Not too long ago, IMDB introduced a new feature to their website called the Parents Guide. The goal was to give parents a quick rundown of risqué, violent or suggestive scenes from films, and allow them to make quick decisions as to whether or not they should allow their child to watch said movies. Parents who felt aghast that Spielberg would show a scene where a father was unable to reach his child’s outstretched hand, as in the 1991 classic Hook, might choose to skip ahead, while other parents who are appalled by children debating whether or not Wolfman has “nards”, could forgo all of Shane Black and Fred Dekker’s 1987 monster mashup Monster Squad. However, should one day their children ask them if they can sit down and watch a screening of Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil’s new film Krazy House, the Finnigan’s Wake length Parental Guide for the film will have parents reeling.
The film marks the Dutch duo’s fifth full length feature, and their English language debut. The story is set in the absurd yet cookie-cutter world of Krazy House, a tv sitcom about the bumbling antics of a strongly devout Christian father (Nick Frost), and all the mishaps and messes he gets himself into. He is backed by his co stars, his overworked wife (Alicia Silverstone), his science obsessed atheistic son (Walt Klink), and his chewing gum obsessed daughter with a disgusting habit of swallowing every bit of gum she chews (Gaite Jansen). When one day a trio of mysterious construction equipment wielding soviets arrive at their house, the lives of the entire sitcom family, and indeed the fabric of their reality, become torn asunder.
Fans of Peter Hyam’s mind-bending cult classic Stay Tuned might find themselves in familiar territory in the absurd and wild world of this film. Indeed echoes of the 1992 cult classic ripple out through every single one of this film’s horrifyingly yet delectable scenes. This time, instead of our characters being shuffled through an infinite hellscape of demon haunted TV programs, as in Stay Tuned, Krazy House explores what might happen should the characters be forced to stay on just one single channel for an extended period of time. The result is a grueling blood-fueled romp through a flaming hellscape of obscenity that will either have you rolling on the floor, or running to church.
There is a large swath of the public that will find the happenings of this film to be a bit too much for their taste. Even in the grotesque world of modern horror, there are still some things that are just considered “taboo” for audiences, and Krazy House breaks just about every single one of them. A cult-classic in the making, this one is not for the faint of heart. It is a must see for anyone seeking to satiate the nihilist that secretly lurks within themselves. The price of admission? Just leave your moral compass at the door.
