Jack Brooks (Trevor Matthews) is a young plumber with a temper problem. He's had it ever since his childhood, when he witnessed a hairy monster devouring his family after an evening of music and campfires. He deeply regrets not stepping in to help his family, and the incident has left him with an unquenchable anger that he constantly struggles to control. To make matters worse, his frustration is fueled by an annoying girlfriend (Rachel Skarsten), a clueless shrink, and a dead-end plumbing job.

One night, however, everything changes after his college professor, Crowley (Robert Englund), asks Jack to fix some pipes in his formerly abandoned house. Jack agrees, but unknowingly releases an ancient evil while unscrewing something. After Jack goes home for the evening, the evil forces find their way inside Professor Crowley and take over his mind and body.

The next day in class, Crowley acts a little strange. He arrives unkempt and half-conscious, then begins eating everything in sight. It isn't long before he transforms into a gruesome, abhorrent monstrosity with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Will Jack stand by and allow his classmates to meet their demise at the hands of the monster, or will he avenge his family's death and kick some monster butt?

The task of blending horror with comedy is daunting. In Hollywood, filmmakers often approach the concept as a horror movie with comic elements, but the humor ends up watering down the thrills, and the results are too cheesy to be thrilling or funny. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer doesn't go that route. Instead, director and co-writer Jon Knautz presents the film as a simple black comedy about monsters. The horror elements are integrated seamlessly into the plot and never feel obtrusive to its ingenious sense of humor.

As the title character, newcomer Trevor Matthews may prove to be the breakout star of the year. He concocts the perfect combination of frustration, self-awareness, and sarcasm, creating a fully dimensional, comic book-style character that has the potential to spawn a successful franchise. Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Brooks could be the birth of a new breed of cult cinema.

Of course, Matthews benefits from the star power of horror veteran Robert Englund, who has taken a break from Freddy Krueger films for tongue-in-cheek flicks like this. Englund delivers the most hilarious performance of his career here, by far. His absurd demeanor and knack for physical comedy will undoubtedly bring the house down. Get ready to laugh your socks off.

The DVD includes a commentary track, deleted scenes, storyboards, and several making-of featurettes.



Which way to the nurse's office!?