DOGHOUSE

UK, 2009, 89 minutes, Colour.
Danny Dyer, Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke, Christina Cole, Lee Ingleby, Keith- Lee Castle, Emile Mawa.
Directed by Jake West.

The makers of Doghouse may well have hoped that their comic horror thriller could become something of a cult film. It might. When compared with Lesbian Vampire Killers (and there are some plot similarities), there is no comparison - Doghouse wins completely.

While the basic plot is in no way original (one suspects that the makers saw Edgar Wright's Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and wondered how they could combine the basic ideas – which they have: mayhem in an isolated village and the living dead), there are all kinds of ingredients.

There is the government experimentation for military purposes (the virus attacks all women who then kill all the men). Serious but parody. There is the unPC talk by Danny Dyer (satirising many Danny Dyer roles) and the chauvenism ('neanderthal misogynist' as a friend describes him) that climaxes the film with the women having the last laugh. Comic but parody. There is the ordinariness of the blokes who go off for a weekend in the country to support their friend who is being divorced (and the marriage and friendship messes they themselves are making). The situation is initially credible... what would you do if the quiet village came alive with the living dead? There is the reference to fanboys, their comics, the nerdish encyclopedic knowledge of comic-book and movie detail and trivia. That's some homage to The Evil Dead.

Partly funny, partly blokish, partly helpful and unhelpful responses to desperate situations – and some touches of corny horror.

1.A blend of horror, comedy, parody? How well did the combination work?

2.The London locations and introductions to each of the characters? The travel into the countryside? The village of Moodley? Typical English village? Transformed by the Living Dead? The action taking place over the one day? The musical score and atmosphere?

3.The introduction to the central characters, their lives, their relationships with women? Each of them being condemned by women – and Graham by his boyfriend? The build-up to their going on a day out with Vince?

4.The attitude towards women? Politically incorrect? How much tongue-in-cheek? How much real? Vince and his divorce, being miserable? Neil and his misogynist Neanderthal (to quote the others) attitude and behaviour? His presumptions? Mikey and his marriage collapsing? Matt and his work in the store? Patrick and his relationship, the anger of his partner? Graham and his partner being angry about not being invited? Banksy and the collapse of his car, arriving late? The fact that all the women had been turned into the Living Dead and not the men? The dialogue and the jokes about women, chauvinist attitudes towards women? The end, the confrontation with the Living Dead? The triumph of the men – or not?

5.The situation, ordinary men, an ordinary outing? Their assembling, having the drink, talk? Candy turning up, with the minibus? Their surprise? Mikey and his plan, going to the village, staying at his grandmother’s house? Setting out? The banter with Candy – and her name? Her standing her ground with Neil?

6.The village, old-fashioned, seemingly deserted? Their disappointment? The bar, the smell – and not seeing the dead body? The appearance of the women, the bride, the buxom woman, the old woman, Julia with glasses…?

7.The situation, the military man, their attacking him, learning the truth? The experiment, gone wrong? Turning the women into zombies? Flesh-eaters? The men not being affected – except that they were all killed, eaten? The officer commanding and his being impaled, his explanation before dying? Sergeant Wright and his joining the group?

8.The comedy variations on the zombie flesh-eaters? The pursuit of the men around the town, the women and their stumbling gait, being confused? The men able to keep them out?

9.The various devices, Patrick going up on the stand, Candy and her chopping it down? Hiding in shops, Matt and the background of his interest in comics (and the beginning with the boy insulting him about The Evil Dead)? His finding the devices in the shop and using them? Neil and his being abducted, tied up by the big woman, chopping off his finger – finger food? His escape? Graham and the woman falling on him? Their helping one another, the walkie-talkies? Moving around the town? Into the church? The discovery of the truth? Matt’s death? Patrick and his fall?

10.The survival of Neil, Vince, Mikey? Banksy and his late arrival, disbelief, his death?

11.The van, getting away, Graham surviving, their return? The dolphin mechanism with the sound? Playing with it, on and off, breaking it, the women pursuing them?

12.The homage to The Evil Dead? To The Zombie Flesh-Eaters? The subtexts woven throughout the film in serious terms, comic terms? The use of horror conventions? How well woven together to give an acceptable comedy horror film?