Comedy and horror are potent topics for film content as both can provide a visceral impact. Many are the films that have you either laughing or turning away from the screen in fright, both elicit a physical reaction. Combining the two successfully is a way more elusive proposition. Bruce Campbell has had more than his fair share of attempts to crack the conundrum, albeit more in the vein of comedy first and horror second, and features here as both actor and producer.
Building on an already crazy premise (that consumption orgy in America that traditionally occurs on the fourth Friday of November), this Black Friday follows the beleaguered staff at a toy store. The fun begins when a pulsating chunk of flesh comes rocketing through the tin roof of the store and infects an employee stupid enough to look it face to blob and not run away as most sane folks would.
You can tell from the opening that things aren’t going to go well for the staff and management of We Love Toys. As the body count rises and more zombies come out to play, the staff are oblivious to the impending threat until the gore catches up with them and all hell breaks loose. Settling into a survivor of the fittest mode zaps a bit of the early energy before the crazy escalates again as the alien menace plays out.
Revelling in the schlock right up until its last low-res cheesy moments, Black Friday proves that zombie franchise films will endure and still provide some laughs, some gore and keep the prosthetics industry going strong for the foreseeable future. BLACK FRIDAY hits home entertainment on DVD and VOD on the 9th of March and is being released by Defiant Screen Entertainment.
Rob Hudson
