem like horror story stereotypes. We aren’t even given proper names for them, with most of the characters either having nicknames reminiscent of radio handles like “Bozo,” “Harley Mom,” or “Boss Man.” Each character also has a “life expectancy” which is generally snarky and short.
However, both the handles and the life expectancies are somewhat misleading, as mysterious, blood-thirsty monsters attack the bar, killing off a mind-boggling amount of the bar’s inhabitants in all manner of ways which are often both hilarious and gory as all get out. Not only is the audience surprised, but no one is safe, and often times the film goes out of its way to surprise you. And the surprises don’t end there. Throughout the film, the characters will change and develop.
Feast is a classically campy B horror movie with Grade-A polish, which is due to its interesting creation. Created during the third season of Project Greenlight, a reality show where top-tier talent provided insight and guidance, Feast has a unique and charming blend of both a direct-to-video camp and Triple-A qualities. Of course, the bloodier special effects get the most attention and have aged well despite nearly two decades of development.
We could go on and on about this gorgeously gory film, about how the characters develop in unexpected ways which, in hindsight, fit them perfectly, or how the monsters themselves have perfectly paced appearances to keep them mysterious and menacing until the very end. We could even go on for years about how the characters in the two sequel movies are even more entertaining and subtly developed, so you need to watch all three of them. But instead, we’ll let you watch Feast for yourself. Bon Appetite.