Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night

The "filmmakers" have produced an awful film, but that's precisely the point. The high school actors seem to be winking at us,as if to say, "Yes, me in bad movie, and me proud of it."

This is a comedy in the tradition of "Date Move," "Epic Movie," and "Sleepover." Unfortunately, the director, Travis Irvine, fails to understand that true comedy works when it is taken seriously. That's why classic spoofs like "Airplane!" and "Cannibal! The Musical" work: because the actors act as if they are in a serious drama.

"Coons" was featured at the 2006 TromaDance. It was the worst film of the night. Perhaps the cast and crew had set low standards for themselves. One would guess, by the obvious lack of production value, that the only goal Irvine and his team had in mind was "Let's make a horrible movie!"

They certainly have succeeded. "Coons" is unfunny, and not only that, it lacks skill and professionalism. Even terrible comedies like "Epic Movie" at least aim for quality in cinematography and acting.

Take for instance the poor casting. Rather than casting professional, talented comedians, Irvine cast young men who look like high school students, dressed them up in wigs and costumes, and then made them recite raccoon jokes. It looks like the worst high school play you've ever seen.

But again, that was the point. "Coons" fails as a comedy but succeeds as one of the worst independent "films" ever produced. I'm sure Travis Irvine and his crew are out there somewhere, smiling as they read this, convinced that they have made the best bad film ever. Yes, indeed, they have.

Coons! was probably the best thing about the 2006 Tartan Road Film Festival in Boca Raton. I just walked into the screening of this thinking it was going to be another annoying high school short film. While realizing that the high school films were an hour later, I decided to sit this one out. Every single person in this small screening was laughing at every other line in the movie, and the ridiculous raccoons just added to it. Hopefully this movie finds an audience with some good word of mouth, as it was hilarious, shot well, and acted perfectly for the type of movie it was. I didn't stay around for the awards, but it would be a huge mistake if this movie didn't win. Keep submitting this to more festivals guys.

This movie is one of those surefire flicks to strike the humor cord amongst the generation X crowd. Extremely well done for the budget it was given, the screenplay and directing I thought was well above average. A select few characters make the film, such as the "Shane" character, whom acts as a gay park ranger, steals the show. I thought some of the development of the characters could have been better, though the film did not lack substance and kept the viewer wondering what kind of crazy, wild antics would happen next. A perfect rent for those who crave the "Scary Movie" type of genre- I hope these guys get together again in the near future to follow up Coons!

I thought maybe this would be a funny movie, but about 10 minutes into it I realized that I was dead wrong. I wanted very badly to leave the theater in which this dreadful movie was playing, but I was sitting in the center and didn't want to appear to be rude. I just felt like it was a waste of everyone's time, and afterwards discovered that other audience members seemed to agree. "Coons" is supposed to be a comedy, but it's really more like some kids playing pretend and wishing that they were funny. This movie got a lot of local press because it was made by some teenagers -- quite an embarrassment when everyone realized that they had made a big deal over an amateur high school movie! The kids who made this movie need to attend film school, because they just don't get how to do it right. They want to be like Monty Python but all they're doing is making Monty Python look like Shakespeare. Anyway, don't bother with this.

COONS! NIGHT OF THE BANDITS OF THE NIGHT takes us deep into the dark underbrush, revealing the terrible truth about the suspiciously-masked critters of the title. These furry freaks have begun to attack and devour their human neighbors. Now, mankind must fight for the survival of the species.

Enter Ranger Rick Danger (Brian Kamerer), and a host of colorful characters including: A hippie, hillbillies, Jeezuz-hugging bible boys, and a rock band. How they will be of any use in the aforementioned struggle is anyone's guess.

This micro-budget horror / comedy makes up for its total lack of funding with a barrage of idiot humor. Just wait until you see the raccoon / human hybrid zombies!

Recommended for lovers of the blissfully moronic...