Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

Going back to a movie style that was significant in the 80s, with movies such as THE THING ( remake), EVIL DEAD, and what I knew originally as BRAINDEAD ( or is here called DEAD ALIVE), is a significant undertaking. Even if you allow that the commentary says it takes significantly from all of the three movies mentioned, there is something missing.The Core of most good films would seem to be a good script, and if you can't have a good script then original scenes such as EVIL DEAD and DEAD ALIVE ( where even in JACK BROOKS... the commentary says that Peter Jaackson basically never lets up in scene for scene) would seem to be the next best thing. And most of the 80s style creature effects are very good, however they do admit to using at least three CGI sequences in the movie, but no big deal. The role of Robert Englund would have been much better if used to better devices. However, there is at least 40 minutes if not 50, where its horrifically boring ( maybe that was the comedy, I am not sure), but the commentary claims they wanted to save the best stuff for the last 25 minutes, and in some areas they do pull that off. I think if they kept the same structure and had someone who had a better idea of 80s Horror style write the script, then maybe a redo is in order.

I didn't think much when I popped this movie in but when it was over I felt refreshed. This movie was simply awesome. The special effects were well made (no CGI). The dialogue was funny and Robert Englund just going crazy just made me crack up like silly. Trevor Matthews was perfect as the hero and the mentally unstable guy that he is. This is one horror movie that has the delicacy to show an awesome ending much like Dead Alive.



SPOILER ALERT- if you haven't seen the movie don't read on but the ending is worth it.




First of all, it ends sort of like a blood bath, but that's not the best part. Jack's girl Eve, the screaming crybaby, gets dumped by Jack after he comes to his senses. I can't recall the girl's name whom he saves in the end, but he ends up having her to do the victory kiss with instead of Eve. The first thing that went through my mind is OH HELL YEAH. NOW THAT'S THE WAY A HORROR MOVIE SHOULD END IN MY OPINION! The hero saving the girl in the end and that's it (not excluding the jungle aftermath). All I know is this movie changed my perspective on what I want to do when I become a filmmaker and do some good horror flicks. Thanks Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. Keep it up!

This film did not match my sense of humor, and it was difficult to watch. Surely it was supposed to be "over the top", and I did root for the lead character, hoping he'd be able to face his demons (figuratively and actually). But the film was overshadowed by the very "campy" type effects (all of the monster looked very fake), and the professor's (Robert Englund)transformation, while humorous, just added to the ridiclousness of this film. I did like the undertone of the film, as it repeatedly suggested that the lead character was running from his past, and he had to "face his demons". Ultimately the lead character manages to "channel" his angry personality into "monster hunting", and his facing his past allows him to diffuse it. Not my cup on tea, but there were a few chuckles to be had.

This movie sort of reminds me of Slither, which I thought was much better than this one. Having said that, I still enjoyed this movie. It's a decent low budget B-Movie that stars one of my favorite horror actors.

Yes, I'm talking about the one and only Robert Englund. This has got to be one of his best performances ever. Just watching him transform from a nerdy, mild mannered night school science teacher into a black hearted monster was great. I like that he doesn't start off as the killer/monster.

Of course the story isn't about Robert Englund's character. It's about the title character, Jack Brook.

Jack happens to have some anger issues, that are rooted in seeing his family killed by a monster. That of course is what helps lead him onto the path of a monster slayer.

The movie itself is a bit cheesy and predictable, but I enjoyed it.

"Monster Slayer" is a clever parody of the demon possession films that gripped America in the eighties - films such as Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" and Lamberto Bava's "Demons." In these features, demons run amok, biting into innocents and turning them into more grotesque demons. The plots were simple but the gore F/X were complex. Gratuitous violence ruled the day. This film is nostalgic for those who enjoyed demonic-type monsters.

"Monster Slayer" stars handsome Trevor Matthews as a young, emotionally disturbed plumber, Jack Brooks. The film basically chronicles how he became a monster slayer. It begins with him witnessing his parents and sister being brutally murdered by a hairy, ape-like creature with fangs (a forest troll). There are also scenes of him as an overly aggressive, abusive football player. Later, he seeks anger management counseling from a psychiatrist who insists that he confront his fears.

Jack's chemistry professor (Robert Englund of "Nightmare on Elm Street" fame) unearths a crate containing a skeleton and a cursed heart. (What follows reminds me of "Alien," "Jason Goes to Hell" and the more recent "Slither.") The heart forces the professor to swallow it. Soon, he is devouring all food within sight, including the dog. Eventually, he metamorphoses into a grotesque version of Jabba the Hut with rows of razor-sharp teeth and squid-like tentacles. This demon monster ensnares most of the students in the professor's class and proceeds to suck out their internal organs.

The film becomes extremely tense when Jack and his whining girlfriend are trapped in the college hallways and demons are chasing them. Jack frees his girlfriend but decides to return to his classroom and rescue his friends. Having learned to face his fears, Jack becomes a monster slayer. We learn that he is truly caring and kindhearted. It was his childhood experience of seeing his family butchered that traumatized him and turned him into an angry, rage-filled person. Becoming a monster slayer helps him to release the rage.

Through Jack, we learn that all of us have monsters in our past - people, places, and things that have harmed us. It is best to confront these monsters instead of running from them. Only then can we be free.

There have been monster slayers throughout the ages. One of them was a peasant named Jack who climbed a beanstalk and killed a giant. Meet Jack Brooks, a simple plumber who kills all types of monsters who terrorize the innocent. He's a modern hero, and you will love to root for him.

"Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer" is highly recommended if you're looking for a gory good time. Robert Englund is delightful to watch as the professor who makes a fool out of himself in front of his classmates. Dark humor abounds. There are also some gothic elements involving a cursed house and the secret lying buried in its yard. Watching "Monster Slayer" will help you relive the demon madness of the eighties.