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Everyone could tell that Judy (Chet Siegel) was determined, and her plans were set. Her punk band, Duh, was ready to kickstart their first tour. One week, six stops, with an optional seventh stop back home at the biggest club in town. It is there where she dreams of being scooped up by an indie record label and having Duh reach a level of fame and prosperity unlike any other. Judy is so determined to make this a reality that she even quits her bakery job. She cut all ties to her old life. Eviction notices be damned!
Judy and her bandmates are ready to take on the music industry, but things take a turn for the unusual. Their guitarist and co-vocalist, Max (Jeff Riddle), and drummer Mel (Ruby McCollister. Thankfully, she isn’t related to Natasha Lyonne) step out of the house only to realize their van has hitched a ride without them. Surprisingly enough, that is the last thing that goes wrong. The day they are ready to take on the world, Judy devises a plan and sets her mind on executing it: turning everyone in town into a potential van lender. In a twist of luck, Peckerhead (David Littleton) is on board.
Peckerhead, or ‘Peck‘ as Duh calls him, is a middle aged, mellow, soft spoken, de-tached man with a southeren accent. Duh’s Van is offered to him as long as he can join. In fact, he is willing to go as far as to be a roadie for the gan himself. Now, that’s a little crazy, isn’t it? But, the offer on the table is simply too fantastic to decline and the band has absolutely no alternatives.
The tour does not start on the right foot. Duh is the only band booked for this show and their crowd consists of three unconscious alcoholics. After the band is not paid by the bar owner, Peckerhead tells everyone he will step out for a few minutes to go grab some tissues from the ladies room at the venue. When Judy goes to find him, she sees something that she wishes she hadn’t. Peckerhead apparently is a demonistic cannibalistic monster! Except for the fact he only comes out at midnight for thirteen minutes. Of course he would never hurt his friends!
With a title like Uncle Peckerhead and the bloody poster art (which is awesome), you kind of expect a certain type of movie. It alludes to being gory and ridiculous in a funny yet cheap type of horror. And there’s nothing wrong with this, who does not like an incredibly mindless self vain slaughterhouse of a movie. I was not prepared to come out of this movie with much more than whether this was good-bad or bad to worst bad.
So it was a wonderful surprise when almost immediately I was drawn into this world, invested in these characters, and ultimately completely charmed.
Every aspect of the film feels remarkably holistic; from the intricately crafted laugh-out-loud screenplay by Matthew John Lawrence to the wonderful cast and the fitting music. To put it in context: I enjoyed everything.
Truly great horror films will often operate on different levels and crossover into other genres. Uncle Peckerhead is also a fun road-trip movie, depicting the trials and tribulations apart from the whole flesh-eating demon thing of the not-so-glamorous reality of a struggling band attempting their first tour. The dirty motels, the greedy venue owners, the awful promoters, and the rival bands; Duh’s journey is too real and feels as if it was penned by someone who has experienced everything at firsthand.
The time in which the movie is set is somewhat ambiguous, yet there is a good chance it is set in a time before the present because there are cassette tapes, pay phones, and no sight of smartphones! After all, these days, it is really easy for musicians to get famous overnight just through YouTube and social media. Not too long along, bands had to endure endless shows at empty bars just to get discovered and sign a record label. I believe this is the most accurate depiction of the era and it captures both the that is both nostalgic and timeless.
In fact, Uncle Peckerhead would suffice as an indie comedy about the band’s adventures (although, then it wouldn’t be Uncle Peckerhead). But now, with horror incorporated, it gets much funner like never seen before. Where does one even start with the casting? All of three main characters are fully formed lovable oddballs that we can’t help but cheer for. McCulloch, Waffel’s and especially Chet Siegel’s timing is very comedical and entertaining. As if turning cameras on wasn’t enough, Chet Siegel nails the eagerly Judy role for his character’s zest is contagious. Max, an easily scatter-brained, accident magnet was well captured by Jeff Riddle. Ruby McCollister does a fantastic job epitomizing that friend we all have, but never know if we should be super cautious around. Cruelly skeptical and always everpresent to unsheathe her knife.
Additionally, there is Peckerhead who, in his character, ironically evokes the sympathy of the listeners. You will certainly remember David Littleton’ depiction of Peckerhead. As he takes his turn, Peckerhead seems to toy with the trust placed on him by the audience as well as that of the band. We see him monologuing in a diner along with the band, after his true self is reveals as that of a shady venue owner. We hear him as he desires to explain what happened and apologize while promising that he would never hurt his friends. All of us choose to believe him and think, ‘well, maybe he is not so bad after all’. There are several moments where one may wish to laugh less heartwarming as he bonds with the band, depicting how awe inspiring their number one fan can be. However, once the clock strikes midnight, one is reminded of who he truly is on the inside. One is reminded of the fact that he is a monster who towers above all of us. He is fiercely unapologetic about every aspect of his being. First, David Littleton cracks an enjoyable smile. Then, with a perfect blend of ease and skill, he delivers the barely civil and savage parts of his character. He is wonderful.
It can be clearly noted from the outset that this flick has a lot of love and creativity behind it. I found out (from an interview with Lawrence that I strongly recommend after watching the movie) that the main four actors used to travel together in the van to the van to set and formed real bonds with one another. Certainly, witnessing the fruits of an arduous and exalting undertaking really brings in a sense of accomplishment.
The film is a VHS horror though, and it does have its share of bloody practical gore that you would take delight in. One of the highlights is a bit of indiscreet mockery and it involves two rather thoughtless metalheads who snack on a few potentially neanderthal gory onscreen moments. They, for instance, do not have the decency to PECK’s friends and turn the music down so that they could use get some much needed sleep. This does result in some summer schlock that is gory and rib-tickling to the most discerning Troma fan (which is clearly an influence when the characters are watching TV).
This makes the movie, which is otherwise jovial in nature, seem even more terrifying. The original idea for the movie was pitched as an adult swim-type sitcom of a punk band and their demon roadie. I repeat, so much fun.
Of course, the music and the other songs from the movie are amazing too. The musical numbers, like Gregory Duckworth’s other creations, are well-made and mixed. Credit goes to his other character Jeff Riddle who plays the part of Max and wrote, composed and recorded the rest of the songs.
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