Bubba The Redneck Werewolf (2014)

Director – Brendan Jackson Rogers

Writer – Stephen Biro

Runtime – 78 minutes

MVD Visuals

And You Films

Two Rubbing Nickels

(Trailer courtesy of Bubba The Redneck Werewolf official Facebook page)

Bubba works at Barkham Asylum. Which is obviously not an Asylum, has nothing to do with Batman, but rather a puppy mill or something along similar lines. Bubba is misunderstood and heartbroken, his sweetheart, Bobbie Jo (Malone Thomas) is with another, a large ego saturated gent with a sweet trailer boasting a toaster that can handle four slices of bread at the same time.

Bubba is at a loss and vows he will do anything to ‘win her back’. When a red faced, horned gent, walks into town (“Man, you don’t look right!” “Oh, this. It’s nothing. Just a sunburn I picked up on a business trip”) he spills his guts. He wants to be powerful, respected, loved and not…bald. Bubba is presented with a deal he can’t refuse, especially in his current inebriated state. The next morning, he awakes to excitably proclaim “Holy shit I’m a werewolf…awesome!” And the movie changes pace.

Its merely a wicked sunburn.

Broken Taint, Cracker County, soon turns into the Devils haunt. The crimson faced, DeVinci bearded, fellow (played by Mitch Hyman who created the long-running comic book series of the same name, upon which this is based) is even seen doing the occasional infomercial in hopes to fill his basement/ranks. A montage of In-jokes at the expense of the stereotypical Southern attitude displays his disdain for those in attendance but he’s having fun, the film has suddenly jumped into hilarity overdrive and the feature has twisted the term ‘the Devil went down to Georgia’ to an effect that better suits it, as this is Florida.

Had to include this as its a stunning print.

Even though Bubba soon gets his girl, all is not well, the neighborhood watering hole, the Rusty Bombshell, is hitting capacity with the ranks of those promised all they ever wished, only to be fooled.

Collectively this band of misfits (not the one which at one time featured Danzig) inform Bubba he must break the curse (it’s his fault after all). Although I have no idea why one wouldn’t wish to live out their life with an extra hand (imagine the possibilities) but it’s the placement that’s the rub. Another wished to be ‘Batman’ and is cursed to roam the earth with a bat jutting from both his mouth and the back of his skull, which understandably makes it difficult to converse and consume.

This scenario makes for an intriguing manipulation/interpretation of the traditional Werewolf curse.

Because one can’t make a Werewolf movie without adding a few sprinkles of Cradle of Filth flavor.

Bubba however knows not where to start. An enigmatic character informs him he needs to find a mysterious person called Who which predictably leads to the obvious shenanigans and the predictable hilarity which comes with having such a name. Bubba is directed towards a fortune teller for guidance. In between buckets of drool and copious spells of vomiting she prods him in the right direction and towards the ultimate showdown. A showdown to end all others, one surprisingly sans’ guns, swords, saws, strippers and chainsaws. And… I’m not gonna’ ruin it!

Will Bubba save the town, will Bobbie Jo be satisfied with a trailer that doesn’t offer a toaster sporting four slots, will the Rusty Bombshell ever make a profit, will Bubba eat his way through the local bars supply of frozen chicken wings, will the local college kids ever recuperate from being shot in the head whilst searching for magic mushrooms? All these questions and more will probably never come close to being answered but it doesn’t matter, as this isn’t the type of film where one worries about such trivial things.

Stephen Biro, of Unearthed Films and The American Guinea Pig fame, has penned this, I’m surprised too. Odd then is that this is a comedy (though one would expect so with its title) and that in instances the comedic aspect actually works in direct contrast to his other films which aren’t (comedies), in the slightest.

Bubba has a myriad of laugh out loud moments and several instances of ‘Huh’/What the Fuckery but it manages to hold the attention throughout as it pokes fun at both itself, the Southern stereotype and a few stabs at Pop Culture (take for instance the poster for ‘Cownado’ and not ‘Sharknado’ as one has come to expect).

The effects, which incorporate physical and CGI elements, aren’t horrendous, which is a refreshing change from typical B movie fare, make no mistakes for this is what that is. The make-up sported here is believable, not to the standards of quality that An American Werewolf in London or even Wolfcop delivers but certainly better than one might initially assume based on this films budget. There’s minimal crappy, rubber suited antics of the type which drove me away from The Hills Have Eyes Pt.2 (remake) at record speeds and numerous scenes drenched in brain matter and crimson, even a few instances that are quite unexpected. I guess Bubba prefers a cavalcade of chicken wings over chomping down on his closest friends (how responsible).

True to genre form the acting herein leaves a little to be desired, but it doesn’t matter as this is the type of feature where the caliber of acting matters not, so much as it adds to the overall enjoyment alongside the quirky dialogue, over-the-top story line and a general feel good vibe all of which this film boasts. Fred Lass pulls off a great portrayal of a hirsute character who’s suddenly thrust into a life of super hero like stardom but who’s trapped in a small-town battling alcoholism and general malaise.