Doghouse (2009)
Directed by: Jake West
Written by: Dan Schaffer
Starring: Danny Dyer, Emil Marwa, Noel Clarke, Stephen Graham
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
A group of men head to a remote village to help one of their friends get over his divorce; when they get there, though, they discover that all the women have been infected with a virus that makes them man-hating cannibals.
The Hughes Verdict
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8rsPuFN8wg[/youtube]
Shaun of the dead has a lot to answer for…..
Its as simple as that really as the ingenious end product of that film has spawned so many versions, all crying out to match or even better the Simon Pegg film, that to be quite honest its a pointless task. That’s not saying Doghouse does not have its moments…its just its those moments that have been ripped from a better film!
The film starts off with a group of mates, all in the “doghouse” with their partners as they are all off on an all boys bender. Heading off to the town of Moodley which is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a large dense forest…they discover the place quiet with not a soul in sight until they come across a woman who for some reason is full of rage and has a lust for blood. They soon realise to they horror that the entire population of the village women have been effected by a toxin that has turned them into Cannibals and with no way of escape, the gang have to fight back and survive the onslaught.
I love the way these new films of an old genre try to get away from saying the word “Zombie” as that is what these women are all but name. This is not the first film to do it, a certain 28 Days film done the same technique, and it also will not be the last, its just annoying as this is what these things are. Its only a minor grumble and its no point talking about the word plot when Doghouse is concerned as there is hardly any, and what is of a script is old and cliche as some of the characters on offer here.
We have the male pig who believes all women love and want to have him….the film nerd…the divorced sad man…even a token gay character….all lazy roles that offer nothing new to us horror fans who are looking for something different.
That’s not to say Doghouse is a waste of time. A strong British cast of Danny Dyer, Noel Clarke and Stephen (This Is England) Graham, all seem to be having a whale of a time, a spirit that seems to carry through the film.
Watching the three men in a strange role as from being the usual hard cases they portray makes a refreshing change especially as we see Clarke in a dress which give me a little snigger. In fact I found myself laughing a few times at some of the gags in the script…the finger food scene is priceless and the angry exchange between Clarke and the solider on discovery of a gun also brought laughs in my household.
The saving factor of the film is the way it does not take itself at all seriously, its like the actors and the makers knew exactly that they could not better Shaun Of The Dead so they thought sod it. lets have fun and it works perfectly. The women Zombi……sorry creatures, do get tiresome after a while, and the film stay’s safe with the formula, but the running time of 89 minutes is perfect as it does not become too repetitive on the brain.
Its safe to say this is a “lads” film as there are many sexist jokes on offer and while this had mixed reviews, it should find a home with a gang of boys who want a few cans after a night out. Exactly like those portrayed here!
OVERALL: Nowhere near the class or quality of Shaun, but its a decent watch and a million miles better than the awful Lesbian Vampire Killers which does not say much!
Rating: 
[pt-filmtitle]Doghouse[/pt-filmtitle]
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