Group therapy takes on a whole new meeting in this horror-comedy that can be best described as Halloweentown for adults.
Local psychiatrist Dr. Stanley Cole has found himself in a dilemma he never imagined. When he is asked to take over an AA group meeting, he thinks at first that the group involves alcoholics. However, he soon learns that the group consists of people who are fixated and obsessed with the abnormal as they live in a world where both creatures and humans co-exist. There are those who want to bring the two different worlds together and there are those who do not.
One such case is Nick Reid, who is the one who asked Stan to take over the group meetings. Nick is in his own dilemma as his fiancée is cheating on him as he refuses to go out with her. When he is kidnapped by the Boogeyman, whose superior, the witch Hildie, plans to show the superiority of monsters against humans, Nick finds himself at a crossroads. Meanwhile, Stanley learns about Nick’s kidnapping as does Alyssa, Nick’s fiancée, who has a secret agenda against certain monsters. Will Nick be able to get out of his jam and find a way to show that monsters and humans can truly co-exist without war brewing?
From the insane minds of director Michael Leavy and co-writers Jason Leavy and Steven Della Salla comes this hilarious adult version of Disney’s Halloweentown film series, set in a world where monsters and humans co-exist, all with those who embrace the two worlds and those who don’t. From the opening scene alone, you know this is going to be a funny horror film that makes the most of its B-movie style budget, bringing both scares in certain areas but more laughable content.
The title refers to a group of humans who arrive in a group meeting to discuss their desires with the abnormal and in terms of certain members of the group, they provide such hysterics. In the case of Ed Heavey’s Dave, his obsession with the Tooth Fairy leads him to do something abnormal and get some karma handed to him as well as Renae Geerling’s Bella, who loves hearing the others tell their stories so much she urges them to keep going as if she has some secret obsession herself.
Nathan Reid and Bruce Davison are two of the driving forces of the film. Reid’s Nick is perhaps the protagonist of the film as he attempts to find a way to bring both worlds together. While he is kidnapped by Madam Hildie and the Boogeyman, he does find reliable allies, both human and creature, to help him in his time of need. Davison, as the doctor who ends up in charge of the “AA” group, helps Nick out when needed but also has his own obsession with the creatures as it is revealed his wife, Bubbles, is a mermaid who looks strikingly familiar to that of a Disney Princess. Instead of the good natured Aggie Cromwell, we have the very evil Madam Hildie, played wonderfully by Police Academy alumnus Leslie Easterbrook, who plans to show that creatures are far more superior and should unleash that level of power.
There are some hilarious moments in the characters of Frank Stein, played by Jim Hanks; The Sandman, played by Richmond Shepard; Pig Man, played by Gilbert Gottfried, and the kindhearted Bernie the Cyclops, played by former wrestler and Halloween’s Michael Myers of the Rob Zombie era, Tyler Mane. In a particular scene where Frank is letting his feelings out, Sandman provides some of the most laughable moments when he attempts to get through to Bernie, whose kindheartedness gets the best of him.
In the end, Abnormal Attraction is a funny tale that has some scares at times, but proves to be more of a laugh out loud indie film that is without a doubt, Halloweentown for adults.
WFG RATING: B+
A Fuzz on the Lens Production. Director: Michael Leavy. Producers: Steven Della Salla, Michael Leavy, and Jason Leavy. Writers: Steven Della Salla, Michael Leavy, and Jason Leavy. Cinematography: Steven Della Salla. Editing: Michael Leavy.
Cast: Bruce Davison, Nathan Reid, Leslie Easterbrook, Nicole Balsam, Jason Leavy, Jim Hanks, Richmond Shepard, Tyler Mane, Gilbert Gottfried, Melanie Iglesias, Jim Hanks, Renae Geerlings, Ed Heavey, Michael Leavy, Lesleh Donaldson, Malcolm McDowell, Rom Jeremy.
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