Plot: What’s it about?
The tradition of Thanksgiving had led to countless turkeys being served up for dinner, but one turkey has decided to stand up and take action. A demonic turkey is on the loose, determined to turn the tables on the humans who would serve his brethren with potatoes and yams. As a group of friends travel back home to celebrate the holiday, little do they know this murderous fowl is lurking in the darkness. The creature soon unleashes a torrent of violence, seeking to slaughter the college students in brutal fashion, then go after the world at large. As he stalks those in his path, the turkey must come up with the most sadistic killing methods possible, but he also has a softer side. Yes, the turkey tries to seduce one of the coeds, but quickly turns his attention back to murder. Can anyone survive the turkey’s reign of terror, or will Thanksgiving never be the same again?
While a lot of films claim to be low budget, indie productions, Thankskilling is the real deal. Shot by a group of friends for under four thousand dollars, this is a Troma tribute that doesn’t disappoint. The film has all the stuff a Troma fan loves, from boobs to blood to poor special effects to insane dialogue. The film not only doesn’t try to hide the low rent production values, it celebrates them and that is one reason it all works. The filmmakers spin their limitations into creative, hilarious content that revels in how over the top the entire experience is. The turkey serial killer is awesome and just watching the cast interact with it is enough to supply ample laughs, but the dialogue and performances are also pure entertainment. As the case so proudly states, the film is laden with blood, “fowl” language, and breasts, so the basic elements are well covered. Thankskilling is a bad movie, but it knows that and is more than content to make you laugh and entertain you. So if you’re into Troma movies or any kind of wild, insane cinema, then give Thankskilling a chance.
Video: How does it look?
This movie was made fast and cheap, so the visuals reflect that. The image is soft and unstable, but all the stuff we need to see is there and visible. Even some stuff we don’t have want to look at. A film of this kind is never going to look pristine, but it is nice to have it look as good as possible, so this disc serves a purpose.
Audio: How does it sound?
The soundtrack here isn’t going to be your new demo, but it sounds fine. As you’d expect, some production limitations are evident, but nothing too serious. All of the dialogue is clear and audible, which is what really matters here. There isn’t much depth or presence, but hey, the talking turkey sounds good. So for what it is, this soundtrack is up to the task and the movie’s basics come across loud and clear.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A fun, candid audio commentary kicks off the extras, which also include a blooper reel and some still photos. If you’re a fan of these kind of wild, low rent flicks, you will want to spin the audio commentary. The track has some great stories and sheds light on what the production was like.
