Lumberjack Man (2015)
Faith is a newcomer to the Good Friends Church Camp team and is already making friends. Doug is the energetic and nerdy camp director who is eager to spread the Good Word to his fellow counselors and future campers. Dr. Shirtcliff (Michael Madsen) is a wily ol’ chap who drives a smart Car and is hell bent on warning the local authorities and residents of the return of the “lumberjack man,” a demon logger who goes on a murderous rampage every 30 years. Easterday is said lumberjack man who pulls a large wagon full of gigantic pancakes on his killing spree around the church camp. Drugs, breasts, a food fight, maple syrup, and excessive moisturizing happen before eventually these four characters fall headlong into a living nightmare.
For the first time in five years, After Dark Films has brought back its “8 Films to Die For” to limited theatrical (but mostly video) release, and Lumberjack Man graces this new batch as one of the funniest splatter comedies in recent memory. The only other film this year that has made me laugh quite as hard was the Melissa McCarthy vehicle, Spy. This picture gives slasher fans everything expected from a typical entry in this subgenre and adds a heaping dose of syrupy, don’t-give-a-fuck, bizarro insanity. The After Dark Horrorfest is known to have started the careers of some great talents, such as one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers Jim Mickle, so I am really crossing my fingers that some of the talent behind this title goes on to bigger things.
Lumberjack Man is more than just a parody of a slasher movie; it is truly a slasher fan’s slasher movie. The cast is big, and so is the body count. The kills are gruesome, creative, and employ fantastic practical effects (with occasional tasteful CGI embellishing). The nudity is downright rampant. I can’t remember the last time I saw this much gratuitous nudity in a horror film outside of a desperate-for-attention Troma picture (well maybe in Death-Scort Service, but that was about hookers; this is about church camp). Nearly all of the female speaking characters go topless, including adult star Andy San Dimas in a prolonged lotion scene. This film delivers the same level of fun and terror as classics Sleepaway Camp and The Burning before it, plus a ton of intentional, absurd comedy.
The cast is a commendable ensemble of tongue-in-cheek comic swagger. Michael Madsen as the obligatory Loomis character is a riot in his loony, spaced-out delivery. Alex Dobrenko as one of the camp staff acts even more stoned than he did in Bloody Homecoming. And while the film plays with the treasure trove of humor inherent in a church camp-based slasher film, it never gives in to cynical, mean-spirited jabs at religion. Lumberjack Man does run a bit on the long side, though. Whereas normal movies of this type end around the 80-minute mark, this runs a healthy 105 minutes. It keeps up its steam, but the conventional cat-and-mouse action towards the end requires some patience to sit through.
It seems every year there is at least one slasher movie that totally supplies the goods but doesn’t get nearly any buzz. Maybe it’s because the subgenre is generally thought of as passé, and I wouldn’t be quick to disagree. In any case, Lumberjack Man is a reliable choice for any slasher or horror comedy fan. It’s lighthearted, sleazy, gory, and unexpectedly hilarious. I usually only do reviews for micro-budget features and shorts, but I felt I needed to break character to recommend this bad boy. –N. Weaver
