Bunnyman: Grindhouse Edition

I'm thinking, Bunnyman: Grindhouse Edition doesn't improve an already crappy product. I haven't seen the original due to its ultra low rating and bad worth of mouth, but I'm a sucker for "Grindhouse" films and exploitation as well as the 2007 Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature, so seeing they decided to redux the original with a "Grindhouse" tinge, I HAD to bite! Well, I must report this movie is...Uyyyy! It is so so bad! But I WILL give some positives: Decent amount of blood & gore, the Grindhouse "feel" is pretty decent (the Intermission was WAY too long, I mean come on, its not a REAL intermission...is it?) but the absolute BEST BESTEST part about this version is a VERY revealing cameo of Diana Prince aka Darcy The Mail Girl from Shudder's Joe Bob's Last Drive-In! Wowza! Otherwise, I'm just thankful to have a 10-second button on my remote to skip through most of this turkey!

I didn't know what to expect when I downloaded the film. I didn't know if it was a remake or what? Turns out they re-edited the film in a Grindhouse style. It was fun to re-watch the film since it played with my memories. I'd prefer a new film, but this was a fun watch. You kinda expect one thing to happen, and then another does. Messes with your memory of the original film in a good way.

The additions did not make the movie any better. Why exactly was this redone?

I dont know how anyone liked this fiasco.

It's poorly written, poorly directed and boring as all hell.

No tension whatsoever. And the bad actors' actions make no sense.

And the soundtrack stinks.

It's just garbage.

Roger Ebert once defined a "guilty pleasure" as "when you go to a movie and everyone agrees how terrible it was, but you don't know, you kind of liked it." That's the way I feel about "Bunnyman", a 2011 horror flick about a group of 20-somethings stalked and killed by a killer wearing a bunny suit. I don't care what anybody else says, I like the film and will defend it to anyone, anytime. Now the film has been "recut" to produce "Bunnyman - The Grindhouse Edition." I know there aren't a lot of like-minded "Bunnyman Fans" (although it must have been popular enough to spawn two sequels!) but this is a big misfire to us fans.

Make no mistake - a *lot* of work was done to the film, and every bit of it unnecessary and damaging to the viewing experience. Some scenes were re-edited, some deleted scenes were added, some alternate takes were used, and I can't think of a single change that made the film better. In addition, every frame has been altered to look "damaged" and worn. Colors that were bright and clean in the original are now faded and washed out. Scenes that were well lit and clear are now dark and hard to see. Scene transitions are now gimmicky and "in your face" - wipes, split screens (side by side as well as top and bottom). Scenes stop for "freeze frames" in the middle. And that's not to mention the ridiculous gimmicks that were jammed into the film at random locations. An "intermission" with "Buy Refreshments!" commercials. Multiple "Scene Missing" sequences, and in one case they put in a random scene of Bunnyman attacking a girl in a shower. Parts where the film appears to "burn." Weird "stock footage" that sometimes matches the film and other times seems just tacked on, all with goofy overdubbed dialog. And others...

I think some of this must have been a misguided attempt at humor, but one of the things I liked about "Bunnyman" was that despite its concept it was dead serious and didn't try to temper its overwhelming creepiness with humor. On the original DVD (and yes, I own the "Bunnyman" DVD, don't judge me!) in the deleted scenes he notes that he suppressed his urge to be "overly artistic." He should have kept suppressing that urge. If you are like me and liked the original "Bunnyman" you will likely hate this version. And if you didn't like it originally, you'll probably like it even less. If the director wants more Bunnyman, I would totally be up to "Bunnyman 4" as opposed to this!