Shopping malls have been a preferred location in horror films that don't take themselves too seriously for a while. Another example would be "Zombieland" and this is also the case for "Killer Kart" from 3 years ago. The writer and director is James Feeney. He has worked on a handful other (horror) films, but these 15 minutes may be his most famous effort to this date. A girl who works at said department store runs into a bloodlusty shopping kart. With the help of a janitor, she manages to kill it, but the ending shows us that things are far from over. I was actually wondering what would be the case with the other karts. I enjoyed this short film and I wonder if they will possibly turn this into a full feature movie and how it's gonna work out. In any case, I recommend these 15 minutes, especially to horror movie lovers, which I myself am not, but still it was a good watch.
8 Reviews
Pretty camera work doesn't cover up the dull idea and poor execution
AstenCulloski26 November 2015
I love stupid comedy and I love horror, but it's very difficult to mix the two effectively and create a good byproduct. First of all, if you're making a horror spoof the viewer shouldn't be confused as to whether the film is comedy or completely serious. It took until the first cheesy line from Cass's boyfriend (when she found him outside) for me to realize it was actually supposed to be funny.
Killer Kart has way too much screaming, not enough comedy, and looks as if the director took the subject matter too seriously, and secretly wanted to make it 100% horror. The dialogue was atrocious, and the clichés ever- present. The casting was very stereotypical of horror movies as well: tiny helpless screaming girls, a douchey guy that only thinks about sex, and a huge burly man that everyone thinks is a dick.
The camera angles and production quality were rather high though, which makes the film look good, whether or not it actually is. But the boring dialogue, character, and premise of the entire situation is dull and leaves creativity in the dark.
Killer Kart has way too much screaming, not enough comedy, and looks as if the director took the subject matter too seriously, and secretly wanted to make it 100% horror. The dialogue was atrocious, and the clichés ever- present. The casting was very stereotypical of horror movies as well: tiny helpless screaming girls, a douchey guy that only thinks about sex, and a huge burly man that everyone thinks is a dick.
The camera angles and production quality were rather high though, which makes the film look good, whether or not it actually is. But the boring dialogue, character, and premise of the entire situation is dull and leaves creativity in the dark.
It never takes itself too seriously and really delivers on the laughs!
planktonrules8 December 2015
This horror film might just have been the funniest film at the festival and it worked because the premise is so thoroughly absurd! When the film begins, a young lady is working her first night as the manager of a grocery store. However, this would be no ordinary night and soon co- workers start dropping like flies as an angry shopping cart begins killing them off, one by one!! Can they possibly stop this angry cart and save themselves? And why would a cart do such things in the first place?! As I said, the film is totally absurd but it works so well because James Feeney managed to make a shopping cart look evil...with snapping jaws and a thirst for blood! He also did some imaginative and tricky camera shots which he described during a question and answer session following the film. The bottom line is that the audience howled with laughter and I've rarely seen a crowd this excited and this happy when the final credits rolled!
Manages to look cheesy and awful without actually being that way – enjoyable 80's b-movie spoof
bob the moo2 March 2015
Cass is the young manager of a grocery store who is shutting up for the night. A power cut brings her onto the shop floor to investigate, where she finds young employee Bailey frozen with fear and screaming uncontrollably. Running for help she learns that a killer is on the loose and is picking off the employees one at a time.
I did not mention it in my little plot summary there, but the title of this will tell you that the killer of the piece is none other a standard supermarket trolley. The next thing the titles and opening of the film will hint to you is that this short is made in the comedy/horror style of the 1980's – particularly the low budget effort of Evil Dead 2 comes to mind, with its focus on the excessive and gory fun. As such the film walks a very careful line, because it needs to be cheesy and terrible-looking, but at the same time has to avoid actually being those things. This it does pretty well as it mostly gets the feel of the genre, with its bad dialogue, gory effects, and sense of fun, but yet the cast and film also deliver it straight, with the screaming loud and without a sense of irony at all. This continues to the ending, which I also liked a lot.
