English writer/director Peter Mckeirnon returns with a new short film following on the heels of Swings & Roundabouts and the first season completion of zombie web-series “Dead Town.” His new short, The Quacky Slasher, is one of his most risky endeavors to date. With a run time of 35 minutes, tons of gore, multiple location changes, and a retro atmosphere, this venture puts all of his skills as a film-maker to task. Luckily, all of his previous experience payed off and Mckeirnon delivers a wacky, quacky, splatterfest with comedy between its feathers. For a budget of only $900, he pulled off a viewing experience that appeals to lovers of horror-comedy and cop-dramas alike.
Neil Gallagher, Michael Hagen, Jackie Mercer, Jayne Kinsella, Andy Coffey, Ian Finney, Karl Davies, Sophia Kinsella and Andrew Butterworth star in this slasher flick that follows a man who returns home to fight the criminal underbelly in a small town. A revenge flick of sorts, The Quacky Slasher is basically what you’d get if Michael Myers moved to England to seek justice on gangsters who wronged him. It’s the perfect culmination of gangster elements and slasher troupes and I think it’s going to be very appealing to fans of low budget 80’s cop dramas. On the flip side of the bill, Monty Python fans will dig The Quacky Slasher for its bad acting, over-exaggerated facial expressions, and off comedic timing.
Despite all the positive things in this long short film, I do have to say Mckeirnon was slacking when it came to editing. There are several rough cuts that are way too harsh and subtract from the overall quality of this production. I can applaud the drone shots, the beautiful locations, the interesting and innovative deaths, and the subtle hints of humor and drama, but all of these things are wasted if the editing isn’t on point. You can’t buy a giant, magical goose that lays golden eggs but have the eggs filled with laundry detergent. Mckeirnon’s previous efforts, especially Swings & Roundabouts, were on point in this department, so I’m not sure what happened with The Quacky Slasher. This is my only complaint.
The Quacky Slasher was produced under Slumberjack Entertainment with executive producers Sharon Greenwood, Russ Ong and Anthony Smith. It’s a fun throwback film that’s a cross-genre adventure of revenge and death. I’m sure it’s going to do well in the film festival circuit and online, however, it actually stands as my least favorite project from Peter Mckeirnon. That doesn’t mean that I’m ready to make this duck into dinner; only that I hope he tightens up his ideas and editing in the future.
Final Score: 6.75 out of 10.
