REVIEW BY SHANE GAVIN
RATING: A +

 

Where do can you begin to explain this film to someone who has not yet seen it. Well I guess I find it so hard because in my life time I have never seen a horror film quite like it. SI,YKM! is a horror film that takes the elements of what is naturally horrific and slaps it sideways and makes it seem CASUAL. Casual in a good way, all the characters in the film no that for one reason or another that they are freaks. Well everyone except William, but we'll get to him in a little while.

First we meet Susan Vanhlerberg (Jessica Beckwith) who is married too a 112 year old man EDWIN (Michael Todd). Susan has married EDWIN to collect on his money. EDWIN has married SUSAN for the SEX. Susan is seeing a guy called ERIC (James Black) behind EDWINS back, they decide to kill EDWIN in order to collect on the money quicker. However killing EDWIN is a mammoth task while he is being kept alive by a witch called ANNA (Jamie Donahue) who needs the toe nails of a 150 year old man that she has "well, doinked!" as they say in the film. So ANNA needs EDWIN to be alive for another 38 years. Where does WILLIAM (Michael Todd) come into this? William is one of the greatest horror characters I have ever come across. William is a gay zombie that is forced to do the bidding of ANNA. Basically William goes about the place killing people for LEFT EYES and livers so that ANNA can keep EDWIN alive and kicking. William is the downtrodden character of the text and for this reason much of the plot twists branch out from his thought processes.

William although enslaved by Anna is still a very positive acting zombie, his dialogue and dressing style reflects this. William was definitely the kind of guy that in life was a friend to me self help books and these books have given him one thing most zombies don't have INITIATIVE. When William finds out that the only way he can REST IN PEACE is if ANNA is dead, he starts to plot against ANNA and find a way to bring about her downfall. A massive twisting and turning ending complete with some of the most wacky gender humor since "BEING JOHN MALKOVICH" keep you wanting to see what happens after the credits. Obviously in a review I can't give away the ending, but it is truly the most originally ending I have seen in a horror film in yonks, I sat back and went through the film and could not believe that from it's beginnings it made its way to that ending, it is something you can not pick. It is one of the best twists since "Razor Blade Smile".

This is the directorial debut of Kenneth Yakkel (co-writer of "THE JESTER") and it has showcased a rising talent. A talent that really needs to be nurtured by not only the HOLLYWOOD/ CLEVELAND underground and Indie Horror Fans, but also the makers of big budget mass audience films, KEN and Co. have re-ignited a lost style of horror film making. Film making that was so vibrant in the 80s in horror comedies. It is a very difficult mixture to process but SI,YKM seems to handle it very well, even though there are some (very few) visible budget constraints.

This is TODD LUCK's first screenplay and if other screenplays of his play around with gender and horror in the same way I'd love to see more of his work hit the screens.

Michael Todd (Robot Ninja, lurking Fear, My Three Sons, The Dead Next Door) is brilliant in this film in three roles, A as WILLIAM, B as EDWIN, C as the BARTENDER. His interactions with himself in the film and actress JAMIE DONAHUE if bottled would be a vintage prized well in to the 2k's . Any scene that Michael TODD appears in seems to lift his co-actors ability, TODD is an actor that must truly inspire his peers.

Jamie Donahue (The Dead Hate The LIVING) is the other face to keep an eye on in this picture. Jamie's role as the witch is the other character that you keep wanting to pop up in frame. She isn't the stereotypical, living in cave or house in the woods type witched. She is by no means the kind of witch you'd see in SABRINA or CHARMED, she's more the vindictive suburbanite witch seeking immortality. Oh and of course she has some extra points in the looks department.

The outcome of all these factors is a very entertaining feature film. I've managed to secure a sound mix- work in progress copy of the film. The film was complete however and still thoroughly enjoyable. I've danced around the room like WILLIAM during the GWAR song "SICK OF YOU" , and gone and ordered a copy of the song. It's a film that inspires you to buy stuff that surrounds it.. So I guess what it deserves the title CULT FILM. It is one that any true horror fan can not miss. Pray for massive distribution. This is A+ work children.

Of course the secondary outcome of this work is, JAMIE DONAHUE, MICHAEL TODD and KEN YAKKEL getting together and writing "The Fool of Ravenscrest" which is better known now as "THE JESTER". A film that will be going into pre-prod soon we all hope.

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