There are films that stumble and fall, only to rise up and erase any memory of its own blunders. There are also flicks that stumble, fall and ultimately sink into an inescapable pit of fecal matter, no saving grace to be found. Killer Holiday, unfortunately fits into the latter category. Nearly every cliché mistake an indie production can make, is made by this crew. The story is seriously implausible; the characters are horribly offensive and not in the least bit likeable; synergy and cohesion between the crew is totally and completely absent; suspense is outright discarded; not a single participant performs as would be expected from a competent thespian; it’s highly predictable; and the editing feels so amateur it’s embarrassing. Imagine someone without the beginning of the know-how required to assemble a stellar picture, and then imagine that individual attempting to rip off Quentin Tarantino’s visual style. Sound stomach turning? It is.
The fact that Marty Thomas, who’s been involved in film to one extent or another for ages, made this piece, is utterly unbelievable. It’s as though the man fell asleep at the wheel... or opted to make an intentional joke of celluloid. Either way, it isn’t exactly appealing... hell it isn’t close to appealing. It’s abysmal, a black eye on the indie branch of the genre tree. And it shouldn’t have been.
The story pits a psychopathic serial killer against a group of 20-somethings who hit the road for a little spring break insanity. This group never reach their destination, however, as they find themselves drawn to an abandoned carnival/amusement park. It’s here, where the dark ride waits and the creepy hand-crafted creatures reach for human flesh, that a slaughter ensues. A slaughter that should move us – the viewer – in some way, but doesn’t, because it’s bland, boring, and we already hate every single character in the film. Sadly, the villain himself is even an abomination, so we can’t even cheer for the crazed killer.
Killer Holiday never seems to understand itself, which prevents it from ever moving forward in a positive direction. The story is extremely convoluted, and both Thomas and co-writer Jon Zuber attempt to inject as much lunacy as possible, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that’s because they couldn’t handle their own story. They couldn’t keep the ball rolling in a straight line, so they look to create the wickedest curve ball known to man. There are multiple layers here, but they’re out of order, jumbled, underdeveloped and often quite vague.
The quality story that could have been told here was swallowed up and devoured by swarm of smoke and mirrors. Sometimes overdressing a product can effectively work to fool viewers. This isn’t one of those times. This story is just cringe worthy.
But the truth of the matter is, Killer Holiday could have delivered some good fun, despite the shitty screenplay. It could have been a self-aware production that knows it isn’t worth attempting to sell with a serious disclaimer. In fact, if you’re looking for a somewhat analogous picture (this one actually rips off quite a few flicks, including the most obvious Saw thievery shot I’ve ever seen) that recognizes its general feebleness and embraces it rather than attempting to mask it, check out Dark Ride. It’s basically Killer Holiday with a far more believable cast, far fewer pointless twists, a menace that actually frightens and a couple characters you can actually get behind. It’s goofy as all hell, but it’s supposed to be goofy, because the concept itself is just a bit too silly to pretend otherwise. And it gets it. Dark Ride fully recognizes its limitations. Killer Holiday doesn’t. It’s an obnoxious, almost pretentious failure of a film that’s more likely to leave consumers angered by wasted dollars than pleased by brainless fun.
Do yourself a serious favor and stay at home, relax... most importantly: skip Killer Holiday!
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