Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Killjoy Goes to Hell

Well this was different.  I don't often say that but if there is one thing about Full Moon is sometimes they get a little crazy.  Not good mind you, but crazy can be almost good.  This is a million times better than the last Killjoy films.  Never heard of Killjoy?  Hah!  I am not surprised my amigos.  Let me edumacate yous blokes on the subject.

Empire pictures was created to go head to head against Roger Corman in the Drive In market.  The trouble was that video done did kill the drive in.  Bad timing perhaps, but Empire's emperor Charles Band dived head first into the direct to video market.  Changing the name from Empire to Full Moon he boldly promised to release at least one new film a month.

Unfortunately, he kept his word.

It wasn't all bad at first to be sure.  In fact, there were some definitely crazy weird things popping up like the first Puppet Master movie.  Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the creativity up for a one film a month schedule.  Also, as the years passed the returns on the films shrank like a shrinky dink in a furance.

The writing was on the wall, but Band was a dreamer and tried some end runs on fate.  One plan was to sublet into the "urban" (read black) market.  Thus was born Killjoy.  A third rate Freddy Krueger in a clown suit.  The films were cheap slasher films with a black cast set in generic places that might as well have been line drawings. 

Well now how things have changed.  In this version Killjoy is a true demon and is currently not possessing anyone.  The reason is because he's currently in demonic jail.  The reason is that Hell doesn't believe that Killjoy has it anymore.  He's become more joke than jokester.  They seem to have a strong case as his lawyer is incompentent (perhaps by design) and his witnesses are either mimes or can't be understood for all their colorful circus lingo.  Only his clown succubus girl friend seems to have the ability to help but she's still a little mad that he blew her up for a mortal girl.

One thing you can say about this film is that it does try to be different.  It also keeps moving avoiding the Full Moon Ennui that sometimes infects their films.  It almost makes up even for the other Killjoy films and by George that's saying something.

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