It is not perfect though, it perhaps could have built more tension by having more than a couple of scenes of stalking; I also was not totally sold on Cass – I thought she was good at the start, but Rodriguez wasn't able to totally transform into Ash in the way that the ending really needed her to do. The other cast do well in support – Bouchard bringing that 80's exposition, while Schaefer more than ticks the two key boxes of the genre by looking cute and being a great screamer. The production standards are high, with the effects managing to be absurd but yet also effective; okay it isn't really "frightening" but then this was not the point, since really the type of films it spoofs were not really frightening in that way either.
It is silly and what it does will make it feel disposable and easy, but this should not detract from the way that the film knows what it wants and delivers on it really well, with a gory, silly spoof that manages to get the genre right, but also rise above it at the same time.
I did not mention it in my little plot summary there, but the title of this will tell you that the killer of the piece is none other a standard supermarket trolley. The next thing the titles and opening of the film will hint to you is that this short is made in the comedy/horror style of the 1980's – particularly the low budget effort of Evil Dead 2 comes to mind, with its focus on the excessive and gory fun. As such the film walks a very careful line, because it needs to be cheesy and terrible-looking, but at the same time has to avoid actually being those things. This it does pretty well as it mostly gets the feel of the genre, with its bad dialogue, gory effects, and sense of fun, but yet the cast and film also deliver it straight, with the screaming loud and without a sense of irony at all. This continues to the ending, which I also liked a lot.
It is not perfect though, it perhaps could have built more tension by having more than a couple of scenes of stalking; I also was not totally sold on Cass – I thought she was good at the start, but Rodriguez wasn't able to totally transform into Ash in the way that the ending really needed her to do. The other cast do well in support – Bouchard bringing that 80's exposition, while Schaefer more than ticks the two key boxes of the genre by looking cute and being a great screamer. The production standards are high, with the effects managing to be absurd but yet also effective; okay it isn't really "frightening" but then this was not the point, since really the type of films it spoofs were not really frightening in that way either.
It is silly and what it does will make it feel disposable and easy, but this should not detract from the way that the film knows what it wants and delivers on it really well, with a gory, silly spoof that manages to get the genre right, but also rise above it at the same time.
A stupid comedy
tferrano1 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Though it looks like horror, noting is actually horrible. The lines are extremely ridiculous, the action is not natural at all, and the story is a complete joke. This film looks nice but it really is just a student film. Besides this, the cart that eats people is a absurd idea. Although it is funny, it is no horrifying because it is not real. Nobody can get scared because it has an unbelievable story. No one is gonna believe this. The lines from the shopkeeper is ridiculously funny and weird. No people will really say that in such conditions. It really s***. Also, I think the ending the fake customers being eaten by a cart. I mean people make those carts, why don't we destroy them? Besides, if the theme is they are angry because nobody is putting them back in their original position, it doesn't make sense. The shopkeeper usually get them back in place. so this entire film is a complete joke.
Killer Kart hits just enough notes and meets campy horror expectations without taking itself too seriously
tye-morris7 September 2020
Coming from the generation who grew up with the Evil Dead franchise helping to define the genre, I would like to think I have somewhat high standards when it comes to camp-horror/macabre satire; I have to admit I started watching this short film thinking it wouldn't measure up. I'm glad I gave it a chance.
Killer Kart hits all the right notes; it's over-the-top where it needs to be, is well paced, and satirizes well-worn horror tropes just enough to not be preachy while still managing to be ridiculous enough to make me laugh.
Extra kudos for the subtle (and some not-so-subtle) homages to other much-loved horror/sci-fi classics.
Satan's Shopping Cart
ApeSht27 May 2022
If you like nonstop grating metal noises, loud screeching women screaming the whole movie and guys yelling over and over and over until your ear drums bleed, then this is the movie for you.
I had to turn my phone volume to 2 out of 10 because I thought the incessant cacophony would shatter my screen.
Pass.
I had to turn my phone volume to 2 out of 10 because I thought the incessant cacophony would shatter my screen.
Pass.
nice
Kirpianuscus23 November 2019
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