Infestation [UK Import]

Oh my God, I peed a little.

Don't worry, that's not me speaking. It's a quote from Kyle Rankin's horror comedy "Infestation" that I had the rare chance to see on the big screen at the German Fantasy Film Fest in Cologne at the end of August. Let me first clarify this: I didn't pee, not even a little, but I did laugh and cheer and ooh and eww, along with the other odd two to three hundred people in the audience.

First of all, I have to admit that I went to see the movie first and foremost for one reason: Chris Marquette. Running a big fansite about him and also knowing him in person, I didn't hesitate twice when I heard that the movie was gonna screen at the FFF. The day they opened pre-sale, I was there at the ticket booth to secure a ticket.

Of course Chris wasn't the only reason I was pretty geeked up about the movie. Even before the trailer came out, I had watched Kyle Rankin's "Hellholes" online, and I was pretty sure that Infestation would be right up my alley.

Infestation didn't disappoint, quite on the contrary. I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun in a movie for a long time'and I go to the theater on a regular basis. Some of my enjoyment may have been influenced by the audience, who reacted appropriately in all the right places, some scenes even got applause and cheering. However, there is no doubt most of it was largely due to the excellent script, its cinematic implementation and the actors' skill of bringing the characters to life.

Let's talk about the story in a little more detail for a minute. It starts out with our unlikely hero Cooper, who doesn't quite take his job as a telephone sales rep for herbal healthcare products very seriously. Just when he's about to be fired, there is a sudden, loud screeching noise and then everything goes black. It is days later that Cooper awakes to find everyone in the office (himself included) stuck in thick, white webbing. The first living being he encounters after freeing himself of his sticky, organic prison is an ugly black bug, the size of a small bear. Reacting on pure survival instinct, Cooper successfully fends off the disagreeable creature.

He then awakens some of his colleagues and the somewhat odd group starts discussing their next course of action. The plan seems to be to seek out the house of Cooper's father, which is equipped with a secure bomb shelter. On the way, they make several stops and several discoveries about their adversaries that will help them fight for their survival. Some members of the group also make discoveries about themselves that will have an impact on their future. But it's not all great, some serious shit happens too. And in the end' No. I'm not gonna tell you.

What greatly surprised me was the quality of the script. From the trailer I figured that the movie was going to be a fun comedy with a fair bit of gore. The tone appeared to be light and funny, so what I expected was a film that would be amusing, witty, maybe a bit slapsticky with a portion of self-irony. It was all of that (and better), but I was positively surprised by the emotional moments and the underlying familial relationship substory that was interspersed throughout the movie. They gave it a lot more depth and kept it grounded.

Another positive surprise was the special effects. Maybe the trailer gave me the wrong impression, but I had expected for the bugs to be a lot more "trashy" (which, mind you, would have worked as well for this kind of horror comedy). As it is, I thought they looked real and believable, and not trashy at all. Well done, Mr. Potelle!

My only point of criticism is that I thought it stretched on a bit in the first third. Once the decision was made to go out there and get moving, the audience is eager to see what the group is going to encounter and doesn't want to watch these guys preparing for a night in the office building, though admittedly those scenes had a fair share of jokes and amusing moments.

As for Mr. Marquette, I am also full of praise. Chris's first lead role in a feature movie, and he did the job wonderfully and with great skill and passion. From movies such as The Girl Next Door and Just Friends we knew he had great comedic talent and timing'which thrived in Infestation. His facetious and funny lines had just the right tone, his expressions were priceless. Chris's portrayal of the character got a lot of laughs from the audience. On the other hand, the emotional moments were very powerful and made me root for Cooper, even if in the next moment a quip from his lips would have me laugh out loud. Makes me contemplate what an injustice it is that such talent often goes unrecognized in the big, bad world of Hollywood when other, rather mediocre actors are pushed and hyped.

I must also mention the rest of the cast, which was wonderful as well. Not one of the characters felt out of place or not real. Brooke Nevin and Chris had great chemistry and Ray Wise played a wonderfully callous dad. "Let me tell you a story... You're an idiot!" Diane Gaeta will get an honorary mention. It was great to see her as so-called "White Trash Girl", bossing Cooper around.

I said earlier I wasn't gonna tell you how the movie ends. And I'm not, but there is no way I cannot mention the ending. Kyle Rankin, you are a torturer of movie viewers! But I have to say, it was a pretty cool way to conclude the story. Can we hope for a sequel?

Last but not least, I would like to say thank you to everyone involved in creating something that was such a joy to behold on the big screen, it really made my day (and more). A big thanks also to everyone who is responsible for it screening at the FFF all over Germany. Thanks, Mr. Rankin, for keeping in touch. And thanks, Mr. Marquette, for being awesome, as always.

Habe mir den Film gestern Abend als Importversion angesehen und war wirklich positiv überrascht!
Der Trailer zum Käferhorror sah schon ganz nett aus, aber eben nur nett. Was einen im kompletten Film erwartet ist ein riesiger Partyspaß mit jeder Menge übergroßen Krabbelviechern, den man wohl am allerbesten mit ein paar guten Freunden und einem Kasten Bier so richtig geniessen kann. Hier wird sehr kurzweilige Unterhaltung mit jeder Menge Humor geliefert, der eigentlich nie wirklich langweilig wird. Überlebenskampf gegen garstige Käfer garniert mit zwischenmenschlichen, aber nie aufgesetzt wirkenden Aspekten und überzeugenden Darstellern versprechen beste Unterhaltung. Infestation kommt die meiste Zeit ohne übertriebene Splattereinlagen daher, aber auch Gorehounds dürften an der solide aufgebauten Ungezieferhatz gefallen finden. Die Trickeffekte an sich sind sehr solide und eine Belastungsprobe für Leute mit Käferphobie. Also ein paar Kumpels eingeladen, jeden mit Insektenspray bewaffnen und los gehts!