Search - Stump the Band on DVD

Calculated cliches, and the craft of low budget-ness

Unhip1 | 03/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"10 years ago, Robbie Rist became engaged in a broad project to create a B-movie type horror film. The result of throwing in a lot of money, time, effort, and hard work, along with a literal "cast of hundreds" is the new Boathouse Productions film Stump the Band.

The general plotline follows an all girl band on a low-budget tour. They ride in a solitary van, driven by the boyfriend of one of the members of the band. Their manager is also in tow. When said boyfriend ends up driving the car off the road and almost crashing in the dead of night (to find they are out of fuel anyway), the real journey begins.

What makes this movie work is the combination of calculated cliche and studio craft. I entered the screening convinced I'd be Tom Servo-ing to death (a fashion moulded by the old TV show Mystery Sciene Theatre 3000, where three robots would ad-lib comments and make oblique references in order to make the best of a series of truly bad films featured in the series). Oddly, because the manner of the film was well planned and well executed, there was little break in which to apply the slathering of sarcasm and funny voices I'd expected.

Well cast, and with a higher production value than I suspected (that is, it has the look of a quality production, though probably not anywhere near the budget), Stump the Band is a treat for anyone who wants to see a generic horror film taken to the next ridiculous level. There's gore, gratuitous nudity, profanity, and cliche after cliche. All of the characters fit into a classic B-movie archetype, yet the performances are really well done, and as stated before, the whole movie comes off as a fresh, and strangely comforting affair. The movie isn't as "bad" as it's creators reached for, yet it isn't so "good" that a given audience will mistakenly take it as a serious horror movie. A great place for any low-budget film to be.

According to the introduction before the debut began, Stump the Band has already received awards at two Sci-fi/Horror conventions. Someone is watching and taking notice. Maybe others should follow their lead.

[...]
Mystery bonus trivia: Robbie Rist gets belted and floored at some point in this film."

Like a time machine with free pizza

DrumWild | 03/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somewhere along the way, horror movies got serious. Maybe it's to compensate for the increased sophistication of modern-day movie-goers. I chalked it up to a simple case of my growing old.

As a fan of 80s horror flicks, I want my movie to be like a pizza. It has to have the perfect dough (premise/story), the right amount of sauce (blood), and cheese hanging off the edges (screams and laughs).

The theatrical screening of "Stump The Band" was the perfect pie. The 30-minute guarantee is that it will transport you back to that time where you had to sneak out of the house, steal dad's car, pick up your buds, and drive to the midnight screening. For me, this happened within the first 5 minutes. This was achieved merely by the opening shots and the soundtrack (which is stellar). I felt like I was 15 again, and that I really wasn't supposed to be in the theater. What a thrill!

Of course, don't forget the toppings (characters). There's a hot girl band, and who doesn't love that? Then there's the quirky manager, jealous boyfriend, and creepy locals who have their own twisted hobbies to pass the time. With these characters, it's not a case of people dying for the sake of blood. You know them well enough to have feelings about them. This seems to be achieved through stereotypes and cliches, with a fair amount of dialog (but not too much to bore me as a 15-year-old).

For some of them, you have empathy if they even scuff their knees. On the other hand, there are others where you cheer their demise. I got drawn into a group experience, where everyone in the theater was yelling at the screen. I haven't done that for over 25 years, and it felt great.

Look out!
Don't do that!
Hurry up! Just do it already!
HA! He had THAT coming!

If the theatrical release was like a fresh pizza, then the DVD is that extra slice you find in the box the next day. Pop it in the microwave (your DVD player, silly!), heat and enjoy. It's still got that unique flavor that will translate well from the big screen, all the way down to whatever size screen you may have at home. For best results, invite some friends over to experience this flick with you.

And order some REAL pizza for your guests, for this is an event. Stump The Band has everything you used to love about horror movies. You will fall in love all over again."

Must see for horror fans.

love my pony | 04/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like the horror genre, you'll love this movie. I don't really like horror films but my boyfriend took me to see this and he loved it. It was way too intense/scary for my taste and I thought the nudity and sex was gratuitous, but I guess that's the point. But if you like blood, gore and a bit of camp, this is definitely worth a look."