Blu Release – 3/5
Anal Paprika
Director – Chris Seaver (Filthy McNasty, Die-B-Que)
Starring – Chris Seaver, Casey Bowker (Ski Wolf, The Weirdsies), and Lori Swierczek (Anal Paprika 2: Vampire Killers, Anal Paprika 3: Menage-a-Death)
Release Date – 1999
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “The movie Yohan doesn’t want you to see”
I’ve been a fan of filmmaker Chris Seaver for sometime now. There is a few films of his that I don’t really care for but most of his catalogue are fantastic. His brand of humor just resonates with me and his films are a lot of fun. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to collect his films on DVD and occasionally on blu.
However, in recent months he has started upgrading his films to blu and periodically releasing them. One of the releases he put out on blu was the Anal Paprika trilogy. These are movies I’ve owned for sometime on DVD and couldn’t wait to revisit them. As soon as The Seavage was taking orders for the release I snagged one. I couldn’t watch it right away but as soon as I had the time I tossed them in.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows three dorky friends who decide to go for a hike through the local woods. While there they tell each other stories about the local legend about a mentally disturbed man who reached his breaking point as a child when his father forced him to watch 80s and 90s sitcoms. Now, he’s homicidal and obsessed with John Stamos. After learning about the legend they find themselves face to face with the menace. **Spoiler Alert**
Anal Paprika is a short that sells it’s self short. It’s a fun short but I could see so much more coming from it. Don’t get me wrong, I find the short to be very entertaining but a feature length slasher parody following a John Stamos obsessed killer is exactly what I need in my life. It works as a short but it could have been a slasher for the ages if it was feature length.
The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a Chris Seaver film. The characters are all full of energy and comical. They deliver fun dialogue and it’s clear they are all friends in real life because their on screen chemistry is amazing.
The story for this one is fucking brilliant. Seaver is a huge nostalgia nerd so I’m not surprised that he created a story following a maniac obsessed with John Stamos. It’s funny and works but I feel like it’s just a little too short. Seaver could have easily turned this short into a feature length film. Instead, it’s a short and once the joke is explored we find it over. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was a great short with so many laughs but the thought that we could have been given a slasher where a killer is stabbing people while quoting Uncle Jesse makes me extremely sad.
Finally, the film has a few deaths but the film’s no budget dictated the effects. It’s not as bloody as I would have liked but the humor more than made up for the lack of carnage. Overall, Anal Paprika is short and sweet. I had a lot of fun with it and the creativity in the story really exemplifies what makes Seaver’s films so much fun. I highly recommend it.
Anal Paprika 2: Vampire Killers
Director – Chris Seaver (Death O’Lantern, Geek War)
Starring – Chris Seaver, Casey Bowker (Teen Ape Goes to Camp, Scrotal Vengeance), and Lori Swierczek (Anal Paprika, Anal Paprika 3: Menage-A-Death)
Release Date – 2000
Rating – 3/5
Several years ago when I grabbed the Anal Paprika DVDs from Chris Seaver I found myself binging a bunch of his films that night. I had a few of his Warlock Home Video releases that I had not watched yet. So, I sat down with a bunch of cheap beers, some delicious snacks, and some pizza for a wild night.
The Seavage rarely disappoints but that night I found myself a little underwhelmed with Anal Paprika 2: Vampire Killers. I wouldn’t say it was bad but it wasn’t as wild or enjoyable as the other films I binged that night. After revisiting the first Anal Paprika I wasn’t really looking forward to spinning part 2 but I’m glad I did because it was better than I remembered.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Johnsimon (Seaver), his brother Alfred (Bowker), and their carpet munching friend Toddy (Swierczek). Johnsimon and Alfred receive an old amulet from their father who is secretly a vampire hunter. Soon the three find themselves in the middle of a vampire clan and their necks are on the line. **Spoiler Alert**
The first Anal Paprika film has a fucking wild story that I just absolutely love. In fact, I’m such a huge fan of the idea behind that story that I’m very disappointed that it’s just a short and not a feature length film. AP 2 takes the characters from the first film, dashes in a little Troma, and then delivers that early 2000 no budget vampire fun that I lived on through my high school years. I like it more this second viewing but it’s not as enjoyable as the first film.
The acting in this one is more of the same from the first film. The characters are funny and over the top goofy but the cast is having a lot of fun. Their on screen chemistry adds to the fun of the film. The story for this one is not as clever as the first film but it’s cool to see these characters in another misadventure. The original short’s story is more humor than substance but I fucking loved it. However, this one is a little more story focused. It’s fun and just as full of the humor you would expect from a Chris Seaver film but it’s more story oriented like a standard horror film. It was grounded and straight forward but it was very cliched and rather predictable. The humor does pick up the slack but I don’t see myself revisiting this one again anytime soon.
Finally, the film has some blood but don’t expect to find a film with amazing effects and a high body count. Overall, Anal Paprika 2: Vampire Killers is an enjoyable follow up to Seaver’s original short but it’s not as entertaining as the original. It’s worth your time for a first time watch.
Anal Paprika 3: Menage-A-Death
Director – Chris Seaver (Ski Wolf, Phantom of the Grindhouse)
Starring – Chris Seaver, Casey Bowker (Resident Horror, Carnage for the Destroyer), and Lori Swierczek (Anal Paprika, Anal Paprika 2: Vampire Killers)
Release Date – 2001
Rating – 3/5
I know it was several years ago now but I don’t remember watching the third Anal Paprika but I was still looking forward to revisiting it. I absolutely love the first film and while the second film had plenty of room for improvement it was still very enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of the vampire flicks I watched while I was in high school during the early 2000s from companies like Brain Damage. Because I couldn’t remember this final installment I was a little more excited to dig into it than the others.
**Spoiler Alert** The film once again follows brothers Johnsimon (Seaver) and Alfred (Bowker) along with their carpet munching friend Toddy (Swierczek) who once again find themselves in the middle of another life threatening adventure. While preparing for a Troma retrospective they uncover a coven a witches who have big plans for them and their souls. **Spoiler alert**
Menage-A-Death is more of the same from AP: Vampire Killers. It is more of a story driven film with humor and those lovable characters where the first film was clearly a parody that was more focused on the comedy. It was enjoyable but, much like the second film, I don’t see myself revisiting it anytime soon.
The acting in this one is essentially the same as the first two films. The characters are having a lot of fun on camera acting with their friends. They are very comfortable with each other and it shows. They deliver some funny one liners and so forth but at the end of the day it’s very amateurish. However, I’m not complaining because I have a lot of fun with it. The story for this one once again reminds me of the indie and no budget horror titles that companies like Brain Damage, Pendulum Pictures, and Tempe Video which makes sense considering Tempe releases several other films from Seaver around that time. The film has the same type of humor that you would expect from The Seavage and Low Budget Pictures with a story centered around a coven of witches and lesbians. It’s not a compelling story but it works especially if you are a fan of no budget horror.
Finally, we get a little blood but don’t expect amazing gore and great practical effects. It works for this type of film but it’s nothing amazing. Overall, Menage-A-Death is a solid entry in the Anak Paprika series but when you compare it to the original short it does come up short. I loved the original idea behind it and the fact that Seaver never fully explored these is a damn shame. It’s still a fun watch so check it out.
