Reviews
Monday, October 22, 2007
Blood Car
Director: Alex Orr
Story: Adam Pinney, Alex Orr, Hugh Braselton
Screenplay: Adam Pinney, Alex Orr
Producers: Chris Antignane, Adam Pinney, Alex Orr
Starring: Mike Brune, Anna Chlumsky, Katie Rowlett, Matt Hutchinson
MPAA Rating: NR
Running time: 76 min
Country of Origin: USA
read my spoiler disclaimer
reviewed by Andrew James
at Toronto After Dark Festival
Easily the funniest movie so far at Toronto After Dark Fest has been Blood Car. Full of overt sexual references, plenty of blood squirts and sick, over the top, laughingly good moments had the crowd, including myself, in doubled over belly laughs.
The movie takes place "two weeks from now" in which gas prices are so outlandish ($35/gallon) that no one drives anymore. No one. A young PETA loving, vegan, kindergarten teacher is trying to invent an engine that will run on wheat grass. As he fails time and time again, one day completely by accident finds that the engine will work with the use of human blood. And so starts the next couple weeks of his life trying to figure out how to keep the car fueled, deal with his immediate popularity and also keep "The Governemnt" [sic] at bay.
Obviously very low budget, Blood Car works on all levels considering the financing and no name actors involved. The twisted humor, that one might think would have an audience graoning in disgust and walking out, actually had the crowd roaring with tearful laughter. How many movies can you think of in which it is accepted (even funny) to shoot cute puppies with a BB gun? I bet the answer is less than one. There are several scenes like this in which I thought to myself, this should not be funny, but it was absolutley hysterical.
Though funny, the jokes did seem to wear off a little bit by the final third of the movie. And although the movie is a mere 76 minutes, it felt longer than that for some reason and I think though it's already fairly short, it could shave off an additional 15 minutes just to keep the pacing a little bit more consistent. Near the very end, it does seem to get back on track and wraps everything up extrememly well and again hysterically.
If you can track down a copy of Blood Car, it will be more than worth your time and filled nearly to the brim with laughs and twists of fate. Although complete with the requisite boob shots and sexual gags that slightly campier, "horror" films are notorious for, you'll completely forget that this is a low budget picture with all its details and quirks that I'm sure will work again on subsequent viewings.
Links:
IMDb.com - full cast and crew
Official Site
FLIXSTER profile for Blood Car
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andrew@moviepatron.com
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