I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker

I love B-movies, I love indie movies, I comedy troupe movies, and I love movies that don't take themselves too seriously. This movie met all of those criteria. That's not to say that I'm biased. If anything, I was skeptical. Usually these movies aren't worth the 90 minutes it takes to watch them. 4But, this movie doesn't get ahead of itself, and it doesn't draw out the movie for length of time (comes in around 80 minutes). I love all horror, from Evil Dead to The Conjuring universe. It's nice to have a little comedic relief from time to time. If there has even been a "feel good vampire movie," this is it. The movie does this while paying homage to horror classics such as The Exorcist, Dracula, Evil Dead, etc. The humor is good-natured and lighthearted. It's obvious that these guy truly enjoyed making this flick, much like The Broken Lizard crew does. It is easily with the 80 minutes needed to watch it. I have no connection to anyone in this movie, the distributor, the studio, etc. I simply think it's a fun movie and gave it 6 stars. I will be watching it again a few more times.

This film hit all the right notes. It was funny. The gore was great. The vampire looked AMAZING. The cast was perfect. Overall one of the best horror comedies I have seen.

I love B-movies, I love indie movies, I comedy troupe movies, and I love movies that don't take themselves too seriously. This movie met all of those criteria. That's not to say that I'm biased. If anything, I was skeptical. Usually these movies aren't worth the 90 minutes it takes to watch them. 4But, this movie doesn't get ahead of itself, and it doesn't draw out the movie for length of time (comes in around 80 minutes). I love all horror, from Evil Dead to The Conjuring universe. It's nice to have a little comedic relief from time to time. If there has even been a "feel good vampire movie," this is it. The movie does this while paying homage to horror classics such as The Exorcist, Dracula, Evil Dead, etc. The humor is good-natured and lighthearted. It's obvious that these guy truly enjoyed making this flick, much like The Broken Lizard crew does. It is easily with the 80 minutes needed to watch it. I have no connection to anyone in this movie, the distributor, the studio, etc. I simply think it's a fun movie and gave it 6 stars. I will be watching it again a few more times.

Horror-comedies can inhabit a wide range of spaces, and this is definitely of the most unserious variety. It's pointedly blunt and over the top, emphasized with stylized split-screen, consciously overdone music, multiple flashbacks, and excessive sprays of blood. Greatly exaggerated personalities, heightened character drama filled with tropes, sight gags, purposefully hackneyed dialogue, and an unequivocal twist on a classic scenario paint this as illustrating the most absurd side of the genre. I had somewhat mixed expectations, but honestly, 'I had a bloody good time at House Harker' is aptly titled: This is a lot of fun! The effects look great and are cheekily amusing, including a substantial amount of blood. Work by the makeup artists is outstanding - both the deep red that adorns the chief cast as the bloodbath begins, and the carefully considered appearance of the vampires. For that matter, the supporting cast are wonderful as they lean into the chewing of scenery allowed by the creature feature format. And the primary cast is superb; these are comedic roles, but the characters are recognizably different from one another, written more solidly than I'd usually anticipate from such a film - and the assembled actors slip into their parts readily. Whitney Moore especially stands out; as Paige is a more serious-minded foil to her siblings and friends, Moore adopts a sardonic strength of personality on top of her natural charm and wit, and she's a joy to watch. Arlan Godthaab is also a highlight as the Harker's senior citizen neighbor Walter, bringing a great conviviality to a man of hidden depths. Of course this isn't to count out Noel Carroll, Jacob Givens, or Derek Haugen, giving Charlie, Gerry, and Ned great life while playing up each figure's peculiarities. It's not just the characters; the writing is strong generally. Yes, this is a silly romp, but it's a romp that's crafted with great love. The overall narrative is swell, and individual scenes are written and executed with a deft hand and fine detail. Dialogue is perhaps a bit too much at times, but it's all in the spirit of having a good time, so without a particular glaring fault, it's hard to nitpick. I don't think there's a great deal more to say. This picture plays in a familiar space, and is unlikely to be recalled as an essential classic, but nor does it carry any pretense otherwise. It has no aim but gory, ridiculous, horror-flavored entertainment, and in that it handily succeedswith some good laughs while unquestionably being a film all its own. Viewers who don't generally care for horror-comedies won't find anything to change their mind here, but if you want a funny, bombastic take on the vampire genre, this is very much worth checking out. 'I had a bloody good time at House Harker' is clever, lively, and highly enjoyable, and gets my strong recommendation.

Hands down one of the best indie horror comedies I've seen. Everything from the acting to the camera work to the effects are well done. The characters were likable, the pacing was fast, it had me laughing throughout and the final act was drenched in gore. It was everything I wanted in a horror/comedy. Highly recommended.

Oh Lord where do I start. I generally like horror/comedies as long as they're done right. Ash Vs Evil Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. In fact, if you haven't seen that, skip this and go watch that instead, way way funnier and all around better. So, characters, all annoying all terrible, especially Ned who is obsessed with the other main guys sister. Not in a cute puppy way but a sick, disturbing, creepy way. It's not funny, it's just annoying. The mentally challenged guy, again, not done well, not funny. It's just all around bad. The story had potential, it was kind of unique and had its own little originality going but, the bad characters and lack of comedy ruined that. There's nothing worse than trying to be funny and failing miserably at it and not being funny. It's just really really bad. I'm gonna do my best to suffer through this and see if the horror part measures up, I don't have high hopes. P. S. So, it gained a little traction when they started fighting the vampires, but not enough to write home about and change the overall outlook of the movie. Still a skipper.