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Doghouse (2009)

This crude Splatter comedy pits the two sexes against one another, in an over-the-top, borderline misogynistic, blood bath. Peppered with constant nods and homages to the innovative style of 'Shaun of the Dead', it gives us so much of that inventiveness of which that film brought to the horror-comedy genre. Only this film is filled to the brim with macho dialogue, and sometimes offensive gender driven jokes, especially by today's standards. Starting with a 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' style character introduction, this film does a pretty impressive job of laying out who the characters are and any form of exposition needed for the plot. From this point on, things take a rather predictable play for play. It’s fairly easy to establish from the opening moments who was going to still be standing once the final credits roll. That is not to discredit this film by any means. East watches such as this are a necessity in the genre, and something I crave on a regular basis. Featuring some of the best mid range actors Britain has to offer, with the likes of Stephen Graham, Lee Ingleby, Noel Clark and Danny Dyer, to name a few. Graham is an outstanding actor, and he is no different here, giving a performance leagues above his co-stars. Even considering the tone and direction of this film, he is faultless. I have to say though it is Dyer who steals the show, playing the standard character he has come to be known for at this point in his career. His comedic timing felt effortless. Using all practical makeup for the majority of the kills and violence, seeing this again today really made me appreciate the effort that went into making these characters. Even if maybe feeling slightly over the top and silly at times, it still makes for an entertaining watch, taking heavy inspiration from films such as The Evil Dead and Night Of The Demons, with their design. There are a few poor editing blunders that I noticed this time around, along with some rather crappy CGI moments. But let's be honest, this isn't exactly trying to win any awards. This is a Danny Dyer horror comedy. If you have chosen to watch this then I'm sure you know exactly the level of humor and standard of production you can be expecting. There is no denying this film isnt going to be for everyone, Certain elements of the humour is outdated and I think some people would consider some aspects of it offensive. Yet, for me, I think it's wildly entertaining - coming from a golden era in British horror comedy, along side similar films such as Severance, The Cottage and many others. I have seen this multiple times and will no doubt see it countless times in the future. It requires very little attention and provides the perfect background entertainment that you can drift in and out of.


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