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Welcome to Monsterland! A terrifying place where savage beasts, carnivorous creatures, and grotesque abominations are the new normal; and the human race is now at the bottom of the food chain.
“Monsterland” desperately wants to be part of the echelon of horror films from the ’80s and ’90s, specifically those made up of horror anthologies, movies like “Creepshow,” “Cat’s Eye,” “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Body Bags.” Unfortunately, while some of the filmmakers involved with “Monsterland” show great promise, the overall feel is utterly campy and simply negates any serious moments of true horror found throughout. While I don’t mind campiness, it’s very seldom a movie can successfully infuse both comedy and horror (Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II” is that rarity that captures both genres perfectly).
As “Monsterland” begins, it is the end of the world and monsters and demons and all sorts of creatures are decimating the planet. A lone man finds refuge inside a now empty movie theater, except of course for all the dead torsos and dismembered body parts that litter the foyer and the theater itself. After filling up his extra large popcorn holder, he makes his way inside just as the show is about to begin. This is where the anthology begins. We go from various stories on the big screen and periodically pop back into the theater to check on our unlikely hero, who occasionally has to beat a monster to death after it messes up the projector.
While some of the short tales are intriguing, because it is an anthology, we are not given enough time to feel and connect with the multitude of characters that intersperse the stories. One might argue that that is the whole point, after all, these are short films and we are not supposed to care that much, we are just meant to sit back and have fun. Well that’s fine if you’re watching a parody like “Scary Movie” or “Austin Powers,” where character development is thrown out the window at the very start but when you’re watching any other class of film, getting rid of these essential elements, is the quickest way to ensure the failure and downfall of your movie.
While some of the anthologies from the 1980s, such as “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Creepshow” were, at times, tongue-in-cheek, they were played straight-laced, for the most part. The problem with “Monsterland” is that it feels like every filmmaker involved with the project, was told to go out and shoot whatever they wanted, with no comprehensive structure to the overall feel and essence pertaining to the finished product. So while one story is suspenseful and atmospheric, the next one is bizarre and utterly farcical so each film becomes antagonistic with both its predecessor and successor. If you are looking for a legitimately scary anthology of movies, check out “All Hallows’ Eve” and its commendable follow-up, “All Hallows’ Eve 2.”
Available on DVD and Digital Video June 7th
