About Matt Rox
Location: Dallas, Tx
Occupation: Bookslave (retail), Author (unfinished novel), Artist (forth-coming cartoon)
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Half a bungling crime story plus half a gross slasher flick equals fantastically sick humor in this British horromedy.
The Cottage from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams (best known as the writer/director of London to Brighton) brings us the story of two brothers – Peter and David – who kidnap a mob boss’s step-daughter in order to ransom her, only to have everything conceivable and not occur. Infighting, slip-ups, bumbling associates, and a surprisingly strong hostage are only the beginning for the undoing of the brother’s plan.
Once the edges of the plan start to crumble, enter a deformed, psychotic farmer that turns the small grease fire into a towering inferno of blood and gore. Mutilations, fake-out scares, decapitations, and the hideously strong farmer take the inept kidnappers on a downward spiral that had me laughing while they were screaming.
One of the best things about this film was that it didn’t take itself too seriously. In the same way that Shaun of the Dead and Army of Darkness knew their place was firmly in the middle of the slapstick and horror camps,
The cast includes Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Reece Shearsmith (a talent from the always odd The League of Gentlemen series), and Jennifer Ellison (a rising star on damn near every entertainment front out there). Genre-star Doug Bradley (Pinhead from the Hellraiser franchise) shows up in a bit role and Dave Legano (who plays The Farmer) will be Fenrir Greyback in the currently filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Creator Williams style is a mixture of Guy Ritchie, Sam Raimi, Tim Burton, and Edgar Wright that works superbly. Obvious nods to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn appear as what they are - loving homage, not uninspired rip-offs. Williams’s enjoyment of the genres he dabbles in is obvious with every scene. Also, the use of foreshadowing surprised and amazed me. Paul Andrew Williams is now the newest member of the pantheon of directors whose name I hear attached to a project and think to myself, “Well I’ve got to see that.”
Williams’s usual music collaborator Laura Rossi does a great job of combining sounds with images. Whether the situation calls for comedy, suspense, irony, or silence, Rossi provides the just-right notes to enhance the overall film. A hint of Danny Elfman’s influence on Rossi’s music cannot be denied and works wonderfully with the drab, dark pictures on the screen.
Unfortunately there are no commentary tracks from director or actors. There are some interesting deleted scenes (including several about a character named Smokin’ Joe who was completely removed from the movie) and some so-so outtakes, but the best special feature is the massive amount of trailers for other films – some look good, some look bad – which is always a DVD plus. Again, unfortunately, The Cottage doesn’t treat its existence on DVD with enough importance and there is no trailer for itself on the disc. Very sad, since the trailer (accessible from many sources online) is a very funny little piece that shows off the movie’s personality perfectly.
A new kind of feature, and one that I assume will be standard on all discs within the next decade or so, is the ability to load the entirety of the disc’s content onto your PC, laptop, or PSP. This ability cuts down on my apprehension for loaning out my discs to friends and family. I may not see the actual disc for a year or so, but the movie is still there waiting for me on the computer.
The Cottage is a must-rent, almost have-to-own, hilarious and gory masterpiece that is only awaiting the passage of time before it can be referred to as a classic of horromedy.
