BAD MILO! (2013)

Bad Milo! (2013)
Directed by: Jacob Vaughan
Written by: Benjamin Hayes, Jacob Vaughan
Starring: Gillian Jacobs, Ken Marino, Kumail Nanjiani, Mary Kay Place, Patrick Warburton, Peter Stormare, Stephen Root

BAD MILO (2013)
Directed by Jacob Vaughan

When the pressures of his job, his manipulative boss, his nagging mother and her toyboy lover and the prospect of starting a family with his loving wife reach boiling point, Duncan’s life-long bowel issues become so severe he is booked in for surgery by his doctor. What Duncan doesn’t realise is that his anxiety has manifested itself in the form of a small gremlin that has taken residence inside his anus and goes on a killing spree when Duncan is stressed! With the help of his hypnotherapist, Duncan has to tame the ass gremlin, which he names Milo, to control its appetite for blood otherwise everyone around him – his workmates, his parents, his wife – could be in danger.

Imagine Joe Dante’s Gremlins except the Gizmo character is a furless creature that lives in the anus of a guy in his thirties and you have BAD MILO!. Tongue-in-cheek and bloody, this comedy horror from executive producers the Duplass Brothers is a sure fire cult hit. Not only does it feature the aforementioned and titular ass gremlin but it also stars one of my favourite actors, Peter Stormare, as Duncan’s quirky therapist who’s the only person Duncan has shared his secret with. Now, you wouldn’t think having an ass gremlin would be that problematic, besides the obvious pain when it decides to venture in and out of its snug home, but the problem is that Milo only erupts out of Duncan’s arse when Duncan is stressed with someone, and that person becomes the target of the hungry, razor-toothed creature. With his stress levels through the roof, particularly caused by those close to him, Duncan suddenly finds that the lives of his loved ones are at risk from Milo and must do everything in his power to stop it.

Having a film like this relies upon some slick writing and a talented cast and thankfully BAD MILO! has both. Director Jacob Vaughan and Benjamin Hayes take care of the writing duties whilst Ken Marino stars as the stress-ball Duncan who every day feels as though his life couldn’t get any worse and yet each day it does. Duncan’s cunning boss (Patrick Warburton) takes advantage of his kind nature turning his job into a living hell. His home life isn’t any better either. Duncan’s mother (Mary Kay Place) has herself a toyboy in the form of Bobbi (Kumail Nanjiani) and their public displays of affection, boasts of their sex life and expectations of Duncan sends his anxiety into overdrive. Whilst supportive, his wife (Gillian Jacobs) too has her own requirements of Duncan as she yearns for a family with him, but with his newly discovered ass demon, starting a family is far down on Duncan’s to-do list. Milo is now his priority and his major concern as he attempts to control the troublesome creature.

One of the things that struck me as the film started was the score over the opening credits. For a movie that is essentially an adult horror comedy, the score is upbeat and dramatic and reminds me of the scores composed for family adventure and action movies. The odd juxtaposition of an excitable tempo fits this movie really well, in its own strange way, and brought a smile to my face long before the toilet humour presented itself.

When I told my friends that I’d just watched a film about a gremlin that lives up some guy’s ass and goes on a murder rampage, I was met with giggles and this is what you will find yourself doing throughout this entertaining flick. BAD MILO! is damn funny and a blast to watch should the humour appeal to you as it does me. It kind of reminds me of the Boglins I had as a child which were gremlins that lived in the toilet (they could have well come from inside someone’s anus, come to think of it). The creature itself is really cute to look at with its large black eyes swallowing your soul, a bit like the baby alien born in the backseat of the car in Men In Black. Though when its insatiable appetite rears its ugly head, Milo turns into a ferocious little demon you’d want as far away from you as possible. With little arms and legs, this fella can run and with its sharp teeth and nails, it won’t think twice about ripping your throat out or slicing your body. However, this is the least of the horrors. The most horrific part is watching Duncan wince and scream as Milo climbs in and out of his anus. How is this possible, you might add? Well, as Peter Stormare’s character analyses, “I guess your ass is like a vagina”.

For those wishing Gremlins was more vicious, rude and originated from deep within the colon, BAD MILO! will be right up your street. Or ass.

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