Yes, filmmaker Steve Rudzinski operates on a low-budget, low-grade level, with simple, bare-faced production standards and transparently false "special effects," and not all his works are equal. The man wants only to entertain, however, and for those who are open to the most wonderfully silly frivolousness of cinema - fare that might sometimes make the average "B-movie" seem high-brow - he very ably does just that. Most consistent are those pictures with his recurring character Wally Griswold, commonly appearing alongside animal companions including cat Whiskers, and thankfully 'Amityville Christmas vacation' counts among that swell company. It's hardly a must-see riot, but it's fabulously funny from start to finish in its abbreviated runtime, and well worth checking out for those who are open to the ridiculousness.
The acting is over the top, pointedly insincere, and unlikely to win any awards, yet perfectly suited for the cheeky, ham-fisted, unrestrained conscious hokeyness that characterizes Rudzinski's films. At the same time, the effort and hard work that went into this are no less sincere than with any average cinematic release, and in turn the cast are a joy, the flick is well done on its chosen level, and Rudzinski and co-writer Bill Murphy whipped up a wonderfully fun little lark. Part of the charm of the man's oeuvre is the honest cheer and good-natured humor that fills each title; the script may speak to modern norms and values, and specifically progressive values, but these are spoken of with keen wit rather than with a mind to mock. Case in point, protagonist Wally isn't just lovably dimwitted, kind, and pure of heart, he's also a cop, but Rudzinski writes and plays him as a cop who is both aware enough to recognize that police are no heroes, and insufficiently self-aware to truly recognize the part he plays in that system. In any event Wally's occupation is mostly beside the point, because the length is filled with a steady stream of situational humor, gags, exaggerated characters and acting, brashly overcooked and cheesy direction, sharp dialogue, and sheer absurdism, and the sum total earns big smiles and laughs all throughout these forty-seven minutes.
Brazenly, purposefully modest or even arguably crude as Rudzinski's style of film-making and storytelling is, 'Amityville Christmas vacation' is everything that it wants and needs to be - a carefree movie of high spirits and amusement where everyone making it was obviously having a blast, and where it's easy as a viewer to get taken in by that same reverie. All those participating here turned in fine contributions to bring this to life in exactly the intended manner, and one has to either dive into amateur horror or take a trip back to the silent era to find features of such a minute length that are as joyful in their craft as in their subsequent viewing experience. By all means, I understand how this won't appeal to all comers; there was certainly a time when I'd have been put off by the unabashedly unsophisticated tenor of this and the director's other works. Be that as it may, if you're receptive to all the wide possibilities that cinema has to offer, and to fare realized with the most humble of production values, then I'm pleased to give 'Amityville Christmas vacation' my hearty recommendation. I had a fantastic time watching, and I can't wait to see what Rudzinski does next!
