Flapjax

Flapjax

A zany comedy horror made with a genuine love of cinema

Arrow Bentley may sound like a comic-book superhero, but his life is decidedly less exciting. He’s devoted his heart and soul to his beloved job as a manager at a fast-food chain. Every day, he convinces himself all over again that he’s living the dream. But one day, everything changes. He receives orders from above to bring back the restaurant’s signature item: the legendary flapjaxs. Once you’ve tasted them, you can’t live without them. Arrow learns this the hard way when his own mother becomes hooked on the treat. But that’s not even the worst of it. The real problem is that Arrow has unwittingly become part of a much bigger, more monstrous scheme.

“Flapjax” is a wildly offbeat mash-up of horror, comedy and sci-fi, serving up a bizarre plot and over-the-top characters alongside some truly nasty, disturbingly realistic make-up effects. Arrow is an easy character to relate to. His long-winded, naive speeches about workplace culture and corporate loyalty are enough to put a smile on even the grumpiest face. “Flapjax” is a wonderfully unhinged film, made with the enthusiasm of an employee of the month and a genuine love of cinema. The best proof of that is the appearance in a supporting role of Lloyd Kaufman, the legendary founder of cult studio Troma and a two-time special guest at Splat!FilmFest, who doesn’t hand out his seal of approval just to anyone.

“Flapjax” is directed by Rocko Zevenbergen, whose previous work includes “I Need You Dead!”, about a teenage punk who must face a monster bent on taking over the world. His films radiate a genuine joy in the creative process, and “Flapjax” combines an unwavering love of B-movies with a distinctive authorial touch. Alongside Kaufman, the cast includes Gabriel Cagan, Georgia Kate Haege, Madeline Barbush, Estevan Muñoz, Kaoru Koide, Takumi Mitobe and Daniel Berkey. Together, they bring this motley crew of eccentrics vividly to life on screen.