Tagline – “A movie so good you’ll ask for seconds”
I love the goofy side of indie horror. Sure, movies like Se7en and Zodiac are highly entertaining and pull the viewer in but sometimes I want to watch a no budget horror comedy where the filmmaker turned a bad pun into a horror script. A few weeks back Tromasterpiece Theatre director Addison Binek shared a picture of the movie After School Lunch Special. It looked like something I would enjoy so I quickly ordered a copy. I got it in a few days ago and decided I would wait before watching it but I couldn’t put it off for too long. I really needed to see this one now.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows an obese man and his elderly mother watching television. They watch 8 tales ranging from large tapeworms voiced by Lloyd Kaufman to survivalists eating their own ass steaks.**Spoiler Alert**
The second the film rolled on the fat guy stuffing his face while watching television I was sold on After School Lunch Special. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and I really enjoyed the segments they delivered. This is a movie I could see myself watching over and over again without tiring of it.
The acting in this one is highly energetic and entertaining but the inexperience of the cast does make some of the dialogue heavy scenes feel awkward to watch. The cast is really into their roles and go above and beyond for the film. The characters are all fun and bring a lot of depth to the stories that we get.
The stories for this one are funny and punny. As a dad I greatly respect turning a pun into a horror short. Some of the segments were really funny and enjoyable while others were there as filler. The weaker segments are not that long so it’s fairly easy for the viewer to power through them to get to the better ones.
Finally, the film has a lot of practical effects. We get a few scenes with a lot of blood and gore and then others have different creatures and make-up effects. The make-up effects are far from perfect but what you would expect from any no budget movie featuring zombies. Overall, After School Lunch Special is a no budget treat. This is the kind of film that got me interested in indie productions. It lacks budget but is overflowing with creativity. I highly suggest that fans of Troma and Rock Bottom Video check this one out especially with some friends and a few beers.
