The Hillbilly Horror Show Vol. 1

Director(s) - Billy Hayes, Timothy Zwica, and Cuyle Carvin
Starring - Bo Keister (Vampires Anonymous), Scott Geiter (Massacre at Femur Creek), and Rachel Faulkner (Burn Notice)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Nuttier than a squirrel fart!"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror has seen it's fair share of horror hosts over the years with some of the greats like Vampirella, Elvira, Svenghoulie, and so many others.  However, growing up where I did when I did prevented me from seeing some of these greats in action.  I have always felt disappointed by this but there is nothing I can do but watch old videos of these greats online or grab their re-release on DVD.  However, things have changed and we have the internet to thank for that.  With the launch of YouTube and other user submitted video sites we now have countless horror hosts bringing us public domain films like the horror hosts of yesteryear.  One bunch that sets themselves apart from the others is the folks over at Hillbilly Horror Show.  This show makes it a little different.  Instead of having a horror inspired host showing us public domain flicks we get two bumbling rednecks showing us modern horror shorts in an anthology setting.  Recently, the fine folks over at MVD sent me a review copy of the first volume of the show and for that I thank you!

     This anthology follows two rednecks and their "smo-kin" hot kissing cousin as they watch a series of shorts on DVD.  The first short they watch is Franky and the Ant which follows a young man who was wronged by his best friend and his woman.  He then sets out to make things even.  The second short is an animated flick titled Doppleganger and it follows a lonely skeleton who wonders the desolate land until he find another skeleton only to be beaten to death.  The third film they watch is Amuse which follows a young woman who returns home to find her family dead and manics with blood smeared all over their faces and a smile stretching from ear to ear.  The final story is The Nest and it follows a rancher who must fight off a swarm of flesh eating bees.  

     Anthologies can go one of two ways.  The film can have stories that intertwine like the fantastic Halloween anthology Trick r' Treat where each story has something to do with the others or they can be stories that have nothing to do with each other but held together with a wrap around story similar to one of the best anthologies of all time, Creepshow.  If an anthology follows one of these two routes then the film can be enjoyable if the stories are.  Hillbilly Horror Show Vol. 1 is able to take the horror host angle and use it as a way to hold a series of shorts together in a decent anthology film.  The acting has to be sliced 5 different ways.  We have the wrap around story with Hillbilly Horror Show.  The two rednecks are both fun characters that fit their actors very well.  In fact, instead of using them as a bookend for the series I would prefer to see them have their own movie.  Now the other four segments can by split up into the four short films that we see.  Each one should be picked apart separately but they are all on the same level.  Each one had a solid cast that made each short easier to watch even if they are not as good as the others.  The story for each short is completely different from the others.  The first, Franky and the Ant was a surprise ending but a story we have seen so many times.  It was effective but boring at the same time.  The second, Doppleganger, was very linear and boring as well.  The third, Amused, was funny and was very different from the first two shorts.  It was by this point the film started redeeming itself.  The final and best story, The Nest, is the highlight of the film.  It gives us nothing original but it does give us an old story with a new twist and in a very entertaining way.  Finally, the film has some on screen kills but nothing spectacular or noteworthy.  The kills use minimal amounts of practical effects which barely pulls them off.  Sadly, my favorite segment, The Nest, uses some very poor visual effects that leaves a very bad taste in the viewer's mouth.  Overall, Hillbilly Horror Show Vol. 1 is a great anthology that has two rednecks that could become staple in the horror community.  Check it out for an incestuous good time!