STOP IT, YOU'RE KILLING ME

Directed by Kenneth Yakkel

Written by Todd Luck

Staring

Anna Wortitsky - Jamie Donahue
William the Zombie - Michael Todd
Susan Vanlergerg – Jessica Beckwith
Edwin Vanlerberg – Michael Todd
Eric Jameson -James Black

There is just something about gay zombies that slay me. If William the Zombie had been either Black or Jewish he might possibly have been the single most non-politically correct image ever placed on screen.

William is caught in a struggle over Edwin Vanlerberg, a 112 and twelve year old man whose 20-something wife Susan wants out of the way so she can live happily ever after with boyfriend Eric and all Edwin’s money. Now Edwin has a little problem with all this and just won’t cooperate. No matter how long Susan tries to bash his head in with a baseball bat, he just won’t die. If fact all it does is get the old bugger in the mood for some sex.

It seems a few years ago Edwin made a deal with Anna, a reasonably power witch bent on world domination. She needs the toenail clippings of a 150-year-old man in order to pull off a spell that would fill he dreams of power. She’ll do anything she can to keep him alive, even kill off the competition, or at least have her slave William kill off the competition.

William’s roll is a thankless one. He spends his days doing Anna’s dirty work, like killing women and stealing their eyeballs. After Anna and Susan decide to work together, William realizes his time on Earth is limited. Before all his flesh rots off and he ends up a skull on Anna’s bookcase he has to figure out a way to save himself and the old man.

Camera work is not director Yakkel’s strong point, while he does manage a few nice angles, the film is pretty static. His strength is his ability to maintain a light, comedic tone. If he didn’t then the material would easily fall flat.

Yakkel owes much to his cast as well. Jamie Donahue brings the right about of bitchiness to her role. Not once does she go overboard and dive into camp. Jessica Beckwith and James Black are perfectly cast as adulterous lovers who allow vanity to come before each other. Michael Todd actually had the hardest job of the bunch. As an actor it’s hard enough to create a believable role for the camera, but Mr. Todd has to do so under a mask of make-up. He does it wonderfully, not once but twice in this rather enjoyable feature