Intensity 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
As we’ve said before, pulling off a horror comedy is one of the most precarious feats a director can attempt. The feat is made all the more difficult when it’s done on a micro-budget with limited to no resources. Easter Bloody Easter manages to walk this tightrope with aplomb while pulling in one of the coolest Black Sabbath horror references since the semi-eponymous Black Sabbath in 1963.
Easter Bloody Easter is the new horror film from first-time director Diane Foster. For those of you who aren’t in the know, Easter Horror really is a cotton-tailed “thing.” Sure, there are a handful of absurd Easter-themed horror films like Beasterday, Bunnyman, and Rottentail, but these are few and far between. Not to mention, if you’ve actually seen any of these, you’re probably a hardened horror hound who’s going to love to sink their chompers into Easter Bloody Easter.
The film follows hyper-religious Texas town — or rather, just plain ol’ religious Texas town — who are on the edge of the annual Easter-palooza festival. As the Easter festival begins, a young couple is cavorting (AKA sinnin’) in the local church when the “poor horny teens” are visited by an eight-foot-tall demonic jackalope. Needless to say, it doesn’t end well for the teens.
The perfectly fractured community quickly discovers the sinister origins of this horrifying jackalope. Some 150 years ago, a mom set out to make the perfect easter for her family, but in exchange for familial greatness may have sacrificed herself to the pastel-colored cause.
The film follows checkered and tattered Jeanie (lead actress and director Diane Foster) and her pal Carol (Kelly Grant) work to figure out the jackalope’s motives and origins. Set perfectly against the backdrop of intra-church squabbles and coveting all the wrong things about the easter holiday, the film explores the transgressive nature of religion. Jeannie and Carol are clearly part of the fabric of the community but often at odds with the false and prescriptive nature of church culture.
As if the eight-foot tall jackalope wasn’t bad enough, Jeanie and Carol are also forced to contend with the equally horrible church laddies who are led by Mary Lou – played pitch-perfectly by Allison Lobel — who also fills in as the writer/producer for Easter Bloody Sunday. With hysterical lines like “I sacrificed my soul to the devil. That’s a great mom right there” and “At least I don’t covet my neighbor’s husband…pretty sure that’s one of the big ten” the film clips along with comedic purpose and thoughtfulness.
In much the same way that John Waters both explicitly and subtly picks at the hypocrisy of religion and smalll town politics, the film’s director, Diane Foster, manages to explore many of the same thoughts and ideas. With the jackalope on the hunt, the puritanical ways of the church are further exposed and Easter-palooza must contend with it’s broken and defunct moral code.
Easter Bloody Easter largely culminates with a very bloody Easter bunny costume contest where the jackalope and his groundhog-like minions descend on the town. Because small communities are often left with limited resources and questionable motives, it’s up to the neighbors, families, and churches to hunker down and figure out the solutions to their collective problems. Whether it’s bickering about the fish fry or dealing with the much larger problem of a demonic jackalope, it’s ultimately up to the town to determine their own fate.
Incredibly this small budget film employs exceptional practical effects. The jackalope is brought to life by by Jesse Velez of Raptor House FX. This is the same company that brought us the wildly creative “Hand” from Netflix’s “Wednesday” starring Jenna Ortega. No silly CGI effects are in play here. The jackalope is massive, menacing, and fully believable as a brooding behemoth bunny.
Should you watch the horror/comedy Easter Bloody Easter?
Easter Bloody Easter is just what you think it is. It’s a funny film that jumps at the chance to show its heart. Whether it’s exploring Jeannie’s troubled past or the true origins behind the jackalope, Easter Bloody Easter takes every step with heart and purpose. Don’t let the competitive and distorted nature of Easter get you down. Just pop in Easter Bloody Easter and discover the real meaning of Christ’s resurrection.
Easter Bloody Easter is likely Rated R and available just in time for, you guessed it, EASTER!