Peelers!

PEELERS (2016)
Uncork’d Entertainment.
Genre: Horror
Director: Sevé Schelenz
Screenplay: Lisa DeVita
Starring: Wren Walker, Caz Odin Darko, & Madison J. Loos

Available On Demand March 28

Review: Rusty Ryan
I have a high tolerance for the rampant bad acting, cheesy dialogue and duck tape special effects that usually go hand-in-hand with low budget horror movies. As long as the film can present something new, I will gladly go along for the ride. Peelers tries hard and actually tosses up a pitch that could have been thrown from our baseball-playing star, Blue Jean Douglas. I would categorize Peelers’ unique aspect as “Body Fluid Horror”.

Former baseball player Blue Jean (Wren Walker) is selling her small-town strip club. But on closing night, a group of “contaminated” coal miners show up. The infected miners quickly transform into deadly, goo-spewing zombie-like mutants that threaten Blue Jean and everyone else in the club that have come to celebrate. Peelers is a movie that shares equal amounts of horror and humor. The plot is a fairly simple premise that does have challenges in execution but a nice feature is the dialogue that seems to stand out amongst all the blood, vomit, urine and goo that fly across the screen. I warned you about the “Body Fluid” part.

The opening tracking shot is well done and informative. There is a lot going on, but this shot not only establishes the layout of the club, it also introduces us to the many characters that will soon be fighting for their lives. We even get a Wolverine reference in the first four minutes!

It’s the clever and humorous dialogue between our protagonists that seem to be the film’s biggest redeeming value. The interaction and banter between the various characters, especially the miners is enjoyable. These men have unknowingly been “infected” with a deadly oil-like substance that causes all kinds of internal and external problems and turns the unlucky ones into goo-dripping murderous monsters.

Blue Jean, her Bouncer Remy (Caz Odin Darko), and her son Logan (Madison J. Loos) must team up to save the club and as many lives as possible. It’s that execution where the film faces it’s biggest challenges. While some of the transformations and killings are nicely done with practical effects, there are others that are obviously computer generated and they really stick out as sub-par. There are also some head scratching logic lapses including a four-minute conversation involving a dying man. Time seems to stand still, nobody is running out of the club in panic and a zombie stands still and patiently waits for him to die before continuing the attack. There is also some confusion about just how the “virus” spreads as it seems to be selective as to who actually gets infected. But viewers of this little gem are probably not staying awake at night pondering that.

To top it all off one of the characters is a heart-of-gold pregnant stripper who’s water happens to break at the most opportune time! Another one of those “Body Fluids” if you are keeping track at home.

Peelers is nothing earth shattering but it does have enough comedy, gore, death and nudity to keep connoisseurs of this type of movie entertained. There is also a mid-credit scene at the end that is enjoyable, even if it runs a little too long.

2 1/2 of 4 stars.