Rating of
1/4
May the Curtain Close for Good
Unknown - wrote on 07/14/14
A weird musical/slasher/comedy hybrid that misses on all three counts. The main flaw is that the genres do not mesh. The first two thirds play like a cheeky homage to lighter musical fare. Average songs become the mundane routine amidst a by-the-numbers musical story that is all about aspiring young stage performers. Comic potential is wasted on this familiar setup that seemed ripe for parody. I guess certain lines were meant as jokes, but they come off so awkward. Maybe the over-the-top nature of some elements, while combining genres, is supposed to be seen as absurdist? I don't know. The horror angle comes into play late, mostly taking over the third act. We see a straight-up 80's slasher movie killer randomly killing performers on opening night of the show, in an uninspired and ludicrous manner. He even belts out high shrieking 80's metal style vocals (think an awful Rob Halford imitator) while wailing on a guitar. It's unpleasant to the eyes and ears. A somewhat competent hand at filmmaking is the only thing saving this huge mess from being a complete disaster.
