Holliston (Blu-ray / DVD)
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Starring Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Laura Ortiz, Corri English, Dee Snider, Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus)
Created by Adam Green
Distributed by Image Entertainment
“Holliston” is a goddamn funny show.
Television has never catered to horror fans in such a stupendous way as it does with “Holliston,” and any lover of the genre is sure to go head over heels for Adam Green’s FEARnet show. “Holliston” is quirky, gory, incredibly unique and absolutely laugh-out-loud funny. Horror fans, this show is custom made for you!
To sum up the series, Adam Green and Joe Lynch play Adam and Joe, two down-on-their-luck guys whose dream is to make horror movies. They host a local cable access horror show (“The Movie Crypt with Adam and Joe”), but that’s about as far as they’ve come. They go through a series of hijinks in both their everyday lives and their quest to scrape together enough money to make a promotional trailer for their film, Shinpads, about an undead soccer team resurrected from the dead to take revenge! Muwahaha!
In addition to Adam and Joe, who are absolutely lovable in their roles, is an outstanding supporting cast. Laura Ortiz and Corri English are the gorgeous female leads; Ortiz plays Joe’s girlfriend, Laura, and English is Corri, Adam’s ex-girlfriend/friend/love interest/reason for living. The connection between Corri and Adam gives Green tons of opportunity for comedy both as a writer and performer. Their ambiguous relationship is the stuff legendary sitcoms are built on. Adam and Corri play much like Sam Malone and Diane Chambers in “Cheers” or Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley in the early seasons of “The Office.” Viewers embrace an unsettled love story (yes, even in a horror sitcom), and these two deliver. Corri’s partner-in-crime, Laura, is unlike any character I can recall in a sitcom, ever. She is incredibly cute and sweet, but she may also be the darkest character on the show (hell, she might be the darkest character on television). Ortiz is magnificent in the role, thoroughly entertaining with brilliant comedic delivery that almost makes you forget she’s painting pictures of dead clown fetuses.
And we must not forget the resident rock stars of “Holliston.” Not one, but two legendary frontmen are cast members on the show. The iconic Dee Snider plays Lance Rockett. Lance is 54 years old and the definition of “stuck in the ’80s.” He’s is over-the-top with his makeup, insane wardrobe, ambiguous sexuality and devotion to Diver Down, his Van Halen cover band. Snider is a great addition to the cast. And then…who better to play Adam’s imaginary best friend, an alien-space beast that lives in his closet and dishes out horrible advice at the worst possible time, than Oderus Urungus, frontman of GWAR, played by Dave Brockie. As a viewer, you’re never exactly sure when Oderus is going to turn up, but you find yourself anxiously anticipating his unique contributions to each show.
So you’ve got a stellar cast performing a hilarious script all based on the life of two wannabe horror directors. Sounds awesome, right? But wait; there’s more! As horror fans, we love nothing more than the iconic stars from our favorite horror films. “Holliston” gives you plenty of that with an amazing number of celebrity guest stars. Some play themselves, like John Landis, Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris and Tony Todd, and others just show up in random roles. Among the horror stars you’ll see in the show are Bill Moseley, Derek Mears, Kane Hodder and Ray Wise just to name a few. There is also a Seth Green sighting that provides one of the funniest situations of the entire season. These beloved actors are a huge addition to “Holliston” and just another example of how the creators of the show are in tune with their audience.
The more you watch “Holliston,” the more it draws you in, and the rewatchability is off the charts. Some repetitive gags that are funny the first time around are absolutely hilarious when watched again. From the camel toe Twitter profile pic to the Market Basket to the bathtub episode that seemed like a bathroom version of Frozen, “Holliston” delivers in all six episodes, leaving you wanting more. Thankfully we’re treated to a slew of special features on the Blu-ray/DVD that almost make you feel like part of the crew. There are tons of segments focusing on such things as the stars of the show, the celebrity guests, the makeup team and the F/X crew as well as an alternative intro, alternative ending and a blooper reel that will have you falling off your chair. “Holliston” is a goddamn funny show.
Appropriately described as a sick-com, “Holliston” has the feel of a classic sitcom, laugh track and all. The majority of it is filmed in just a couple of rooms, and the cast members continuously find themselves in outrageous situations. Think “The Honeymooners” meets The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. No, it’s not a horror film and we’re not used to reviewing sitcoms here on Dread Central, but I’ve been a lifelong fan of comedy and can’t recommend this Blu-ray/DVD enough. Adam Green and his team deliver in a big way with “Holliston.” Be sure to check it out!
Special Features
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4 out of 5
Categorized:Reviews
