Doghouse (2009)
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Brit director Jake West first came into the horror scene with his 1998 low-budget vampire flick Razor Blade Smile, which wasn't an entirely bad film. It wasn't until 7 years later when he made Evil Aliens that fans were really starting to take notice. A cheesy splatterfest in the vein of films like Dead Alive, Evil Aliens was a hit or miss with a lot of viewers. I personally liked it, so I was looking forward to his next endeavor within the genre.
Doghouse opened to UK cinemas back in June '09 and the horror-comedy received a lot of mixed reviews. I managed to catch the flick recently and although it has many flaws, I still found myself enjoying it. Much like he did with Evil Aliens, Jake mixes comedy and horror together, only this time the comedy is more subtle and the gore isn't as splatterific, but still a nice treat for fans.
If anything, the movie's premise is somewhat creative as we haven't really seen many films in the genre that plotted sexes against each other. So anyway, the story follows a group of guys as they head to a small remote village as part of their 'boy's weekend', in hopes of getting their buddy's mind
However, once they get to the little town they realize that not only is the town a piece of crap, but there's also no one in sight. Of course it doesn't take very long before they are attacked by some of the female beasties. Apparently all the local females are affected by some sort of airborn toxin that turns them into violent, carnivorous, man-hating mutants.
The rest of the flick is played out with the guys fending against all the female mutants and trying to survive the night and find a way the hell outta the town. I
Another aspect I really liked about the movie was how each one of the mutant females were unique in their own way. We'd have one that was dressed as a Dentist and using a drill as a weapon, another dressed in some fantasy-type outfit and brandishing a huge sword, and even one carrying an axe while in a bride outfit. My favorite has to be the creepy grandma using a pair of sheers as a weapon. With her look and laugh, ahhhh, creepiness.
Naturally the pic isn't without its share of plot-holes, cliches, and predictability. The reasoning we're given as to why all the females turned into mutants is your pretty standard explanation, which kind of bummed me out, because I was hoping we would get a little more originality out of why they turned. Then there's the horribly abrupt ending, which I absolutely hated.
Although the movie has received a lot of mixed responses from viewers, I personally enjoyed it for the most part. It kept me entertained, fed my appetite for gore, gave me some interesting baddies, and a semi-creative premise. If it weren't for a majority of the comedy not working and the horrible ending, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Worth a check if you're looking for a fun little no-brainer horror flick, but try to keep an open mind when watching it.