From Deseret News archives:
Broken Lizard's new spoof is a hit
Film review
For the most part, "Broken Lizard's Club Dread" is so expertly executed that it would be easy to mistake it for a slasher thriller instead of a parody of slasher films.
That does make it akin to the "Scream" movies, but unlike those, this one spoofs horror/thriller conventions rather than merely aping them. (And if this film is a hit, the people responsible will likely have the good sense not to milk it with lesser sequels.)
This horror-comedy is also surprisingly intense, and even a bit gory, which may come as a shock to those who are expecting to be more like the goofy-but-crude '70s-style farce "Broken Lizard's Super Troopers."
The film's title refers to Pleasure Island, a fictional resort casino located off the coast of Costa Rica. The resort's owner is one Coconut Pete (Bill Paxton), a washed-up rock star (think Jimmy Buffet) who's horrified to discover there's a killer on the loose. But it's not the guests who are knocked off one by one — it's the staff! And they all become afraid and suspicious of one another.
Among the suspects are aerobics instructor Jenny (Brittany Daniel), tennis coach Putnam (Jay Chandrasekhar), perpetually stoned DJ Dave (Paul Soter), "fun police" member Sam (Erik Stolhanske) and dive master Juan (Steve Lemme). The ones who are even more suspect are Lars (Kevin Heffernan), the resort's new masseur, and Penelope (Jordan Ladd), a guest with more than a passing interest in Juan.
This is very different from what the Broken Lizard comedy team has done before. Refreshingly, so. And it just goes to show that they're determined to do something a little different with each new film.
It's quite surprising just how many nail-biting moments there are here. Director Chandrasekhar deftly sustains that tension and lets it continue to build — even though about half the time, it's building to a laugh rather than a scare.
It's also obvious the cast is having a ball. Chandrasekhar and Lemme almost seem on the verge of laughing each time they use their silly accents, while Paxton is clearly relishing his role.
"Broken Lizard's Club Dread" is rated R for scenes of horror violence (including various stabbings and slashings), occasional use of strong sexual profanity and crude sexual slang terms, graphic gore, simulated drug use (marijuana and ecstacy), male and female nudity, and scenes of simulated sex. Running time: 103 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
