Blu Release – 4.5/5
The Gingerdead Man
Director – Charles Band (Evil Bong, The Creeps)
Starring – Gary Busey (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Piranha 3DD), Robin Sydney (Masters of Horror, Big Bad Wolf), and Ryan Locke (Fight Club, NCIS)
Release Date – 2005
Rating – 2/5
Tagline – “Evil never tasted so good!”
Full Moon Entertainment has put out some seriously iconic horror titles over the years with films like Lurking Fear, Subspecies, and Trancers just to name a few. However, they are commonly known for their films featuring little monsters, creatures. and puppets with films like Puppet Master, Evil Bong, and Demonic Toys. In recent years, Full Moon has found a lot of success with their Evil Bong and Gingerdead Man properties. So much so that they had a few crossovers since their initial releases. I’m a huge fan of the Evil Bong franchise but I don’t remember a lot about the Gingerdead Man films.
I do remember watching them when I bought a DVD set at WalMart and then a limited edition box set at Dollar General of all places. Recently, Full Moon announced a new Gingerdead Man set. This time it would be a blu release that would come in a cookie tin. I’m a sucker for novelty releases like this and had to snag one which gave me the perfect opportunity to revisit the films.
**Spoiler alert** This film follows the owner of a small bakery who is struggling to find momentum after the death of her brother and father at the hands of a spree killer. He was arrested, executed, and cremated with his remains sent to his mother after the bakery owner testified against him at his trial. Sometime has passed and the bakery receives a package with ingredients needed to make gingerbread. They use it and make a big gingerbread man unaware that the ingredients actually have the killer’s ashes mixed in it. He is then brought back in control of the gingerbread man and tries to kill everyone in the bakery on his way to get his revenge on the owner. **Spoiler Alert**
The Gingerdead Man is a film that I see a lot of genre fans talk about loving or hating it. You are either in one extreme or the other. I remember watching several of the films, if not all of them, when I got the DVD years ago but I don’t remember a damn thing about them. After revisiting the first film I can safely say that I’m not a fan of it.
The acting in this one is nothing like the classic Full Moon releases. The cast feels a bit amateurish, even more so than what Full Moon was known for. With that being said, I actually enjoyed it. Gary Busey in a Full Moon film was something I never expected but it makes sense especially with his career after the accident. It’s not a career defining performance from Busey and, in all honesty, it’s not even close to being the best performance in the film. The story for this one is extremely campy and nothing really happens. The film is a bit too long even though the run time is only 60 minutes. We have some of the worst dialogue in film history and the humor you would expect is no where to be seen. The film could have a lot trimmed off even though it only runs for 60 minutes.
Finally, the film has some bloody moments and some gingerbread puppet mayhem but that is really the extent of the film. Those looking for a lot of blood and gore will be disappointed. Honestly, the lack of baking themed deaths is a bit disappointing as well. Overall, The Gingerdead Man is nowhere near as fun as many of the other Full Moon films of yesteryear or recent memory. I wanted to love it but it’s just too rushed and poorly put together. This is one I would skip.
Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust
Director – William Butler (Baby Oopsie, The Resonator: Miskatonic U)
Starring – Kevan Moezzi (Firmly Legal, Disaster Date), Kelsey Sanders (Mad Men, iCarly), and Joseph Porter (Detention of the Dead, Mega Piranha)
Release Date – 2008
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Freshly baked terror!”
I remember buying the DVD set at Walmart in their $5 dollar bin and taking it home. I didn’t watch it right away but several weeks down the road I found an actual box set from Full Moon in a Gingerdead Man sleeve for cheap and grabbed it. It was then that I decided to finally watch them. I struggled through the first film but when I saw that the second film was directed by William Butler I was sold.
Butler was a huge part of my childhood after appearing in Savini’s Night of the Living Dead, Ghoulies II, Friday the 13th Part VII, and Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part III along with all his work in the Power Rangers franchise. These movies, along with the Power Rangers, would be playing at any given moment in my home during my teenage years. I’m a huge fan and I hate myself for not knowing he had directed this one for Full Moon.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a small production company after it has switched hands recently when the original owner’s son takes over. He has spread himself too thin with multiple projects going at once and is nearing financial ruin when a sick teen from a charity organization makes his dying wish to visit his favorite film studio before he passes. However, as they explore the studio and meet the cast and crew of the many projects being shot, they realize that the young man pretending to be ill has a more sinister motive. To make matters worse, a killer gingerbread man is wreaking havoc on set as well. **Spoiler Alert**
If you completely remove Butler’s name and I went into this one completely blind as to who was behind it, I would still say this sequel is a better film than the original. I don’t mean that in a negative way but I know many of you will say I’m being biased because I am a fan of his. I get that and completely understand where you are coming from but honestly, this film IS better than the first. Trust me, I wanted to love the first film but its an awesome idea that just doesn’t do it for me.
