The halloween party held at the Playboy Mansion featured some pretty awesome sights for party goers with Playmates showing up wearing body paint costumes and zombie waitresses who served champagne to the various private groups in the building. Zombie girls also worked as mini bartenders at several different reserved areas for VIP guests who paid that little bit extra to celebrate the spooky holiday a few days early in the house that the “bunny built.”
Ever since Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman did it in the 2007 film The Bucket List it has been popular to put down things to do before shuffling off this mortal coil, visiting the Playboy Mansion (West) for the 2014 Halloween Party allowed that particular item to be crossed off several lists but, a word to the wise if attending this little soiree, avoid the figure flattering black outfit. Especially if the attendee is male, over a certain age and going as Lex Luthor a la Smallville‘s Michael Rosenbaum who has been known to appear in all black attire complete with natty black shirt and tie.
I’ve been passing over this film choice on Netflix for months. I don’t know why, but something about the film’s poster put me off. To be brutally honest, the poster that starts this blog post actually looks better than the one on Netflix and it’s the same one!
Last night I finally bit the bullet and decided to give it a go. I girded my loins (whatever that means) and forced myself to watch it. I expected to wince constantly and turn the dammed thing off at the mid-way point.
Well…
I didn’t do that. Why? Because if there was ever another film in the world that could be the ethereal twin of Sam Raimi and co’s first film Evil Dead, it is Murder Party.
It is like the comedy/horror version of Judy and the kids saying, “Come on gang lets put on a show in the barn!” But in the film makers case it was in the warehouse of a cheap set.
Because despite the low-budget of Evil Dead (remember now, I’m talking about Raimi’s film, not the re-make), E D at least had a budget. Murder Party started rolling with a budget of 0 dollars and cents.These guys made a film so cheap, it made Raimi’s first film out of the gate look extravagant by comparison.
I am digressing, but, dammit; I have to. I looked this achingly funny film up on Wikipedia after I’d wiped the tears of mirth from my eyes while the end credits rolled.
It turns out that the guys who made, starred in, and financed this “zero budget film” were all childhood friends who grew up and went to various film and media schools. They kept in touch and made a short film or two. It was while they were waiting for another film that they really wanted to make, but was caught-up in turn-around limbo, that they decided to make Murder Party.
Chris Sharp as Christopher Hawley aka Mister Average.
The film is about an average guy who is a bit of a lonely loser. A sad sack (and points for those of you who remember this comic book character – answers, as always, on a post card please) who has no friends and his cat bullies him.
It is Halloween and on his way home from work, he finds an invitation to a “Murder Party” floating around on the sidewalk (path). He decides to go and in a burst of creativity makes his own costume with cardboard and duct tape. *It actually looks pretty good in a childish sad sort of way.*
He finds the party’s location and goes in. He finds to his consternation that it is a real murder party and he’s the victim.
All the members of this “party” are a consortium of artists who are trying to get funded by a rich pretentious pain in the ass rich boy. Each of the artists are flakey as hell and quite funny. Each of them are dressed up as iconic horror and science fiction characters. As “flakey” as each of these “artists” are, the rich boy prat Andrew is worse.
This film is great, gory fun and has a load of horror film references scattered throughout. I sat through this film giggling, laughing, and chuckling. *At one point, I believe I even snorted, but don’t hold me to that.*
It just goes to show that entertaining movies can be made for very, very little money and still look fantastic.
Murder Party was written, directed and produced by Jeremy Saulnier. It stars Chris Sharp as “everyman” Christopher S Hawley, meter cop non-extraordinaire and he does a brilliant job as the feckless hero/victim of the film. Every one of the actors does a splendid job with their characters and at no point did I feel like any of them (apart from the foreign drug dealing chap who was a bit two-dimensional) were anything other than what they portrayed.
This is a real horrific comedy of errors that will have you cackling with laughter though out. If you haven’t seen it yet, hop on Netflix right now and watch it.
If you don’t love this film, I’ll eat my metaphorical cardboard hat/helmet.
Mikes Film Talk 
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