Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!

Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! (2006)

*** (out of 4)

Mentally challenged Nicholas (Ricardo Gray) loves the easter bunny but his poor mom (Charlotte Marie) keeps bringing home jerks. The latest one (Timothy Muskatell) is one of the worst and when mommy goes to work he starts to abuse the young boy but have no fear because a psycho with a bunny mask shows up. EASTER BUNNY, KILL! KILL! is 100% of a trashy "B" movie but it's a fun one that manages to be rude, crude and best of all entertaining. Now, just because I gave this three stars doesn't mean that everyone and their grandmother should run out and see it. The appeal of this film is going to be extremely limited so unless you're a fan of gory, dirty and rather obscene movies then it's best to stay away from this thing. I mean, after all there's a scene where the jerk boyfriend sells the retarded kid to a child molester in exchange for some cocaine! As you can see, the humor in this thing is extremely dark and the first fifty-minutes or so mainly focus on the dirty jokes. Director-writer Chad Ferrin spent some of his early career at Troma and it's easy to see their stamp all over this film. The jokes are all rather tasteless and especially the various scenes where the teenage boy is being abused. The gory/horror elements happen after most of the comedy and these scenes deliver as well. We're not talking the work of Tom Savini here but I thought the gore effects were good considering the budget and at least there was plenty of the red stuff to go around. For such a low-budget "B" movie I was really shocked to see how much of the stuff here was above average. This included the performances, the special effects and even the look of the film was quite professional. Best of all are a couple twists that happen in the last ten minutes, which I certainly won't ruin but I thought both of them worked extremely well. Again, EASTER BUNNY, KILL! KILL! isn't a film for sensitive viewers but those who like things dark should get a kick out of it.

Following in the tradition of the slasher genre, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! uses a beloved holiday as the backdrop for a madman's murderous rampage. However, instead of stalking babysitters or sorority sisters, this film tells a much more interesting and sinister tale.

Mindy, a single mother of a sixteen year old mentally challenged son, Nicholas, struggles with the responsibilities involved in raising a special needs child. She often works double shifts at her nursing job and relies on the wife of her handyman for childcare. So when Rem, a smooth talking and by all appearances, a genuinely nice, caring guy comes into her life, she instantly begins to have feelings for him. However, Nicholas is immediately suspicious and takes an instant disliking to Rem, and for very good reason. Turns out Rem is really a cruel, low-life drug addict with ulterior motives. He is cruel to Nicholas when Mindy is not around, calling him degrading names and threatening to kill her new pet rabbit if Nicholas tells. When called into work a double shift on Easter day, Mindy, with really no other option, allows Rem to care for Nicholas. Rem immediately calls his pedophile friend and sells Nicholas to him for the evening while Rem goes out in search of hookers and drugs. When the pedophile arrives to have his way with Nicholas, it doesn't take long for a psychopath wearing an Easter Bunny mask to show up and begin wreaking havoc with various electrical tools. When Rem finally shows back up to the home with his hookers, the stage is set for a bloody showdown.

Though far from perfect, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! is an ambitious entry into the holiday themed horror genre. The tone of the film is its most effective asset, at while some may find it a tad too cruel at times, it will, without a doubt, stir at least some emotion in even the most hardened horror fans. Apart from the inclusion of such sensitive subjects as the treatment of people with disabilities and pedophilia, the film possesses a grittiness and atmosphere that is unsettling at times. Despite the simple and confined setting of a small, suburban house, the director is able to create some serious tense and suspenseful scenes, mostly involving the various victims making their way through the hallways of the home, which are covered in plastic on both sides because of renovations. The use of the plastic is hugely effective as the viewer at times knows the homicidal rabbit is lurking its prey from somewhere behind it. The deaths are fairly brutal and bloody as heads are drilled, circular saws are wielded, and hammers and brought down. Though the deaths are nasty, they are never over the top, and since most of the victims are vile human beings, these is slight sense of justice. The actors, for the most part, are highly committed to their roles. Timothy Muskatell is truly outstanding as Rem and viewers will be truly disgusting by him.

Still, though the film is highly effective, some will be quick to point out its flaws. The low budget does, at times, show. Some of the scenes, particularly ones involving Nicholas talking to his pet rabbit, come off as extremely cheesy and cringe-worthy. Since the first real kill by the maniacal rabbit doesn't come until at least the halfway point, some may be turned off by pacing, subject matter, and questionable depiction of a mentally challenged teen. Additionally, some scenes are unnecessary and late attempts at humor fall flat and don't complement the overall tone of the film. Though I am sure some figured out the identity of the killer, I was actually pleasantly surprised, though the last few minutes of the film were rather unbelievable and a tad to tidy and storybook.

Overall, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! is highly effective, low-budget tribute to exploitative grindhouse films of the 70's and slasher films of the 80's. There are some truly creepy, atmospheric, and disturbing scenes, and though the film is a cheesy in parts and seem to loose focus a few times, it is a welcomed and highly recommended entry into the holiday themed horror catalog.

Fright Meter Grade: B

Always looking out for independents I came across this flick at a horror convention. Already heard that it wasn't your average horror I tried it out. I didn't regret it but I can understand that some will tear it down. It is really a slow starter, before things really go wrong it takes 45 minutes into the film. The first 45 minutes it's all about getting to know the new formed family and the wrong things about the stepfather. But luckily there are some misleads in the plot. Just when you think that the stepfather is the bad guy, with naked chicks and licking drugs from their titties, yes there's nudity, you will see something different happening and from that point on, it's gore galore. Of course, it's a low budget so they had to hide that with the effects used, so they chose to put the electricity down in the house and let the victims use flashlights. By doing that, the effects really look gory. The blood flows frequently. All actors are believable but I can understand that the retarded one is for some hard to swallow. I'm used to see old exploitations but here it was a bit waiting before the action starts but the use of some shots from the eye point of the mask really worked (remember Halloween). Glad that I have seen the unrated version, guess it was the first Easter flick I watched.

A nasty, abusive criminal cons his way into the arms (and home) of a hard working single mother & her Easter-obsessed disabled son. This low budget indie flick has sex, sleaze, drugs, humour & lots of gore. After a slow start ("character development") things just go crazy, but coherent, & I kept wondering "what's gonna happen next?" Thankfully this is more than just a basic slasher movie about a killer in an Easter Bunny mask, the main characters here do actually matter. Highly recommended for lovers of sleazy horror!

In EASTER BUNNY, KILL! KILL!, Mindy Simmons and her disabled son Nicholas (Charlotte Marie and Ricardo Ray) are planning on spending a nice Easter time together. Mindy also has a surprise for her son. She has a new boyfriend, named Remington (Timothy Muskatell). Unbeknownst to the Simmons', Remington happens to be a heartless murderer.

Upon his arrival, Remington pretty much moves in and takes over. When Mindy finds herself in need of a babysitter for Nicholas, Remington happily volunteers. Unfortunately, he has plans of his own for the evening, involving drugs, prostitutes and a freakish "friend" who has an unsavory interest in Nicholas!

What Remington and his fellow frolickers don't know is that their party is about to be interrupted by grisly slaughter! Has the Easter Bunny shown up to dole out the retribution?

Bizarre, funny, and brutally violent, this movie will make the gorehounds soar heavenward with glee, while others may flee from the room! For such a low-budget film, the effects are quite good, and the acting is far better than expected. Even the cheeeze-level is lower than most movies of this sub-genre.

Highly entertaining!...