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Monsters, Marriage and Murder in Manchvegas (2009)
Reviewed By Robert Long II
Starring Matt Farley, Bryan Fortin , Kyle Kochan, Tiffany L’Heureux, Kevin McGee, Sharon Scalzo, Tom Scalzo
(description from the IMDb)
“A maniacal slasher is on the loose in the normally peaceful town of Manchvegas. Will the Manchvegas Outlaw Society (M.O.S.), a spirited group of adventurous entrepreneurs, be able to solve the case? More important, will Marshall, leader of M.O.S., start dating Jenny, his cute second-in-command?”
From the people that gave you FREAKY FARLEY (2007) comes a movie unlike anything you have ever seen. Charles Roxburgh and Matt Farley bring audiences another adventure/comedy with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Take one part Nancy Drew, mix it with a dash of Scooby Doo, and throw in a large dollup of Pee Wee Herman. Blend it with monsters in the woods and a maniac on the prowl, and you have Monsters, Marriage and Murder in Manchvegas.
As the brief description above stated, there is a serial killer on the loose in Manchvegas. The Manchvegas Outlaw Society – which consists of Marshall (Matt Farley), Jenny, and All-Star Pete – are bent on finding the murderer and apprehending them. Well, at least Marshall is. Jenny would rather get Marshall interested in dating her. There is also the plot of a daughter of a wealthy man; she goes skinny dipping and gets kidnapped by a tribe of monsters living in the woods. Add to this the kooky hijinx and practical jokes of the MOS squad, and you are starting to get the flavor of this movie.
Folks that will enjoy this are those 14 and over in age that watch it with an open mind. The characters are in their mid to late 20s but live the life of young teens. They have no jobs, life is simple, and they communicate to one another over tin can phones. The city of Manchvegas lives in total fantasy, and the acting of all concerned is exaggerated because of this. The movie can go from light-hearted to serious in a drop of a hat (this movie does involve more than one murder) but never takes itself too seriously.
Shot on 16mm film, this movie shares a lot in common with its sister movie FREAKY FARLEY. Skinny dipping scenes, monsters in the woods, a goofy fantasy world, and more than a couple actors appear in both films. The DVD is loaded with features, including a fun “Making of” featurette. There is of course an audio commentary, but unfortunately it is hard to listen to: one of the people is speaking over a phone. At best in the future I would suggest that those doing the commentary both be at the same location for the event.
This is not a perfect movie, and the overacting of some of the actors can get a bit trying from time to time. However, the makers of the films have their hearts in the right place and believe in giving the audience as much entertainment that they can. For an independent low budget film it’s a lot of fun. I give it 6 out of 10 stars. You can buy MONSTERS, MARRIAGE AND MURDER IN MANCHVEGAS and FREAKY FARLEY here.