​BOOK OF MONSTERS: FILM REVIEW

 
Dark Rift Films: Paul Butler and Stewart Sparke, makers of ‘The Creature Below’ have done it again with a partly Kickstarter funded award winning horror film.

To set the scene it’s Sophie’s 18th birthday and she’s hoping to have a quiet time of things but that’s not going to happen as her friends have organised a surprise party, and if any of the ‘teenagers’ at the party were under twenty years old I’d be surprised, but that’s not a big deal all things considered as it doesn’t detract from the film. Anyway, back to the basics… Her dad Jonas (Nicholas Vince, yes THAT Nicholas Vince from Hellraiser and Nightbreed) gives her a present, it’s a book which her mom used to read to her when she was a kid, the titular ‘Book of Monsters’, which she’s not too thrilled about having as the last time she saw said book she was eight years old and her mom was killed by a monster under the bed with the result that Sophie spent a year in an asylum getting over it.

I’m twenty five minutes into this film and I’m uncertain as to whether it’s actually supposed to be a comedy as it’s a ridiculous gore-fest in a 1980s style. A little while later and yeah, ok, it’s a comedy! The garden gnomes have confirmed that for me, I’ll not tell you why as you are probably going to want to see it for yourself. I say that as I’m only half way through it and already want to watch it again.

Full of ludicrous situations, unbelievable reactions and shonky dialogue it’s got what in a straight horror would be some serious downsides, but as it’s played for laughs it has nothing which prevents it from being highly enjoyable with far more imagination than most of its contemporaries. Right at the start I was wondering what the hell I had got myself into as it looked as if it was going to be another piss-poor attempt at a horror film but I need not have been concerned as it’s dumb, cheesy and very funny. The acting is for the most part good, the concept is overall fine if a little derivative, and I’d say that it’s well worth the addition to anyone’s collection.
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It’s available right now, so go get it as I’m giving this a solid four out of five on the Gingernutometer.