Dir. Joe Sherlock (2015)
There’s something strange going on in the town, where everything seems a little off.
CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
My second experience with Joe Sherlock’s films, Odd Noggins was certainly a little different from Drifter. For one thing, there was little to no plot: the entire town, seemingly, is getting ready for a Halloween party, but the film doesn’t revolve around them getting ready, it revolves around them going about their day and occasionally talking about the Halloween party. It’s sort of a “film about nothing,” as some of the best indie films are. This one has the same relatively high production values that Drifter had, but not the same quality production that you’d expect when you think of “indie films.” This is the standard SOV (but better quality) comedic horror film, and while it’s not as funny as Drifter it has a lot more boobs, so it’s got that going for it I suppose.
Pictured: Some of the boobs you will see
In fact, I’m starting to wonder if Sherlock approaches his films imagining the type of scenarios that would cause his actresses to need a shower. We have people coming home from work where they’re dressed as a clown and must wash off the facepaint, one woman who had to dress like Bigfoot (or some other type of furry cryptid,) and then several people who just… needed a shower. Ironically, unlike this previous outing, this film had fewer shower scenes and more bubblebath scenes. I bet the film even had a bubblebath budget, which is something that more films should really have. Many scenes in the film would just involve the camera zooming in on women’s breasts. The film doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t; it’s trashy and it knows it. And that’s alright with me.
The women are not that attractive to be sure, but they are the type that you could picture being willing to get naked for a C-movie like the ones Sherlock produces. If you’re familiar with Chris Seaver and his horribly made films, you’re used to the type of filmmaking Sherlock employs. The major difference is that Seaver teases the nudity while Sherlock goes all the way. The cast in this film seem to have a lot of borrowed members from Drifter, and that’s not a terrible thing because they’re all decent actors. They’re not Hollywood-level, for sure, but they’re better than what you can usually expect from films like this. At the end of the day, there’s nothing about the two Sherlock films I’ve watched so far that was particularly amazing, but it was better than I expected. He’s like a half-step better than other films of this caliber. You can’t expect a whole lot more than that, to be honest, not when watching films like this.
There are some actually creepy things that happen in this one. The weird guy in the suit is definitely off-putting, and his “medical research” definitely gives you the creeps. When Sherlock describes, in the previews for Odd Noggins, that the town all feels a little “off,” he’s right. The tv film that runs throughout during scenes in the film is interesting and delightfully weird, just as the trailer promised. Plus, when things go kinda crazy in the last 20 minutes of the movie, you realize you’ve been being prepared for it through the whole film.
And the alien creatures aren’t bad either, decent makeup and creature effects
Yeah, things are… certainly off. And that’s exactly what the trailer promised us. There are not a whole lot of films of this caliber whose trailers get even a single thing right about the movie they’re teasing, but Sherlock’s do. Another strike in the “better” column for Skullface Astronaut. Make no mistake about it, this is a Z-list film. The effects are garbage and the storyline is crass and ridiculous. You’re not going to go into this one even expecting an amazing movie. But that’s the point with these movies. If that’s not your thing, move along, there’s nothing to see here. If it is your thing, as it is mine, you could do a lot worse than plugging in one of Joe Sherlock’s joints over at Skullface Astronaut.
Who the movie is for: People who love Z-list horror movies, Fans of ultra low budget films, SOV nerds who view SOV films like Pokemon and have to catch them all
Bottom line: It’s enjoyable if these types of films are your thing. I readily admit, and I’m sure Joe would admit as well, that these aren’t for everyone. But there’s a huge cottage industry with cheap, SOV productions. Sherlock certainly does a great job of attempting to corner that market by making films that are watchable and interesting without ever climbing above the level of trashy. It’s trash at its best, or at least better than expected.
