PopHorror Let's Get Scared
A very, and I mean very, unique take on a familiar story, writer/director/star (with a writing assist by Jim Wald) Sean Whalen’s (The People Under The Stairs) Crust, features a strange premise, with surprisingly sweet moments, a whole lotta fun, and an impressive ensemble cast.
Synopsis
“A depressed has-been child actor and owner of a dingy laundromat, becomes powerfully vengeful when his collection of lone socks transforms into a protective, cute, murderous monster named Crust.”
Have a look at the trailer!
Has-been child actor Paul “Vegas” Winters (Whalen), of the popular sitcom Baker’s Dozen, has semi retired into an isolated existence, operating a laundromat with his drunken handyman friend Russ (Daniel Roebuck; The Munsters).
Vegas’s normal, mundane life is interrupted, however, by a sweet regular, Nila (the impossibly cute Rebekah Kennedy; Two Witches) and his obnoxious ex Andrea (Felissa Rose; Sleepaway Camp). When a possible re-boot of Baker’s Dozen is announced, Vegas’s privacy is invaded by the press, along with the incredibly douchey Les (Charles Chudabala; Ugly Sweater Party) and friends, who film Vegas in a compromising position. When their video goes viral, Vegas becomes a virtual prisoner in his laundromat.
Enter his avenging guardian angel: a strange creature comprised of stray socks, and Vegas’ own blood, sweat, and well…jizz. Affectionately naming his pet Crust, Vegas and his new murderous friend must navigate his renewed fame, and dispatch his foes (real or imagined).
Will his burgeoning love affair with Nila save Vegas?? Or will the “help” of his former co-star Randy (Alan Ruck; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) mean a second chance at fame?? Will Vegas have to choose between a better life and his pal Crust?? Will he manage to stay one step ahead of the suspicious Agent Bynes (William Gabriel Grier; Safeword)??
Shot almost entirely in black & white, and featuring essentially one set, Crust is a master class in achieving a lot with very little. Whalen and company take a fun, blackly comic script, a superb cast, and an art-house aesthetic and whip up a fun, character driven romp. Easily the best jizz rag monster film you’ll ever see!
Plenty of laugh out loud moments—a bizarre dance sequence, set to “Rockin’ Robin”, some inventive laundry themed kills, and the most hilarious 10 second sex scene, between Rose and Ricky Dean Logan (Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) I’ve ever seen are juxtaposed with some *shiver* cute moments with the titular Crust, and a most unusual chemistry between Whalen and Kennedy. Roebuck and Rose manage to steal every scene they’re in, but the focus remains on Whalen, who turns in a surprisingly convincing performance, despite the “out there” subject matter.
The blu-ray package from Anchor Bay, is pretty standard stuff: commentary with Whalen, and a Q&A from the premiere. However, there are two short films written by Whalen included, that, while not Crust related, are still a lot of fun. Picture and sound are both even and clear, making for a pleasant viewing experience—no technical complaints here!
Crust delivers the laughs, cringes, kills, and strangeness while managing to retain a lot of heart. Weird for the sake of weird is never a good thing, and the team Whalen assembled for Crust deftly avoids falling into that trap, with a solid script and a dedicated cast.
All in all a great popcorn flick that just may become a cult classic! Give Crust a watch, it’s 100 minutes and change well spent. And you won’t need a roll of quarters to find out exactly where all of your lost socks end up!
Anchor Bay’s blu-ray release of Crust is available from fine retailers. Crust is also currently streaming on several platforms.
