Lycanimator

Director - Sebastien Godin (DinoGore, Slimoids)

Starring - Cayt Feinics (Naked Cannibal Campers, WrestleMassacre), Joel D. Wynkoop (Clownado, Death-Scort Service), and Briana Wyman (Ouija Mummy, Clown Roulette)

Release Date - 2018

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Release your beast"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Filmmaker Sebastien Godin is one I'm fairly new to.  I befriended him a year or so ago on social media and was impressed by the clever titles of his films.  Movies like Ouija Mummy, DinoGore, and Slimoids really do make your imagination wonder.  Since then I've reviewed several of his films and really enjoyed them.  They are far from perfect but they are highly entertaining which is all you can ask for.  Sometime ago I heard about his Lycanimator film.  I reached out to Seb and he told me that it was getting a release through one of my favorite distribution companies, Wild Eye Releasing.  I couldn't wait for it but then I learned that this initial release was cut down to just 40 minutes.  I decided to hold off on checking out that release until I could get the full release.  Last month Wild Eye released the film under their Raw and Extreme banner in it's uncut form.  I reached out to Wild Eye and they were kind enough to send a copy of the film my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a group of young adults who rent an old house for a weekend getaway.  The house was once owned by a mad scientist who conducted experiments using a strange slime in the basement.  When the group runs out of booze they search the house for more alcohol when the find the strange substance.  One of them drinks it and soon finds himself transforming into a hideous creature.

     I avoided trailers for Lycanimator until I could actually see it so the experience wouldn't be spoiled.  The movie didn't live up to the awesome posters that I had seen for it but it was still very fun.  My biggest complaint about this one is how chaotic the film is.  The editing is very choppy and we move from them to them with very little transitioning.  The movie is fun so don't take it the wrong way but it is very chaotic to follow.  The acting in this one is inconsistent.  Some of the cast, like Cayt Feinics, does a solid job in their performance.  However, some of the other cast members are extremely awkward.  Their dialogue and interactions with other cast members does not feel genuine and the dialogue is very forced.  It made for some extremely awkward scenes that just made the story lose it's impact.  The story for this one combines several elements of classic horror which Godin is a huge fan of.  His inspiration is drawn from classic tales of werewolves, Frankenstein, and mixed with an 80s style of story telling.  You sprinkle it with a dash of EuroTrash lighting and scene set ups and you have Godin's aesthetic.  I really liked what he did with the story and meshing so many classic tales.  However, the film is very choppy bouncing between the actual film and other inserts.  Editing would have made this one so much better.  Finally, the film is a no budget creature feature but they did the best with what resources they had.  The creature was pretty impressive but it does have a little bit of humor built into it.  It is rather funny but I still like the design and how well it fit the film.  The practical effects are rather limited as well but they work for the film.  Overall, Lycanimator has it's fair share of flaws but it is an enjoyable late night horror show.  Fans of no budget horror will definitely appreciate what this film is going for.  I highly recommend checking it out.