Bad Milo

Director - Jacob Vaughan (The Good Neighbor)
Starring - Ken Marino (Eastbound and Down, Toy Story of Terror), Gillian Jacobs (Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Hot Tub Time Machine 2), and Mary Kay Place (Bored to Death)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Embrace your inner demon"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Once in awhile a film is released and the second it hits it becomes an instant classic. These films typically give a us a story out of the ordinary.  Whether it be a failed experiment forcing a person's skin to fall off (The Ballad of Skinless Pete), two bumbling backwoods rednecks who are misunderstood (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil), or an Irish folk tale about a giant sea creature (Grabbers).  These films just tend to be out of the ordinary and that is what makes them so appealing.  That brings me to my next review for the horror comedy Bad Milo.  This film has been getting a lot of positive reviews but I have noticed a lot lately that if the masses like it then I typically do not.  However, I do love a good creature feature so I picked up a copy and gave it a chance.

     The film follows Duncan (Marino).  Duncan is your normal 9 to 5er working as an accountant for a financing firm.  The stress of working for his crooked boss, his wife wanting children, and his mother and her extremely sexual younger boyfriend has caused Duncan to have stomach and colon problems.  He visits the doctor where they discover an abnormality in his digestive tract but surgery can correct it.  However, things take a dark turn.  Now when Duncan becomes stressed a small creature, named Milo, rips from his asshole to kill those that stress him out.  Duncan's therapist, Highsmith (Peter Stormare), believes that Milo is part of Duncan's subconsciousness and any harm that befalls Milo will leave Duncan in a zombie like state.  Highsmith also believes that all the stress that affects Duncan stems from unresolved father issues.  Highsmith brings the two men together and discovers that Duncan's father also has an ass monster named Ralph.  Ralph and Milo fight resulting in the death of Ralph which, in turn, destroys his father's conscious mind.  Milo then turns his bloodthirsty sights on Duncan's wife who he just discovered is carrying his child.  Duncan has to fight his ass demon and risk losing his mind or risk losing the love of his life and unborn child.
      When I see a newly released film get a lot of attention I tend to avoid it because I know I will not like it.  The film rarely live up to my expectations after hearing so many rave reviews. Sadly, that is what became of Bad Milo.  The film was probably the best creature in the ass film I have seen and sadly it was the only one.  The film was a fun comedy but that is where it ended.  In fact, other than a few bloody deaths the film actually felt nothing like a horror film.  It was more like Munchies or Howard the Duck instead of Ghoulies.  That aside, it was a fun comedy.  The acting in this one is fucking amazing.  Every character was cast perfectly and I don't think Highsmith could have been cast any better.  Peter Stormare was excellent just like every other film I have seen him in.  The story in this one is really funny and very fun but it just didn't feel like a horror film.  Sure, the film is not billed as a horror flick but that was what I expected and I was a little let down.  More creature and more bloody deaths could have saved this movie.  Finally, those looking for a great creature and on-screen deaths will find them here along with some great special effects.  However, we don't get enough of it.  Just enough to intrigue us and that is it.  Overall, Bad Milo is a pretty solid comedy but falls short of being a genuine horror flick.  If you keep that in mind then you will really enjoy yourself.  Grab a copy of this one because I highly recommend it.