Escalofríos

Heebie Jeebies (2013)

** (out of 4)

Yet another SyFy film, this one about a bunch of idiots who crack open a mine and soon an evil gold monster (yes you read that right) comes to life and starts killing people. HEEBIE JEEBIES is without question very clichés in many ways, features bland characters, a predictable plot and several other negative things but at the same time you really have to give the film credit for coming up with one of the most bizarre monsters in recent memory. If you watch all of these new SyFy films monthly then you know that the monsters usually rank from awful to lame but both of those words fit the creature here but you also have to say it's original. I say this because something being original isn't a good thing and that's the case here. I give the filmmakers credit for coming up with such a weird design but at the same time you can't be scared of this thing because it's just too strange looking to take serious. It's basically a two headed monster that has an "open" stomach where it came eat people. I guess the best way to describe this "stomach" is that it looks like the underbelly of a lawn mower with the blades being the teeth here. This is such an incredibly silly looking monster but at the same time you can't help but keep your eyes on it. So, in a weird way, the monster both helps and hurts the film. The performances are actually somewhat better than you'd normally see in a movie like this with Robert Belushi actually turning in a fine performance and HAPPY DAYS fans will enjoy seeing Marion Ross here for a split second. Both Cathy Shim and Lucille Soong are extremely attractive and helped keep this guy's attention going. The film offers up some pretty good gore along the way but the fast editing usually interrupted this. HEEBIE JEEBIES isn't a very good film but it's certainly a lot entertaining than some that turn up on SyFy. I think the film could have been better but the last half of the film starts to spend way too much time with some boring supporting characters. Still, the weird monster and a great looking (if you know what I mean) tennis match makes it worth sitting through for fans of the genre.

Released to TV in 2013 and directed by Thomas L. Callaway, "Heebie Jeebies" chronicles events in a Louisiana town when an abomination is unleashed from cursed gold mine that was recently reopened by a greedy descendant (Michael Badalucco in a decidedly over-the-top performance). Carl Savering & Robert Belushi play the Sheriff and his deputy while Dave Davis & Evie Thompson appear as their teenaged kin. Cathy Shim, Lucille Soong and Olivia Ku are on hand as an Asian family with insights about the creature.

This is a half-serious/half-campy Grade B horror flick with several amusing moments. It generally works for what it is and has a few highlights, like the imaginative, but cartoonish CGI monster, which looks like five corpses mashed together with a huge malevolent maw for a torso. Evie plays a winsome cutie, albeit overtly tart-y; and Belushi is likable as her cop brother, the main protagonist, not to mention Shim as his sweet girlfriend.

Despite the obvious low-budget, the movie has gusto and I cared about the 2-3 main characters. Unfortunately, there are glaring flaws that force me to lower my rating. For instance, the deputy discovers video-proof of the monstrosity, but then refers to it as some type of animal to others, including his sister.

The film runs 85 minutes and was shot in St. Francisville & Baton Rouge, Louisiana. WRITER: Trent Haaga. Marion Ross & Jennifer Rubin have small roles.

GRADE: C+

Could be the worst movie monster ever. And some of the worst acting ever. But the cheesiness of it made me stick around until the end.

I used to love lightweight horror comedies like "Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein." Those movies while funny, had just enough dread to scare me as a kid. Some SyFy movies appeal to me in the same way, only the acting and effects often suck, to a certain extent.

How does one rate these types of movies fairly? None are masterpieces, but some, like Heebie Jeebies, can keep you watching to the end.

This is one of those movies. The characters meet satisfying ends and several are actually likeable. If it wasn't so dang gory, it might even be fin to watch with your 9 or 10 year old, and seeing how they react to that horrible, but original monster. So I gave it a 6, because the ending satisfied me very much, and I left feeling a certain way. A "6" is about as high as I can go with SyFy movies.

Was this a SyFy Original? The production info doesn't mention, but this has Syfy written all over it: terrible acting, hilariously bad dialogue, weak plot, poorly developed characters and a godawful CGI monster. In truth, the monster is one of the messiest creatures I've ever seem. The design is already bad enough, but the awful CGI and the clumsy way it moves on-screen made me laugh way too much. It is a refreshment to see something besides the usual giant animal/hybrids, but c'mon!

As often with SyFy pictures, this falls in the 'so bad it's funny' kind of film. The combination of SyFy's usual terrible dialogue/acting makes most of the scenes funny enough to be watchable, especially with the likable Robert Belushi and the delightful Cathy Shim. However, it's Michael Badalucco that steals the show with his over-the-top acting and cheesy one-liners.

This little Z-movie (it still has a long way to go to become even a B one) is just your usual SyFy film: ambitious, somewhat likable in its badness, but overall you can easily find something better.