Panic Fest 2020 Review: ‘Uncle Peckerhead’ Is Loads Of Fun

Directed by Matthew John Lawrence (Larry Gone Demon 2015), Uncle Peckerhead shines a very different light on the semi-glamorous life of a touring musician. The film opens as Judy (a brilliant Chet Siegel: The Last Two People On Earth TV series), the lead singer/bass player of the group DUH, quits her job at a bakery, bursting with excitement at the thought of her band going on its first tour. Her bandmates… maybe not so much. Guitarist Max (Jeff Riddle: Larry Gone Demon 2015) and drummer Mel (Ruby McCollister: Neighborhood Food Drive 2017) are more laid back, just waiting for things to happen. When they realize that they are without a van, they accept a ride from a suspicious character who tells them his father called him Peckerhead (newcomer David Littleton), but they can call him Peck. With little choice, they accept. ***Reader beware, some spoilers ahead!

Synopsis:

As the bassist of the 3-piece punk-rock band, DUH, Judy dreams of quitting her job and touring full time. But when the band finds themselves on their first tour with a man-eating hillbilly for a roadie, the “gig life” is paved with nightmares and half-eaten bodies.

***Spoiler Alert!***

Everything seems to be going okay at their first gig… until they are only paid three dollars for the entire show. Afterward, Judy finds Peck eating the promoter alive. He tries to explain that every night at midnight he turns into a man-eating monster for thirteen minutes. Horrified, Judy wants to flee immediately, but in the end, the band decides that it’s in their best interest to continue to travel with Peck, as long as he doesn’t attack them.

I went into this film with a little bit of trepidation because the title made it sound like another run of the mill “kids go into the hills of Kentucky and get eaten by a redneck cannibal family” flicks. Thankfully, this film was the opposite of that, and I ended up loving every minute of it! It has a wry sense of humor that made it a lot of fun to watch. Peckerhead may be a monster, but he’s a cannibal with a heart of gold… well, almost. I loved the acting in this. David Littleton is brilliant as Peckerhead, and Chet Siegel shines as Judy. It goes without saying that the music in this was pretty badass, as it should be in a film about a band.

Uncle Peckerhead is great fun and a must-see!