The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect. The performances are a bit campy and cheesy but I really liked the characters. I love low to no budget films with memorable characters and the cast does a solid job at bringing them to the screen. The story for this one is a lot of fun but doesn’t really fit the baking theme. With that being said, I’m completely fine with that in this case. The first film didn’t fully embrace the baking theme with the deaths which was a bit of a let down. In this follow up, that is completely abandoned and now follows a story that almost feels like a parody of Band himself and his Full Moon studio. I loved that aspect and the twist with the sick teen. On the flip side of that, the film could have featured any killer in the Full Moon library and it would have worked.
Finally, the film has a lot of deaths with some practical effects and some visuals. With that being said, I loved both. The visuals are campy but that adds to the wild story. The kills are not as gory as I would have liked but they did have some fun practical effects. Overall, Gingerdead Man 2 is a bit of an improvement over the first film. It’s just as campy but the humor seems to find its mark in this one and the story is a lot more fun. Check it out.
Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver
Director – William Butler (My Babysitter The Super Hero, Waffle Hut)
Starring – Jackie Beat (Huluween Dragstravaganza , Tripping the Rift), Paris Wagner (Ready 2 Die, Tattoo Nightmares), and Steve-Michael McLure (Chow Bella, Rizzoli and Isles)
Release Date – 2011
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “The ultimate roller boogieman”
It’s not often you find a sequel that’s better than the original and it’s even more rare to find the third film in a series is better than the first. Some people, who I would argue are wrong, would say films like Return if the Living Dead III is better than the first film but they would be wrong. However, as I sit here and type this out I whole heartedly believe that parts 2 and 3 of the Gingerdead Man series is leagues better than the first film.
When I picked up the Gingerdead Man tin from Full Moon I did so because I wanted to add it to my collection but I didn’t remember shit about the films prior to ordering it. I did watch them several years back but they didn’t really stick with me. However, after revisiting them on blu, I can safely say this series gets better with each film and Saturday Night Cleaver was a lot of fun.
**Spoiler Alert** The film picks up with Gingerdead Man in a very “secure” prison where he is locked away with other carb heavy monstrosities where he is accidentally released by a group of protestors. He is accidentally sent back in time to the 70s where a roller disco is having one big party before shutting down for good. Gingerdead Man doesn’t let this slow him down as he sets out to yet again carve out a name for himself. **Spoiler Alert**
Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver is probably the most absurd of the series and easily one of the most enjoyable. It has a lot thrown into the story that might get overlooked if you are just casually viewing it but those with an eye for horror will notice a few nods to classic titles like Silence of the Lambs.
The acting in this one is consistent with the previous two films. The cast delivers another amateurish performance with some bold characters. I liked a lot of the characters and their personalities but their performances are pretty forgettable at the end of the day. The story for this one once again abandons the bakery theme aside from a few puns here and there. We then have a sci-fi comedy with horror elements tossed in. Honestly, it works even though the series is slowly losing it’s gingerbread identity. It started as a bakery themed slasher to a time traveling, roller disco destroying, laser shooting horror comedy that is still fun but the films could be made with any killer from Full Moon’s catalogue.
Finally, the deaths are not that memorable but they do work for the film. We get some cheesy visual effects and low grade practical effects but that is about the extent of it. Overall, Gingerdead Man 3 is not the pinnacle of horror, or even the Gingerdead Man franchise, but it is enjoyable if you dig little monster movies. Check it out.
Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong
Director – Charles Band (Death Streamer, Corona Zombies)
Starring – John Patrick Jordan (Evil Bong, Dr. Moreau’s House of Pain), Robin Sydney (Trophy Heads, Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation), and Sonny Carl Davis (Bad Channels, Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
Release Date – 2013
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “And hell rode with them”
I was really looking forward to this journey through the Gingerdead Man franchise. I had watched them years ago but didn’t remember shit about them. This gave me a great opportunity to revisit them while catching up so I could watch Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong which was included in the same collection. I’m a huge fan of the Evil Bong series and was really looking forward to this Full Moon crossover that I didn’t know existed…or completely forgot about.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Larnell (Jordan) who has opened a head shop after surviving several run ins with the Evil Bong E.B. After a chance encounter with Rabbit, he leaves the shop to find a delicious cookie to sate his munchies where he meets shop owner Sarah Leigh (Sydney). While he is out of the store, Rabbit goes snooping through his office where he finds the Evil Bong and takes a toke from her which sets her free. To make matters worse, the Gingerdead Man has returned to try and kill Sarah Leigh again. **Spoiler Alert**
Gingerdead Man vs Evil Bong isn’t the best sequel or crossover I’ve seen but it’s not as bad as it could have been. This is probably the best looking film in the Gingerdead Man franchise but same quality the Evil Bong films had up to that point. I wanted to love this one and while it’s not the worst thing I’ve seen, it could have been a hell of a lot better.
The acting in this one is the most consistent of the series. It’s nice to see several familiar faces from Evil Bong and Robin Sydney performing a dual role reprising characters she portrayed in both series. I really enjoyed the casting and I’m glad they went with an Evil Bong heavy casting instead of the Gingerdead Man. The story for this one spends most of the film giving viewers flashbacks and recapping both series up to this point with only about 45 minutes of the film being new footage. We then move on to the film mostly consisting of the characters from both series meeting each other or being reintroduced instead of the chaotic story we were expecting featuring a battle between the Gingerdead Man and E.B. It’s a cool film showing them both together but if you were expecting a high body count and a new direction for both series then you will be disappointed.
Finally, the film mostly does the deaths like the Evil Bong series where the smokers are sent to her world to die. We get a few flashbacks with the kills we’ve seen before but the new deaths are nothing special or enjoyable. Overall, Gingerdead Man vs Evil Bong isn’t a bad film. Hell, I enjoyed it but we don’t need it and can do without it. Check it out or don’t, it’s not really an important installment in the franchise.
The Gingerweed Man
Director – Brooks Davis (Bring Her to Me, Famous T&A 2)
Starring – Eli Jane (Ghost Babe, Women in the Dark), Roy Abramsohn (Quantum Leap, Weedjies: Halloweed Night), and Kelly Bunasawa (Milestone, I’m the Rule)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “The weedman cometh”
When I originally watched the Gingerdead Man films, it was just a trilogy at the time. Since then the franchise has expanded a bit with Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong, The Gingerweed Man, along with the cameos he’s had in other Full Moon films. It’s a popular property that I somehow completely forgot about. As I was catching up on the series with the cookie tin set I noticed that it included The Gingerweed Man as well. This is another Full Moon film I let slip by me and couldn’t wait to check out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a little stoner with a lucrative weed delivery business with a female friend that he sincerely loves. However, after a mysterious bud nugget named Baby Buddy falls into his lap, he is tasked with keeping it alive and getting his friend back from corrupt organization wanting Buddy back to continue their nefarious research on him. **Spoiler Alert**
I knew absolutely nothing about The Gingerweed Man before diving into it and I have to say that this was easily my favorite film in the set and one of Full Moon’s better titles of recent years. It’s nothing that most horror fans will appreciate but I found myself fucking loving it. It’s a comedy first and foremost but it has a few horror elements and a bit of drama to mix it up.
The acting in this one is on par with the Evil Bong franchise. It’s a better consistency than the Gingerdead Man series with a lot more time spent on character development and backstories. The story for this one is not one I was expecting from Full Moon but I did enjoy it. Gingerweed Man is a character that can carry several films if given the opportunity. I could have lived without the Ooga Booga character and a some horror elements but it’s still enjoyable as it is. It’s a quick watch that flows very well with a lot of humor and memorable one liners.
Finally, the film is not a bloody one. We get a lot of puppet action and computer generated effects that look cheap but doesn’t take away from the overall film. Overall, The Gingerweed Man is a Full Moon eccentric film that combines multiple genres. If you’ve ever wanted to see Halfbaked made by Full Moon then here is your chance.
The set includes:
The Gingerdead Man (available for the first time on Blu-ray, fully remastered from the original 35mm elements)
Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust (first time on Blu-ray!)
Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver (first time on Blu-ray!)
Gingerdead Man vs Evil Bong (first time on Blu-ray!)
The Gingerweed Man (first time on Blu-ray!)
Blood-Splattered Gingerdead Man Tiny Terror (cookie tin exclusive!)
