Sanford Denton has recently broken up with his girlfriend and finds himself moving into his uncle's house... which contains a horrible den of ghouls in the basement. Yes, slimy, flesh-eating ghouls... and they must eat! To what lengths will Sanford go to keep the beasts from becoming hungry? "They Must Eat" is one of the early films of writer/director Tommy Brunswick, now better known for "Mr. Jingles". The film quality is lower grade and the actors are a bit less professional. But, as with many talented crews, there's a sense of heart in this production. Anything missing in funds is made up for with skills and dedication (and, to be fair, for a low-budget film, some of this is pretty amazing -- especially the special effects). Oh, and the soundtrack is phenomenal, both the incidental music and the rest.
What is a ghoul, you ask? And how can they be stopped? Well, thanks to Sanford's internet searches, we are made aware of these answers. "The ghoul is a nocturnal creature, and is repelled by sunlight and artificial light -- although neither cause them any real harm. Their speed and strength can be drastically reduced when subjecting them to the natural rays of the sun (i.e. - daylight), making them easier to handle so they can be ultimately destroyed. Exposing these creatures to the sun can be particularly advantageous to the monster hunter when encountering them in large numbers." Getting back to the special effects and makeup, I really must stress that the ghouls (one named Kojak) look pretty okay. As long as they remain in dim lighting, they're fierce and menacing. And whoever was "the blood guy" for this film was amazing. The blood-spurting from mouths was appropriately disgusting, and one scene involving a severed head was anything but amateur work. I really enjoyed the vacuum salesman writhing in pain as he bled to death, with Sanford coolly applying his wit: "What do you think sucks more? This (torture) or the vacuum you tried to sell me?" The only difference between this movie and a mainstream production is a few thousand dollars. (Brunswick's talent is evident in her future films, as I'll explain in their respective reviews.) The actors were good. As I said, the actors are "a bit less professional", but this doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun. The actress playing Amber (Jessica Hall) seemed cast incorrectly. She did fine, but I wasn't sure she fit the part she was supposed to play. I really enjoyed the hot Jehovah's witness (Meshelle Melone) and wish she had a larger part (and I'm pleased to see she gets more time in "Little Red Devil"). I was confused about the nipple ring, as I think that's something God would frown on. But I can let it slide. And the homeless guy was not really all that dirty, but maybe he's careful where he sleeps.
The main character (Sanford Denton, played by John Anton) receives the vast majority of screen time. He was hard to read. Sanford comes off as very neurotic, an outsider type, and nervous... he grows stronger and more confident as the film progresses. At first I wasn't sure if this was Anton being Anton or Anton being Denton, because I had no basis for comparison (maybe Anton is neurotic in real life). But as the character grew and changed, I saw it was Anton being Denton. So I have to give him proper credit. Sanford Denton is so lifelike, so real, that we can't help but love him and sympathize with his plights. John Anton has a bright future ahead of him.
While I wasn't sure what to expect from Tommy Brunswick and her crew, what I received was a captivating story that exceeded my expectations. If you can find a copy, I suggest you give it a fair viewing because Brunswick is a rising star in the world of independent horror. What you will see as budding talent in "They Must Eat" is ready to come into full bloom at any moment. Be sure to be there when it does.
