Howl (2015)

One thing our American cousins do better is the Hollywood Blockbuster - and we Brits have the corner on quirky character based comedy - relatable situations etc.

Every now and again we have a go at transporting one into the other and sometimes it even pays off - albeit usually under the radar (Dog House, Severance, anyone?)

Howl comes from this school of a very British movie, a group of people who would normally not speak to each other are thrown together on a broken down train - Howl has the recipe for a heartfelt "getting to know you" movie but hey, chuck a few werewolves in there and we're talking business.

Tense and creepy with typical satirical humour, mocking social observations and the odd bit of being ripped to shreds by a howling lycanthrope - score.

Not one you'd watch over and over but one you need to watch.

6/10 Masks

The Final Girls (2015)

Not to be confused with "The Final Girl" that came out earlier this year.

Malin Akerman and Tassia Farmiga (American Horror Story) star in this Last Action Hero meets Friday The 13th comedy slasher.

Akerman plays an actress who is struggling to find work because all people remember her for is an 80s slasher called Camp Bloodbath.

After dying in a car crash her daughter (Farmiga) goes to a showing of the movie at a theatre and by some strange events herself and some friends end up being transported in to the film.

Well aware that's exactly what has happened they decide to see if they can change the events, including taking the dead mother with them when they go home.

Brilliant for a film with a budget, The Final Girls lampoons the slasher genre perfectly as two worlds collide. Technically not a horror or a slasher but a comedy it's not without it's gruesome moments and unexpected gory deaths.

I'm wondering if in the same vein as "Headless" that "Camp Bloodbath" might get it's own film, time will tell.

This flick was a great concept and a great ride. Bang on.

8/10 Masks

Deathgasm (2015)

Wow - been looking forward to this one for a while now and it certainly didn't let me down!

Deathgasm - an odd metal kid moves in with his Christian aunt and uncle and shocks them with his satanic music and look.

After meeting a fellow metalhead at a record store they form a band and go on a hunt for a reclusive washed up metal star - after finding him in possession of some odd sheet music they use it for their band and all hell breaks lose - literally.

Unleashing satanic power the town transforms into flesh eating monsters - complete with a heavy metal soundtrack and some mild nudity.

Awesome.

Much like the classic metal movies such as Trick or Treat, Deathgasm is an instant cult classic.

9/10 Masks

Cooties (2015)

Cooties completes our horror-comedy double feature this evening. One look at the picture (or the trailer) will confirm that this film has a cast to die for.

Rainn Wilson, Hugo from Lost, Napoleon Dynamite, Scott Pilgrim's drummer, that bloke out of Scream Queens and of course Frodo Baggins.

A rouge virus infects the chickens that are made into school meals and turns a group of school kids into insane flesh-eating zombies where the only people left standing are the teachers who have to defend themselves against the pint-sized terrors.

It's not the greatest film ever made but when you've got that level of comedy faces on one screen you just know that it's going to be a good ride. A cheap one, but a good one.

There are all sorts of running gags including pokes at the casts other films (Rainn Wilson calling Elijah Wood a Hobbit made milk come out my nose) a so-cliche-its-funny love triangle story, the obligatory stoner complete with imaginary animal friends and of course a bunch of zombie-kids running about ripping everyone's limbs off like a bargain bucket.

Mark this one up as "Sunday Afternoon Viewing" and enjoy it for the straight-to-video (literally) B-Movie it is.

8/10 Masks

Teen Lust (2014)

Part 1 of my comedy-horror double feature today is Canadian flick Teen Lust.

OK, lets set the story - a high school guy needs to lose his virginity, he gets into all sorts of adventure trying while his parents try to stop him because for him it's life or death.

We've seen that story before right? OK but what if I told you that his parents were members of a satanic cult and need to sacrifice a virgin to raise the devil and bring about the end times!

Turns it all on it's head and this original take on the teen high school comedy is a pure charm.

Carere and Sabara as the hero and hero's annoying voice of not-so-much-reason best friend make an amazing double act as they try to find something to have sex with while members of the cult are in hot pursuit messing it up for them at every turn.

True Blood star Kristin Bauer van Straten and Cary Elwes (best known for The Princess Bride) play the squabbling leaders of the cult with Elwes almost turning into Terry Gilliam in places.

The movie does it's best also to reference a lot of the popular teen flicks of the 70s and 80s - you'll spot them if you look hard!

Great laughs - not so heavy on the horror but for a piece of satanic-themed coming of age comedy it's all you need.

8/10 Masks