Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)

Mildly amusing, lightly entertaining horror comedy puts forth the idea that if a company's employees were made into vampires, they might actually be more productive. And so it goes in this goofy story of Evan (Fran Kranz, "The Cabin in the Woods"), a dutiful worker at a soul sucking corporation who yearns for a management position. Instead, his old college nemesis Max (Pedro Pascal of 'Game of Thrones') gets the gig. Soon, Evan and his indolent chum Tim (Joey Kern, "Cabin Fever" '02) are among the select few who must do battle with their former co-workers who've all been turned into creatures of the night - or of the poorly illuminated building.This so-so movie does have its moments. Essentially playing like 'The Office' or "Office Space" with vampires added, it does deliver some modest chuckles. The pace is quick and the energy level pretty respectable. It's a little silly and tiresome at times for this viewer, but it does improve as it goes along, and eventually delivers a decent amount of splatter and a high body count. It does get a bonus point for being filmed in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which always helps smaller movies like this to have a bigger feel.The cast approaches their material with a healthy amount of enthusiasm. Kranz is a likable lead, and Pascal is a hoot as his smug adversary. Emma Fitzpatrick ("The Collection") is an appealing leading lady. Joel Murray ("Hatchet", "God Bless America") is fine as the jovial boss. Offering funny supporting performances are Justin Ware as Andrew and Marshall Givens as Frank the Security Guard.Agreeable enough entertainment for 84 minutes.Six out of 10.

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)Rating: 4/5 starsHaven't we all become bloodsucking drones, clocking in countless hours of work to achieve that next (meaningless) goal just to keep the numbers crunching and dollars flowing (most of which the average worker won't see)? The horror of "Bloodsucking Bastards" is not found through vampire bites, but in stinging corporate satire that seems too smart for a horror comedy, and too damn real.Written by the L.A. comedy troupe Dr. God, "Bloodsucking Bastards" follows a struggling sales department in desperate need of revitalization. Evan (Fran Kranz) has hopes of one day removing the "Acting" from his "Acting Sales Manager" title, but his boss Ted (Joel Murray) appears to have other plans. Ted announces that Evan's college rival, Max (Pedro Pascal), will be overhauling the department in order to achieve new levels of success. Max is confident, slick, intelligent, and perfect for the job, but when the company's biggest slackers start disappearing or abandoning their mediocre ways for a more cutthroat approach to telesales, Evan believes something sinister is afoot. Like, everyone-in-the-office- is-a-vampire level of sinister.What we have here is a total package – laughs, chills, gore, and personality. The settings don't reach farther than an office supply closet, the sales floor, a file storage room, and the building's parking garage, but location restrictions mean nothing when working off of a tightly written screenplay. Quality is quality no matter what your budget is, as the (viscera-soiled) cream always rises to the top!The first act of "Bloodsucking Bastards" is a bit like a more grounded episode of "Workaholics", but as the vampire theme starts to slowly creep in, comedic elements don't wane in response. Action sequences are balanced dutifully with hilarious nods to anything you might learn in Management 101, like Max explaining to a vampire underling that it's important not to micromanage your employees while his vampiric workers are locked in a gooey battle with Evan and his team. It's a bit of horror comedy that would make Mike Judge ("Office Space", "Beavis and Butt-Head") blush, and it never backs down from keeping an ongoing connection between business ethics and ghoulish monsters.More importantly, "Bloodsucking Bastards" doesn't skimp on any of the bloodsucking…or bastardization. You'll be happy to know that Evan is forced to fight his way through now-turned former employees alongside his crush, Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick), and buddy, Tim (Joey Kern), but you'll be even happier knowing that each vampire explodes upon death with their blood splattering all over.As expected, many office tools are utilized when dispatching each vampire, from paper cutters to fire extinguishers, and never once does the bloodshed feel repetitive or mundane. As the action gears up, and the supply closet is raided for vampire-hunting gear, the film sinks its teeth into toxic elements of office culture, such as the trampling of individuality in favor of productivity, or simply how no one ever bothers to learn the janitor's name. Director Brian James O'Connell showcases the ability to make such a small film feel immensely bigger in scope, turning a no-frills office setting into your cleaning lady's worst nightmare. Horror fans are not ignored for cheap laughs, proving that Dr. God respects all their audiences equally.The trio of Fran Kranz, Emma Fitzpatrick, and Joey Kern are the glue that binds the film, but so many supporting talents ensure this collection of workers provides steady entertainment whether they're killing time or killing each other. Justin Ware and Michael Hughes embody every workplace's archetypal slackers, playing video games instead of crushing sales calls, but Joey Kern is their hilarious slacker lord.If there's one scene-stealer to point out, it obviously involves Kern, who couldn't be bothered by the vampire outbreak spreading around him. His lazy acceptance of this horrifying scenario is a special brand of comedy, transcending the levels of "fucks given" into a land well beyond "zero" – all he cares about is clocking out at 5:00 p.m. and blacking out at Kelly Clarkson concerts. If that's not a comment on how mind-numbingly complacent we've become while manning empty, unfulfilling duties, I don't know what is.While you'll probably be too busy laughing hysterically or cringing at each gross vampire explosion, there are plenty of other hidden treats throughout this sublime horror comedy worth catching a glimpse of. Do yourself a favor and take a look at the extra office workers who fill cubicles next to the main characters. I'm not telling you WHAT to look for, but I promise you'll get a few extra laughs given a keen, observant eye. These Dr. God cats thought of everything, and enhance the most mundane moments when you least expect it.Vampires are back, people. They might not be scaring us around every turn, but with movies like "What We Do In The Shadows" and "Bloodsucking Bastards", I'll take having fanged comedians over the young-adult-fantasy versions tweens dream about. Add in an office setting, because someone finally connected stereotypical, bloodsucking, upper corporate hierarchy with actual bloodsuckers, and you've got a pretty damn funny horror flick. Work sucks, but Dr. God elevates that statement to gleefully vicious levels of genre- smashing beauty.

Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)If the film's title Bloodsucking Bastards hasn't given you a clue as to what to expect here then maybe the tagline 'Work it sucks the life out of you' will. Yep, this a vampire comedy horror billed as 'Office Space meets Shaun of the Dead'. By comparing itself to two cult flicks where laughs are high sets an awfully high precedent for director Brian James Connell's movie. It is a level that it fails to reach but that doesn't mean that his premise, where the bosses are literally sucking the staff dry in order to improve a company's performance, is without any charm or fun along the way.It's initially difficult to warm to our lead character Evan (Fran Kranz). He's no Shaun, as in Shaun of the Dead. Sure Shaun is put upon at work, has a slobby best mate and girlfriend issues, but his circumstances are more or believable, and therefore more relatable. Evan is too much of a victim. for the most part, so it's no easy to emphasis with him.Evan has messed up with HR director Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick), with whom he is romantically entangled, or was until he responded badly to her saying she loved him one evening. Evan finds solace in believing that a forthcoming promotion to Sales Manager will be his only to find it offered to a company outsider. The outsider is smarmy, slimy, slick Max (Pedro Pascal), an old rival of Evan's. No sooner has Max made himself known co-workers start disappearing and/or change into a more aggressive persona with Evan's colleagues slow to pick up on the changes.Obviously filmed on a budget, but filmed and played with enthusiasm and glee, Bloodsucking Bastards overcomes its shaky start - it takes awhile to warm to the characters - and never overplays the vampire angle with puny related puns. Some visual panache is called for rather than the static camera-work on offer and it's also slow in finding its feet. The screenwriters clearly enjoyed dispensing the earlier 'witty' and crude insults, failing to realise that their script works better with the lighter asides - such as colleagues asking what the character Dave actually does each day at work aside from going around telling people they owe him money.Fran Kranz (Evan) will be familiar to genre fans as the stoner from the overrated The Cabin in the Woods however the real stars in Bloodsucking Bastards are Joey Kern, as Evan's laid-back best friend Tim and David F. Park as Dave who seems to have no real function in their workplace. Things get suitably bloody come the climax and the earlier reservations are completely forgotten. Bloodsucking Bastards plays like Shaun of the Dead, albeit with vampires and not zombies, and whilst it's not in the same league is does pick up halfway through and becomes a lot of fun.Check out more of my reviews at www.mybloodyreviews.com

I don't know if I watched before any of the horror comedies, at least in the real sense. I remember some parodies which were trying to be hell funny but they were lame. This movie has a bit of its funny moments but overall it is very entertaining.What is most positive about this movie for me it is that is not boring. As I said, very entertaining. The story is pretty normal, but the whole vampire thing adds to the fun. I don't know if they were trying to make parody of some other movies. But although this one has a lot of bloody scenes - especially killing of the vampire crew - it is not scary but kinda funny. Kelly Clarkson as a gay icon?! It seemed to me that it was that her purpose in the movie... and that the security guy and the other one are actually together.All in all, not bad. Seven from me.