Monday, March 28, 2016

Banjo, Homicidal Imaginary Friends

I recently read in The Huffington Post that smart people have fewer friends.  Apparently there are a shortage of smart people in the world, and geniuses do not tolerate the stupid.  One wonders if this means that smart people have more imaginary friends.  Without fiends...wouldn't one's mind compensate?  Imaginary friends would be capable of so much which actual people couldn't achieve. They could keep us entertained...never be annoying...always be available...and murder everyone else in our lives.  Wait!  What was that last one?  Let us look at 2015's "Banjo," from the U.K.
Poor Peltzer (James Hamer-Morton). A milquetoast chap with a b#@%&y, two-timing GF, Deetz (Dani Thompson).  They live together in Peltzer's quasi-mansion and Deetz constantly humiliates him regarding their love-making.  Our weak protagonist and Deetz work together at Reams for Less, where Sawyer (Vito Trigo) is their boss and very much the bully.  Sawyer and Deetz are still banging each other and conniving about stealing Peltzer's inherited fortune.  Sawyer is a veritable monster, and his humiliating bullying targets Peltzer and co-worker Clyde ("Human Centipede 2" star Laurence R. Harvey).  Also at Reams for Less (a paper supply company) is the sweet Melissa (Serene Chloe Gardner) who is still sweet on Peltzer, though the pair broke up three years ago.
As Deetz and Sawyer bully and humiliate Peltzer, he stops his meds and dabbles in some occult activity which reconnects him to Ronnie (Damian Morter), an imaginary friend from 20 years ago. Ronnie is quite evil and we are shown glimpses of a very bloody backstory from two decades ago. Peltzer is hesitant to join forces with Ronnie again, but Ronnie is quite persuasive.  What follows is a gore-fest in which the duo go down a murderous path.  Will any of Peltzer's tormentors be spared?  What of the sultry but evil Deetz?  Will her and the equally deviant Sawyer remain intact after Ronnie is summoned?  A horror comedy which is mostly horror, "Banjo" has much stomach churning gore.  Warning, the kills are not the only blood soaked scenes in this film.
The acting is terrific and Kudos to writer/director Liam Regan who did a fabulous job.  Eight parts scare, two parts laugh, "Banjo" is a delightful voyage into the surreal homicidal voyage of a bullied schmuck.  Fans of "The Office" will love "Banjo." For more on this film visit banjomovie.com

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the review! Looking very much forward to watch this. Is there already a way or should we wait until the dvd release, winter of 2016? I'm living in Belgium if that matters for something.

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