On their way to Mr. Fire (an obvious take on Burning Man), three twentysomethings get lost after the neurotic wimp of the group, Sam, gets carsick all over their map. After taking a detour given to them by a roadside hillbilly, Sam, his gold-digging girlfriend Carrie, and best friend Bone, run low and gas and stop at a small gas station. Disaster strikes when Sam gets attacked by one of the gas station attendants, who happens to be a bloodthirsty vampire . . . along with the rest of the town! Luckily for our wayward tourists, the vampire townies are complete morons and there are still some survivors left willing to help them through the crisis. . . even if the other survivors are just as dim as the bloodsuckers.
Horror-comedy is a very hit-or-miss subgenre. . . but, it's mainly miss. The subgenre thrives in the low-budget/independent sector of cinema, mainly because schlock humour is cheaper and easier than quality production elements. Because of the sheer stupidity that comes along with the cheap humour and low-budget horror-comedies, the vast majority of the attempts are very, very bad.
'Blood on the Highway' took this risk and went for the comedy-horror blend on a low budget. For the rare time, though, it actually paid off. Sure, it's not the next 'Dead-Alive' or 'Evil Dead II,' but it is a surprisingly funny, original, and blood-soaked vampire romp through a Texan hicktown. For what was clearly a fairly low budget, the technical aspects of the film are actually not too shabby. The comedic writing is actually pretty laugh-worthy and definitely evoked some giggles, even if it is just a bunch of vulgarity delivered by some pretty bad actors. The overall look of the film is also pretty good with some pretty awesome and over-the-top gore effects, complete with flying limbs and too-red blood. Even the CGI wasn't overly distracting, but that's mainly because it was only used in small quantities. Another small feature of the film that will be a treat for horrorhounds is the casting of Nicholas Brendon (Xander from 'Buffy') and horror legend Tom Towles, most famous for his role of Otis in 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.'
Overall, 'Blood on the Highway' isn't going to go down as a classic among other gore comedies; but, with enough exposure, this splatter comedy does stand a chance to be a future cult classic.
Final Verdict: 7/10
-AP3-
Horror-comedy is a very hit-or-miss subgenre. . . but, it's mainly miss. The subgenre thrives in the low-budget/independent sector of cinema, mainly because schlock humour is cheaper and easier than quality production elements. Because of the sheer stupidity that comes along with the cheap humour and low-budget horror-comedies, the vast majority of the attempts are very, very bad.
'Blood on the Highway' took this risk and went for the comedy-horror blend on a low budget. For the rare time, though, it actually paid off. Sure, it's not the next 'Dead-Alive' or 'Evil Dead II,' but it is a surprisingly funny, original, and blood-soaked vampire romp through a Texan hicktown. For what was clearly a fairly low budget, the technical aspects of the film are actually not too shabby. The comedic writing is actually pretty laugh-worthy and definitely evoked some giggles, even if it is just a bunch of vulgarity delivered by some pretty bad actors. The overall look of the film is also pretty good with some pretty awesome and over-the-top gore effects, complete with flying limbs and too-red blood. Even the CGI wasn't overly distracting, but that's mainly because it was only used in small quantities. Another small feature of the film that will be a treat for horrorhounds is the casting of Nicholas Brendon (Xander from 'Buffy') and horror legend Tom Towles, most famous for his role of Otis in 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.'
Overall, 'Blood on the Highway' isn't going to go down as a classic among other gore comedies; but, with enough exposure, this splatter comedy does stand a chance to be a future cult classic.
Final Verdict: 7/10
-AP3-