PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Yes, I know Thanksgiving is traditionally reserved for turkey, Turkie and Thankskilling (see my Thanksgiving review from last year here). But why restrict yourself to only one type of homicidal bird to satisfy your holiday horror of thanks? This Thanksgiving, indulge yourself in another type of deadly bird by revisiting Lloyd Kaufman’s 2006 Troma cult classic Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.
When his high school sweetheart, Wendy (Kate Graham), returns home from her first semester of college, Arbie (Jason Yachanin) is shocked to discover that she is now a lesbian dating an activist named Micki (Allyson Sereboff). After having bulldozed the site of a Native American burial ground of the Tromahawk Tribe to build their new restaurant, conglomerate fast food chain American Chicken Bunker’s grand opening sparks controversy among liberal activists, including Wendy and Micki. While the girls lead a protest against the fast food chain, Arbie embarks on a mission to win back the affection of his lost love.
Securing a job as a “counter girl” at the new restaurant that is sparking such an outrage, Arbie hopes to show his ex-girlfriend that he is moving up in the world. However, when the souls of the chickens served on the plates of American Chicken Bunker join the restless spirits of the Tromahawk Tribe, a gruesome plan of revenge is set in motion. As patrons of the newly erected establishment transform into flesh eating zombie chickens, Arbie, Wendy and Micki must put their differences aside to survive the night of the chicken dead and save America.
Anyone familiar with Kaufman and Troma Entertainment know they are in for a low-budget, over-the-top treat of blood, horror and ridiculousness with this flick. However, Poultrygeist may be one of the bloodiest and craziest Troma films made to date, despite its micro-budget. According to the behind the scenes, full-length feature Poultry in Motion: Truth is Stranger than Chicken, Kaufman set out to make this feature with little to no money. Enlisting the help of Troma fans everywhere, the director advertised casting on the World Wide Web with a warning that there would be no pay with rough living conditions. Fans from all over the world jumped at the chance to appear in this Troma production, coming all the way from Australia, England, Sweden and Germany. To help keep costs down, an empty McDonalds served as the set and a church was rented to house the 70 cast and crewmembers, many of whom were volunteers. With so many people living and working in close quarters, everyone was obligated to follow Kaufman’s three rules of production: 1. Safety to humans 2. Safety to people’s property 3. Make a good movie.
Despite one hurdle and mishap after another, Poultrygeist received some of the best critical response in Troma’s history of film. Earning a 6.2 out of 10 on IMDb, I couldn’t agree more. This Troma classic spares little to the imagination with an absurd amount of vomit, feces, liquid diarrhea, slime and blood. According to Poultry in Motion, an impressive 30 gallons of fake blood a day was sprayed on set, putting it in the running for one of the most gruesome films of the Troma collection.
This bloodbath paired singing, dancing and dark humor with bold, hysterical social and political satire. With plenty of memorable scenes, clever puns, hilarious lines and outstanding performances by Yachanin, Graham and Sereboff, this film never has a dull moment. Poultrygeist is a wild feast of depravity sure to satisfy your horror craving this Thanksgiving season.
