Uncle Peckerhead (2020) Movie Drinking Game
Take a Drink: whenever anyone mentions scones
Take a Drink: every time a cassette tape is shown
Take a Drink: when Max struggles with his stage banter
Take a Drink: every time Mel whips out her knife
Take a Drink: whenever Shiloh attempts to say (or sing) something “deep” (Fun fact: the character was based on Jared Leto, which makes it all the more hilarious)
Do a Shot: for every Peckerhead kill (seriously though, those metalheads deserved it)
By: BabyRuth (A Toast) –
Judy (Chet Siegel) has everything all planned out. Her punk band, Duh, are finally about to embark on their very first tour. One week, six stops, with a possible seventh stop back home at the biggest club in town. It is there where she hopes to finally get noticed by an indie record label which will then set Duh off to fame and fortune! Judy is so determined to make this a reality that she quits her dead-end bakery job. There’s no turning back! Eviction notices be damned!
Judy and her bandmates, guitarist/co-vocalist Max (Jeff Riddle), and drummer Mel (Ruby McCollister, who somehow is not related to Natasha Lyonne) head out to conquer the music industry. But in a stroke of terrible timing, their van gets repossessed the very day they are about to leave. Not one to let a minor detail like that stop her, Judy quickly comes up with a plan. That plan is basically to ask every van owner in town if they can borrow their vehicle. As luck would have it, they get a taker. By the name of Peckerhead (David Littleton).
Peckerhead, “Peck” for short, is a middle-aged, mild-mannered, homeless man with a Southern drawl. He offers to let Duh use his van as long he gets to come along. He even offers to be their roadie. Yeah, he’s a little odd, but the offer is too good to refuse and the band doesn’t have any other options.
The first stop on the tour doesn’t fare very well. Duh are the only band on the bill and their audience is exactly three passed out drunks. After the band gets stiffed by the bar owner, Peckerhead excuses himself for a few minutes to use the bathroom inside the venue. When Judy goes to check on him, she finds a horrific sight. Turns out Peckerhead is a cannibalistic demon monster! But only at midnight for thirteen minutes. And he’d never hurt his friends!
What to do, what to do?
A Toast
With a title like Uncle Peckerhead and the bloody poster art (which is awesome), you kind of expect a certain type of movie. Gory, ridiculous, and funny in that cheap, disposable horror kind of way. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, who doesn’t love a big, dumb splatterfest that doesn’t take itself too seriously? I wasn’t prepared to come out of this movie with much more than a decision on whether this was good-bad or bad-bad.
So it was a wonderful surprise when almost immediately I was drawn into this world, invested in these characters, and ultimately completely charmed.
This is one of those films where every piece fits together perfectly. From a solid, clever, and often extremely funny screenplay from writer/director/producer Matthew John Lawrence to the fantastic cast to the music, I absolutely adored everything about this.
The best horror films work on several levels and transcend genres. Uncle Peckerhead is also a fun road-trip movie, depicting the trials and tribulations – apart from the whole flesh-eating demon thing – of the not-so-glamorous reality of a struggling band attempting their first tour. From dirty motels to greedy venue owners, asshole promoters, and rival bands, Duh’s journey feels too real to not have been written by someone who has lived it.
Though no specific dates are referenced, the film likely takes place in an earlier time (there are cassette tapes and pay phones and not a smartphone in sight), before the present where musicians can become overnight stars via YouTube and social media. Back when a band had to pay their dues by playing empty dives hoping to someday be discovered and get signed to a record label. This was a smart choice and gives the movie a vibe that is both nostalgic and timeless.
In fact, Uncle Peckerhead would work just as well if it were simply an indie comedy about the band (though I guess then it wouldn’t be called Uncle Peckerhead). But combined with the horror element, it is something entirely original and so, so much fun.
I can’t say enough about the cast. The three leads are fully fleshed-out lovable weirdos you can’t help but root for. The actors all have backgrounds in comedy which is very apparent as their timing is spot-on. Chet Siegel is perfect as the enthusiastic Judy, her determination is infectious. Jeff Riddle is great as the tragically awkward and accident-prone Max. Ruby McCollister’s Mel is that one friend you’re always a little wary of, deeply cynical and perhaps too ready to brandish her trusty knife.
And then there is Peckerhead himself. David Littleton’s embodiment of the oddly endearing character makes him one that you won’t soon forget. Peckerhead plays with the audience’s trust along with the band’s. As he sits with the trio in a diner after his true self is revealed (along with the insides of a shady venue owner) and calmly explains and apologizes for his strange predicament, promising to never hurt his new friends, we believe it and think “well, maybe he’s not so bad after all.” There are several genuinely heartwarming (really) moments as he bonds with the band, always supporting them as their number one fan. But then midnight strikes and we’re reminded of what he really is and what he is capable of. Littleton hilariously and seamlessly transitions between the gentle hillbilly and vicious monster. He’s fantastic.
It’s evident while viewing that a lot of heart and teamwork went into the making of this movie. I learned (through an interview with Lawrence that is a highly recommended read after viewing the film) that the main four actors traveled together in the van to set and developed a genuine friendship with each other. There’s something special about watching the result of something that came together by the people involved working hard to make something purely for the love of it.
Of course, this is a horror movie, and there are several scenes of delightfully gruesome practical gore. The standout involves a couple of inconsiderate metalheads who refuse to accommodate Peck’s polite request to turn their music down so his friends can get some much-needed rest. This results in a spine-tingling, hilarious bath of blood and other bodily fluids that will satisfy the even the most discerning Troma fan (clearly an influence — Keep an eye out when the characters are watching TV).
The brutal kills feel even more so because they are such a jarring contrast to the otherwise lighthearted tone of the movie. The concept was originally pitched as an Adult Swim-type sitcom about a punk band and their demon roadie, which perfectly describes the feel. I keep using the word fun, but goddamn, it’s just so much freaking fun!
Finally, the music is great. Duh’s songs are catchy (credit to Jeff Riddle, who in addition to playing Max also wrote and recorded the music) and the musical sequences are filmed and mixed extremely well.
Verdict
Trust me on this one guys, if you are fan of horror-comedy and punk rock, do not, I repeat DO NOT sleep on Uncle Peckerhead. It is so much more than it appears to be on the surface. With its high rewatchability factor and all the makings of a future cult classic, I sure hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Duh and Peck.
*Available on VOD August 11th.
