Cinema Connoisseur: Sperm + Hitler = big laughs in Chillerama

Header image for Interrobang article
Chillerama (2011)

Did you ever feel a song, a book or a movie was written just for you? Well, that's the way I feel after viewing the comedy film Chillerama, recently released on home video.

Chillerama is a loving tribute to B-movies of the past that gives you four movies for the price of one — unlike the latest Harry Potter films, which gave you one movie for the price of two.

The overarching storyline revolves around the closing of a drive-in theatre, run by Cecil B. Kaufman, portrayed by character actor Richard Riehle. You may not recognize the name, but chances are you've seen him, as a quick look at his IMDB page reveals that he has starred in approximately 850,000 films. He is probably best known as Tom Smykowski, inventor of the "jumping to conclusions mat" in Office Space.

Kaufman's drive-in theatre is closing, and he is planning on going out with a bang by showcasing three films that have never before seen in the U.S. Each and every one of these films would no doubt find a place in my library if they were to be turned into full-length features. The films are:

Wadzilla — A man with a low sperm count (instead of having millions, he has one) is given an experimental drug. This medication causes the one sperm he does have to be quite aggressive. Every time he runs into an attractive woman, and inevitably becomes aroused, he feels an intense pain in his groin. Apparently this isn't normal — Note to self, book doctor's appointment ASAP.

Eventually this one sperm makes its way into the outside world and wreaks havoc. While at first it is no bigger than a mouse, it eventually becomes a giant creature of Godzilla-like proportions. Hilarity ensues as doctors and military personnel must formulate a plan to get themselves out of this sticky situation, although their plan ends up making things stickier.

I Was a Teenage Werebear — This is a bizarre cross between a 1960s Elvis Presley beach film, the 1985 Michael J. Fox comedy Teen Wolf and Brokeback Mountain. In this film, a group of homosexual teenagers turn into leather-wearing werebears whenever they become aroused. This one also features a couple of catchy musical numbers.

The Diary of Anne Frankenstein — This one is probably going to offend some people. As this one starts out, we meet the famous Holocaust victim Anne Frank and her family, who are hiding from some Nazis. We learn that the family actually shortened their last name and are distant relatives of Dr. Frankenstein. Hitler is quite interested in the idea of creating his own Frankenstein monster, and steals Dr. Frankenstein's journal to assist him. Hitler manages to create his own Jewish version of the Frankenstein monster, but with disastrous results.

The Diary of Anne Frankenstein section is the highlight of Chillerama, thanks in large part to the portrayal of Hitler by Joel David Moore (Avatar, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story). It is one of the finest comedic performances in recent memory. Hitler is presented as a bumbling buffoon with a strange obsession over a puppy jigsaw puzzle. This section of the film lasts only about 15 minutes, and I was left wanting more.

Chillerama is probably the most fun I have had watching a movie all year. If you're a fan of the classic Bmovies this film parodies, or even recent fare such as Piranha and Hobo With a Shotgun, you will absolutely love Chillerama. I wholeheartedly recommend this picture.