I grew up—was bred and fed on—watching old black and white B horror films from the 50s and 60s. Additionally, I married into a family that also loves old B movies--significantly more than my own family. So, in a way, B movies (especially B horror films) are in my blood.
A couple of years ago when I first found out about Full Moon Features I was excited. They manage to capture the silliness, the fun, and the pure essence of the B horror film very well.
However, one element that makes a good b horror movie is that the filmmakers are not always intentionally trying to make a bad movie. Full Moon Features is well aware of their low-budget intentions and often reveal in it. This can be good but often turns out bad. The films turn out to be too over the top and extremely cheesy.
That is where both my love and hate collide when watching a Full Moon film. I love the over the top nature and cheesiness but hate when it goes too far.
However, Busey’s mother is a witch and mixes the ashes with gingerbread cookie dough. The old woman leaves the mixture on the doorstep of the bakery. Sarah finds it and makes a large gingerbread man out of it. When it is baked the cookie ultimately comes to life as a psychopathic serial killer cookie out for revenge against Sarah.
Sarah and her friends get trapped in the cramped Bakery with the killer and have to find a way to outsmart him.
Now, this wasn’t a problem for me. I realized what I was in for early on and prepared for that type of film. The acting was fairly good for a movie of this merit. Yes, everyone was written in as stock characters but the actors and actresses did a fair job with what they were given. And Gary Busey as the Gingerdead Man was very funny, if at some points overly crass.
The story felt a little hollow—even for a b-movie—and was cut off short in many aspects. There were many elements and scenes that were hinted at or obviously thought about that just didn’t happen due to budget restrictions. Ultimately the movie felt too short, like it was more of a pitch than an actual movie. I would have liked to see more action and more significant kills.
And that was my main complaint about this movie. The kills and special effects were decent but lacking. I wished that some of the annoying characters had more fulfilling and graphic deaths. The kills were just too simplistic. I felt let down by that element of the film.
However, and in all honesty, for what the film was, I really enjoyed it. And I enjoyed it far more the second time around because I was even more prepared for what the film had to offer. It has some good stupid jokes, a great B-horror premise, and some likable characters.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 4
Language: 4
Gore Factor: 2
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 3
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