Chillerama is a comedic send-off of Troma and fifties/sixties movies; there are five distinct storylines that are occurring during the space of this film. Each one of these films is a short-form flick that takes on a different side of the z-movie genre, all to varying degrees of success. A who’s who of current directors try their hand at these different styles, including Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs), Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City), Adam Green (Hatchet), and Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2). To further their films, stars like Joel David Moore (Avatar), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), and Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) are all present.
While each of the movies here could be extended into a full-length feature, I feel that the shorter run time of Wadzilla and The Diary of Anne Frankenstein forces the director to drop anything that does not directly further the main storyline. The aforementioned Wadzilla is a blending of Godzilla and the Blob, while The Diary of Anne Frankenstein ties together all the old monster flicks with just a hint of Mel Brooks-style humor. Deathication cuts out a little early, but one can see exactly where the film was destined to go.
The Blu-Ray release of Chillerama coupled with the earlier style taken by each of these mini-films makes for a fully surreal experience. I was always a fan of the Tales From The Crypt style of storytelling, and I feel that Chillerama is able to replicate its success fully. If you are a fan of bad (but good) movies, Chillerama is a title that should immediately be searched out. While the MSRP for this film is about $30, a quick check online will find individuals new copies of Chillerama for under $15.
Rating: 7.3/10
Chillerama (Blu-Ray) / 2011 Image Entertainment / 120 Minutes / http://www.image-entertainment.com
