Film Reviews

Lesbian Vampire Killers

• Rating:
• Director: Phil Claydon
• Starring: James Corden
• Details: UK/86mins (16)

The title alone will sell this film to some audiences, but even with expectations at a sufficiently lowered level, this will still disappoint those looking for some cheap laughs. Gavin and Stacey pairing James Corden and Matthew Horne play best-buds Fletch and Jimmy, who decide to go on holiday, after Jimmy's girlfriend dumps him for the umpteenth time. The problem is, though, that they have no money, so allow fate to decide where they'll go on a home holiday in good auld Blighty, by throwing a dart at a map of England. The town they end up in has a strange past, full of curses, lesbian vampires, and men with retro haircuts from the late 1800's. On the up side, there is a gang of ridiculously attractive backpackers, who seem naive enough to sleep with one of them. Problems arise, however, when the lads realise they're merely meat for the titular lesbian vampires to chew on. This really should have been a lot of fun; hot television stars, a ridiculous premise with bags of potential for comedy gold, and absurdly attractive women, wearing very few clothes... kissing each other. But LVK just tries far too hard. It essentially opens with Corden uttering rapid-fire expletives, and finishes with Corden uttering rapid-fire expletives - which becomes exasperating after about the first twenty minutes. The comedy from Gavin and Stacey comes from somewhere completely different than this - it's subtle and character based - here it's very much of the slapstick variety, which would've been fine if some of the gags were allowed room to breathe. It's basically cursing, boobs, cursing, boobs, vampire biting someone, then kissing them, boobs and some more cursing. All of these things are entertaining enough on their own, there's no need to oversell them. If you religiously buy Nuts magazine for the articles just as much as the pictures, then chances are this will crack you up; for everyone else, it may offer a few chuckles, but not a lot more.

Review by Mike Sheridan