‘Attack of the Killer Donuts’ (review)

Produced by Nicole Saad, Rafael Diaz-Wagner
Screenplay by Nathan Dalton,
Chris De Christopher, Rafael Diaz-Wagner
Directed by Scott Wheeler
Starring Justin Ray, Kayla Compton, Michael Swan,
Alison England, Clive Burbank, C. Thomas Howell,
Fredrick Burns, Phillip Fallon, Lauren Compton,
Aaron Groben, Kassandra Voyagis

In a world where the multi multi-million dollar budgeted films rule the land and where, at this time of year the Academy Award fodder fills the multiplexes and cineramas, it is a comfort to know that schlock and passionate film making are still loving bedfellows.

Attack of the Killer Donuts is just such a film.

Somewhere in Los Angeles a disaster is rising. A mad scientist is doing his best Herbert West and trying to reanimate a dead rat.

His experiment is a success and yet it yields a horrible and hilarious byproduct when his formula is mistakenly dumped into a friolater thus creating the titular title characters!

Johnny is a schlep who’s crappy girlfriend uses him for money that he earns at his dead end job at Dandy Donuts. With his co-worker/childhood friend, Michelle and his friend, Howard, Johnny is tasked with taking down the killer pastries before they take over and eat all of The City of Angels.

This movie is terrible. This movie wonderful. I was a little saddened that most of the killer donut effects are mostly digital and that the fact that their teeth ring the inside of the donut hole makes me wonder how they actually “eat” anything, but there is enough practical killer donut effects to make this not one hundred percent bad.

I squealed with glee watching C. Thomas Howell being pelted with rubber and foam donuts while trying to fend off the monstrous confections. Oh, did I not mention that “Ponyboy” Curtis is in this film as a donut obsessed cop? Well now I did. And yes he is and he is awesome and having a great time trying not to laugh as he is eating and being eaten by… oops, spoilers.

This is not the Citizen Kane of mutated donut movies. This isn’t the Plan Nine From Outer Space of mutated donut movies. It squarely rests comfortably in the middle. It knows it is ridiculous but it isn’t self aware or an ironic take. It is what it wants to be, a good old fashion B-movie. Bad acting, peppered with good acting, scene chewing and hilariously awful effects all mix together into a tasty batter of deep fried goodness, especially the perfectly uncomfortable donut striptease… but I have said too much already.

Visual effects producer turned director, Scott Wheeler has fun and makes a perfectly fun goofy “midnight movie.”

So order a dozen assorted donuts or a box of Munchkins and sit back and laugh and cringe when the donuts attack.

Attack of The Killer Donuts is now playing in limited release and On Demand.