Everybody needs a good laugh every once in a while, especially horror fans. After all, watching countless hours of death and dismemberment couldn’t possibly be good for the psyche, could it? Obviously, that statement is debatable and studies on the effect of violent and negative media on mental health is well-documented. That said, sometimes its nice to switch things up. For scary movie junkies, incorporating a little lightheartedness into their movie diet can be tricky. The leap from Jason Voorhees to Jerry Seinfeld is a big one, and often times films that balance between comedy and scares can be, well, not great. Luckily, we have films like Ryan Barton-Grimley’s new film, Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers, to cleanse our palates and remind us to laugh once in a while.
Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers follows Phillip “Hawk” Hawkins (played by writer/director Ryan Barton-Grimley), a 3rd shift security guard with an obsession (and dodgy history) with supernatural occurrences and his role in preventing them. When Hawk witnesses a troupe of vampires hanging around his place of work, he enlists his pacifistic new age buddy, Revson “Rev” McCabe (Ari Schneider) to help him defeat them. What follows is a raunchy, silly, and often endearing story of blood, buds, and redemption.
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This movie succeeds where so many horror comedies fail, it’s actually funny. Like really funny. In fact, it’s much more fair to classify this as a comedy film than horror. That’s not to say there aren’t horror themes and elements throughout, it’s about hunting vampires after all, but anyone looking for genuine scares won’t find it here.
Much of the comedy revolves around the relationship between Hawk and Rev and, fortunately, the chemistry between the actors is palpable. We really get a feel for the difference between the characters and their banter is highly entertaining. The comedy in the film is also occasionally quite raunchy and crude, but never feels too excessive. There’s a recognizably modern approach to the way the gags are crafted that feels fresh. Fans of shows like Workaholics or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are likely to enjoy the humor in this movie.
Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers is a really fun film. It’s charming, goofy, lighthearted, packs in some fun horror elements, and has a nice, brisk run-time. If you’re out there looking for a funny treat to cleanse your horror-obsessed palate, look no further. The film arrives on digital, cable, satellite platforms, and DVD on March 16th via Freestyle Digital Media.
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