UNDERRATED FLICKS - MONSTER MAN (2003)

MONSTER MAN received mixed reviews upon it's 2003 release. Released a later on from Eli Roth's 'Cabin Fever', with itself was a love letter to the low-budget horror's of the 70's & 80's. Director Michael Davis, who would later go on to direct 'Shoot Em Up', manages to craft a highly derivative which is cruellingly unrated. Utterly charming and stupid in equal measure, MONSTER MAN sits comfortable between the likes of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', crossed with shades of 'Jeepers Creepers', with an added slice of 'Wrong Turn' and 'Duel'. On initial viewing, the film comes across as another throwaway low budget  horror film, which wouldn't be out of place on Syfy or an Anchor Bay DVD. Surprisingly a large portion of the runtime plays out like a fairly decent buddy sex comedy, in the tradition of 'Road Trip' and 'American Pie'. 

A nerdy young man Alex is on a roadtrip hopes he can change the girl of his dreams before she is married off. His ex-best friend Harley, who gives the film it's first real scare hides in the back. The two then venture off together across the redneck part of America. They also manage to pick up Sarah, a highly attractive blonde who causes some much needed tension between the two. Adam is a timid, easily frightened virgin, while Harley is a big-mouthed jock. Sarah manages to bring out a new side of Adam which surprisingly turns the theory of a 'final girl' on it's head. Lurking hot on their backs is a monster truck with a hideously deformed driver. The truck itself is like a World War I German artillery vehicle crossed with a giant coffin. It's pretty trashy, and not particularly frightening but the writing what elevates this to a whole new level. A gore-comedy is hard to pull off, especially one that a college-road-trip movie of sorts. 

Released here in the UK under the Tartan Video label, this film was marketted as a gross out, gory flick. If you went into this expecting a splatter fest you would be highly disappointed. The teen comedy side of the movie works pretty well. MONSTER MAN has a lot of rewarding qualities to it. Produced by obvious genre-lovers, the goodwill and enthusiasm that went into it's twenty-three shoot is evident on camera. The strength of MONSTER MAN comes in it's character development. There is a relatively small body count as Michael Davis's script allows the audience to observe their back and fourth banter. At times you forget you are meant to be watching a horror flick. When it comes time for Fuck Face and his truck appear, its a much needed jolt. Surprisingly for a film of this size, the third act twist is completely unexpected. It does come from left field but doesn't feel like a twist for the sake of one. In our current climate, Horror has reserviced as a medium to explore political discourse and other weighty subject matter. MONSTER MAN has nothing to say. That doesn't mean to say it isn't any good. It's refreshing to watch an unpretentious and well made horror comedy.