NIGHT OF THE PUNKS – The Short Review

Dan Riesser’s horror/comedy short NIGHT OF THE PUNKS has played quite well at various film festivals. The full film, less than twenty minutes long, is available for viewing right here.

So, is it worth a look?

That depends. Can you stomach gore that’s simultaneously gross and funny, due to its over-the-top, low-budget nature? Do you have a deep-seated affection for the spook-a-blast stylings of the 1980’s? Can you find it in yourself to root for punk rock musicians? If yes, then I’d say that this short is more than worthy of checking out. Riesser, who shot the movie on a micro-budget, wants to turn it into a feature, and he displays more than enough chops to get the job done. I wish him the best of luck.

The story follows the members of Brain Dead, a small-time punk band who get booked for their first road show. But when they arrive at the venue, they find nothing but a dingy bar, almost devoid of customers. And once they start playing, they discover that most of the patrons who are there are actually demons hungering for human flesh. A bloody, slap-sticky fight for survival ensues.

The script often goes overboard on reference humor, and sometimes the dialogue can be horribly stilted, although that aspect may or not be intentional, given the feel that the movie is going for. The actors sometimes fail to sell their situation all that well, although this too actually adds to the movie’s campy, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere. Really, while the movie is far, far from perfect, it really wouldn’t feel right to lambast it too heavily for its shortcomings. It’s a small-time production that’s available for free. And since it’s more of a proof of concept than anything else, I’ll give it a pass. NIGHT OF THE PUNKS is a fun little movie.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars