Disappointingly, not a Simpsons spin-off…
A stoner horror/comedy from the creators of… well, nothing really yet, but this one was entertaining enough to hope that we’ll see a “from the creators of The Mole Man” soon enough.
Screw up brothers Marion and Jarmon Mugg (writer/directors Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy, respectively) have recently inherited a dilapidated apartment building from their deceased mother. After moving in with the few remaining tenants, pets and eventually people start disappearing. Is it because one of the tenants happens to be Freddy Krueger? Or, could it be the giant mole man living in the basement? No spoilers here (but, it’s the mole man).
- The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue
- Directed by
Mike Bradecich, John LaFlamboy - Cast
Justin DiGiacomo, Mike Bradecich, John LaFlamboy, Robert Englund - DVD Release Date
10 September 2013 - Jason’s Grade: B-
Stoner comedies generally don’t do much for me, but wisely, Bradecich and LaFlamboy, while certainly indulging in their share, keep the pot humor mostly in check. They make engaging enough leads as the two brothers who, despite having no ambition in life up to now, have decided to take of the mole situation themselves, rather than thumbing through the phone book and calling upon one of the many giant mole experts within. They both bring the laughs through much of the run time, and come across a bit like dueling Shaggy’s in this Scooby-Doo-esque mystery. Also a lot of fun is the aforementioned Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, as a dirty old man living in the apartment whose primary goal seems to be protecting his porn collection (as it should be). He also happens to have one of the greatest character names in film history – Hezekiah Confab.
The majority of the other actors were serviceable – not too bad, but nothing special either. It was certainly entertaining, as well, to see Tim Kazurinsky (of Police Academy fame) and Strangers With Candy alumni Greg Hollimon and David Pasquesi pop up in small roles, but their screen time was certainly fleeting. There was also a fun soundtrack that assisted the tone of the movie well, including an extremely catchy (but, I don’t recommend singing it at work) song that gets repeated multiple times. The makeup effects/design on the mole man himself were also pretty decent, complimented by the wise decision on the part of the directors to keep him largely in the shadows throughout the movie.
*****
Some of the pot humor certainly dragged the movie down a bit (and went on a bit too long at times) and there was a definite lack of gore if that’s what you look for in something like this. But, overall, there is a lot of fun to be had here.
Jason’s Final Thoughts:
A superb story idea that doesn’t quite reach its potential, The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue is still a blast to watch. It wisely avoids the “spot-the-reference” route that many modern horror/comedies feel the need to go down and has a real Scooby-Doo meets Cheech and Chong sense of fun. Leaning more towards the comedy side, it won’t change the horror game, but if that’s what you want out of every horror movie you see, you’ve set your expectations too high. If not, I think you’ll dig this one.
Review by Jason Howard, Lead Entertainment Writer
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