In 1999, comedians Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh founded the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) theater. The comedy troupe helped launch the careers of Aubrey Plaza, Andrew Daly, Nick Kroll, Ben Schwartz, and Donald Glover. In 2006, aspiring filmmaker Brandon Bassham joined UCB and directed several comedy shorts for them and College Humor. With a cast and crew consisting of UCB players, Bassham shot his horror spoof around New York. Around 2013, Bassham launched an IndieGogo campaign to fund his first full-length feature film and managed to raise $6,000. Through an actor friend, Amber Nelson, Bassham met with Troma founder/president Lloyd Kaufman and struck a deal. Troma provided extra funds for the film, about $4,000 for a total of $10,000, in exchange for distribution rights. In 2014, Troma released Brandon Bassham’s directorial debut, Fear Town, USA.
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Synopsis
It’s St. Blevin’s Day, and everyone who’s anybody will be partying it up, getting drunk, and crushing pussy. Everyone except for friends Mark (Mark Vigeant), Dan (Dan Kenkel), Myles (Jon Bershad), and Andrew (James McCarthy). While the guys play some D&D, bullies Brad (Dan Black) and Todd (Matt B. Mayer) boast about attending the party. Determined to lose their virginity, the boys set out to get to the party only to get lost. Meanwhile, friends Jen (Anna Callegari), Kelly (Cody Lindquist), and Rachel (Amber Nelson) also attend the party looking for fun. While 17-year-old Dana (Dana Clinkman) is looking for her online boyfriend, a group of uninvited guests decides to camp out. Little do our partygoers know that an escaped mental patient is killing anyone he comes in contact with. This St. Blevin’s Day will be remembered as our happy-go-lucky partiers try to survive Fear Town, USA.
Review
That synopsis only covers so much of Fear Town, USA, as so much more happens here. This movie feels like Brandon Bassham threw everything at the wall and saw what stuck to mixed results. There are vengeful spirits, demonic cults, nosy psychics, absent-minded cops, contemplative stoners, and even The Devil. With the many central characters, each plotline feels like its story could be a separate movie. Unfortunately, this approach makes it difficult to have a character to follow since there are so many to remember. In addition, not a single scene goes by without at least one or two gags or jokes happening. Plenty of these jokes land, and some don’t, but there are so many that it’s overwhelming. The movie also occasionally runs into the issue of dragging a joke out so long that it’s no longer funny. Thankfully, it’s not to Adult Swim levels of anti-humor.
The acting is mostly decent, though plenty of the actors play their roles like they’re in a comedy. Thankfully, it’s not to the same degree as Llamageddon, where most of the acting was intentionally bad. Plus, unlike that movie, some jokes work, such as one with the killer having trouble with a bow and arrow. There’s plenty of crude humor involving bodily fluids, sexual references, and using slurs that refer to one’s orientation. While there aren’t many, some kills, including a knife going through a guy’s groin into a woman’s head, are gruesome. Also, so many odd moments, especially the ending, will leave you baffled and wondering what you’re watching. Still, even at 90 minutes, the movie feels padded to reach that length, and 20 minutes could’ve been trimmed. Overall, Fear Town, USA, is a bit disjointed, but it has some decent humor that you won’t soon forget.
Buy Fear Town, USA, from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZptVoj.
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