PopHorror Let's Get Scared
There are some films that disturb you. There are some films that make you really stop and think. There are some films that frighten you. And then there’s Director’s Cut from Epic Pictures. This meta horror comedy was directed by Adam Rifkin and written by and starring Penn Jillette.
That’s right, one half of the magic comedy duo Penn & Teller teamed up with Detroit Rock City’s (1999) Adam Rifkin to make a horror movie about a psychotic farmer. And now you can now fill your dead little heart with all of the horror comedy you can cram into it.
Not unlike the film set up of Cannibal Holocaust that changes in and out of feature filming and found footage, this film follows Herbert Blount and his own personal cut of a movie he helped to crowdfund (and the actual movie was crowdfunded in real life, too!). Director’s Cut centers around a movie called Knocked Off, and it stars Jillette, Missi Pyle, Harry Hamlin, Hayes MacArther, Gilbert Gottfried and Lin Shaye. The film follows a team of detectives as they try to find a copycat murderer that is imitating the most famous murders of the past.
Missi Pyle superfan Herbert Blount (Penn Jillette) bought the crowdfunded executive producer title to be on the set of Knocked Off, but he’s not happy with the way the movie turned out, so he steals the footage, kidnaps Missi Pyle (Missi Pyle) and creates his own director’s cut of the film.
The narration is definitely the best part of Director’s Cut. Knocked Off, the film within a film, is a cheesy cop flick with hilarious commentary. The added footage of Blount’s cut of the movie is awkward because it feels so real. He hides across the street and films Missi eating. He hides cameras in her room… the whole thing makes the viewer uncomfortable. The footage that he films and edits in and the way that he inserts himself into Missi’s movie is comical, and it offsets how disturbing the whole thing actually is.
Aside from the ridiculous “movie” and stalker footage, Blount teaches the audience a lot about film production, which is actually kind of cool and informative. All in all, Director’s Cut is super entertaining. I have a soft spot for good horror comedies and this is one of the good ones. Penn Jillette’s writing and portrayal of Herbert Blount is wonderful, and he’s very effective as a crazy stalker fan that has lost touch with reality. Missi Pyle is amazing, and I actually agree with Blount on how talented and underestimated she is.
Director’s Cut is a great addition to any horror comedy collection. It has just as much rewatchability as any other horror comedy, and it is very well written. And hey! If you’re a fan of Adam Rifkin, you can get a Blumps Burgers t-shirt from Atomic Cotton to show off the love.
Newly released on VOD and set to hit Blu-Ray and DVD on June 5th, Director’s Cut is all set for you to invite it into your home so it can take you on a true adventure. You can pre-order the film at discount by clicking – HERE.
