October 8, 2010

Rabid Rewind: Just Buried

Nova Scotia doesn't get featured all that often in film, let alone horror films. Though, the original My Bloody Valentine was set in my home province, if I recall correctly. So when I caught wind that this comedic horror film was set and filmed around Windsor, Nova Scotia, I just had to check it out.

I wish I could say, however, that I have seen a good horror film set in Nova Scotia. But I can't, because this film bored me. That's a shame too, because Jay Baruchel is a talented actor and the plot for the film sounded promising, if not a bit familiar. The biggest problem with the film I found though, was that the performances came off as disingenuous, like theythe patriarch's video will which uses a "The Price Is Right" style wheel to determine the sole inheritor of his estate, which includes the small town's struggling funeral home. Oliver, of course, wins the prize. The trouble for him is that he has no experience as a business owner, and even less about the funeral business. And with most of the elderly already kicked off, and a more conveniently located funeral parlor elsewhere, the estate is going under.

What does Oliver do? Yup, to exploit the horror element of the film, Oliver becomes a relunctant accomplice to murder as his mortician and potential love interest, Roberta--played by Rose Byrne in one of the more refreshing performances of the film--starts offing people in order to drum up business. From there,