PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I unabashedly love crazy films. The more “out there” and gonzo the better. Sometimes you just need to unplug your brain, take a break from the “artsy” stuff, crack a beer, and watch something so profoundly silly that you grin through the entire thing. Repligator, out now on Wild Eye Releasing’s Visual Vengeance series, is the perfect film for you to do that with.
Synopsis
“Army experimentation with transporter devices accidentally turns people into alligators.”
Check out the trailer!
From director Bret McCormick (Highway to Hell), Repligator is as crazy as they come. Don’t believe me? Try this on for size: a secret Army experiment called The Replicator Project stalls and is headed for the chopping block, sinister scientist Dr. Fields (Randy Clower; Time Tracers) convinces the military brass to let him take over the project, there’s just one flaw in the process—anyone “replicated” ends up the opposite gender (and usually really sexy) and then, as if to add insult to injury, when said nubile females reach orgasm, you guessed it, they turn into murderous half-human, half-alligator hybrids.
Fortunately, Repligator doesn’t take itself too seriously…
Starring genre mainstays like the late, great Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Dr. Kildare, who is heading up the Sexual Hologram Interface Terminal (SHIT) project, and Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre) as Dr. Goodbody (and yes, she drops her top…) one of the ill-fated Army scientists, Repligator is every bit as goofy as the name would suggest. Said team also includes Col. Sanders (Carl Merritt; Brain Tumor), General Mills (Alan York; The Hypnotic Eye) Dr. Oliver (Keith Kjornes), and Col. Sargeant (Rocky Patterson; One Man War). This ensemble cast hams it up with the best of them, making Repligator a fun, gratuitous nudity-filled romp with just the right amount of “stupid” to make it entertaining.
Effects-wise, it’s just about as cheap as you’d expect with a DTV feature like this. However, it never comes across as lazy, with the cast and crew making the best of everything they had access to, and the creature effects, while corny as hell, have a certain charm that fits right in with this film. Kudos to the make-up department for making the giant mole sporting Dr. Hardy’s (TJ Myers; The Boss Man) transformation into a hot, blond sexpot stand out as a testament to the determination and enthusiasm of this production—you can see they set out to make an entertaining film.
The transfer looks as good as it can get, being sourced from SD tape masters, and the sound is even across the film (a pet peeve of mine is terrible sound mixes in indie flicks). As for the extras, it’s packed full of what is now becoming standard practice for the Visual Vengeance series: archival interviews, new commentaries, new interviews, trailers, and all of the behind-the-scenes stuff they could scare up. The packaging and box contents are spectacular, with a really cool slipcover, mini poster, sticker set, reversible art, and even a pair of X-Ray specs (non-functional).
Wild Eye is really hitting it out of the park with this series, and is giving the more serious, boutique label, releases a run for their, and collector’s, money. Repligator is a hysterical, completely absurd, and infectiously fun film. Sit back, unplug, and enjoy!
Wild Eye Releasing’s Visual Vengeance Blu-ray of Repligator is available now at fine retailers.
