Dream Reaper (2006)
Starring Matt Ringering, Thaddeus Starbuckle, Lippy Longstocking and Kevin Strange
Written and Directed by Kevin Strange
One day, ONE DAY, I'd like to see Hollywood give these guys $50 Million to make a movie. I'd just like to see what they put out. Just to know. Just, if their imagination was unfettered by the restraints of budgets, if they had a whole crew of people under their command... just what the hell would they make? And perhaps more importantly, what kind of expensive celebrity tits would they have on display?
A little while back, we had a look at most of the Hack Films library, and here is the missing piece, Dream Reaper. Ironically, the only one of the films we hadn't covered is this, which was their first. Does it show? Well, yeah.
As was said before, there was a definite show of progress in Hack's works, from Dead Shit to Cockhammer, they shifted from brainless stoner humor to crazy, violence fueled romps through some very original mis-adventures. Dream Reaper has the Hack crew forming a band that makes rock ballads about the Loch Ness Monster, and then subsequently being attacked by a creature in their dreams. This specter has one demand: split up the band or die! The band chooses to stay together and battle for their legacy, a choice which seems synonymous with death.
Well, that's the 'plot' of Dream Reaper, anyway, but that's not what the movie is really about. This movie is really about masturbation. There are no less than six masturbation sequences in the film, more if you count the one during another sex scene... and there might be even more if I really sat and thought about it... but I feel my capacity for thought has been lessened by the experience, so I'm not going to bother.
Wait, wait, yes, 8 masturbation scenes. I'm glad we're clear on this.
You can see the seeds planted here of what makes Hack Movies fun. Quick-witted dialog, crazy insults being flung all over the place, unapologetic sex jokes and a ton of low-budget gore trimming all the edges. Of course, with this is coupled heaping helpings of the group's weaknesses too. You can tell this was their first production, much of the film is just them having fun with the camera, the joy of knowing you're putting your hair-brained buffoonery to film. They don't even take the time for re-shoots, if someone breaks into giggles while having their guts ripped out, it stays in the film. Despite the octuplet of jerk-off shots, they all go on for an obscene amount of time, like we won't be able to get our fill. Basically, the whole thing is an exercise in self-indulgence.
But hey, if you want to see a movie about dream ghosts in Dollar store costumes ripping off penises or metal rockers eating handfuls of semen covered sleeping pills, then this is for you. Its true that with so many people in the world, this has to be someone's favorite film, right?
Dream Reaper isn't a good movie, but its got some fun gags in it, and it was an important first step for Hack Films. I liked it better than Dead Shit, perhaps having been more emotionally prepared this time to have my intellect raped. Its all a matter of perspective.
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dustin