Taking place in Salem County, we meet Bridge (Sully Erna), a law enforcer who gave up the big-city beat to return home and preserve his father\u2019s legacy. Even though Salem County typically isn\u2019t a hotbed for crime, a Cops-like reality show still picked Bridge\u2019s department as their next episode, which also means Bridge has to chauffeur around host Kayla (Jackie Moore) and her cameraman Dave (Joey Fatone). As Bridge\u2019s patrol looks like just another mundane day, the reality show catches a break when a domestic disturbance is called in at a residential house. Expecting an argument, Bridge winds up finding a dead family, loud noises, a golden light, and two responding officers already in a world of danger. As the night progresses, our reality show crew gets way more footage than they bargained for \u2013 most of it too unbelievable to even comprehend. The forces Bridge has to face aren\u2019t of this world, but with the help of a crazy veteran (Michael Berryman), an already arrested criminal (Nick Principe), Kayla, and Dave, humanity still has a fighting chance \u2013 not much of one, but still, a chance.<\/p>\n
Writer\/Director Tom DeNucci assuredly asserts himself as a horror fan through a nostalgic script full of cheeky references and the cameo casting of famous genre faces, but in doing so, Army Of The Damned becomes a low-budget, clich\u00e9 ridden, copycat title deader than Fatone\u2019s singing career. Shooting for B-Movie glory, DeNucci makes too many fatal mistakes that horror fans simply won\u2019t stomach, relying on an overabundance of unfunny comedy and gratuitous gore \u2013 without establishing any resemblance of horror.<\/p>\n
Before any possessions start taking place and \u201cThe Damned\u201d start attacking, every character makes the annoyingly over-foreshadowing mistake of exclaiming how \u201cnothing happens in this town,\u201d how \u201cthey\u2019d wish something exciting would happen,\u201d how \u201cSalem County is so quiet\u201d \u2013 stop, we get it \u2013 SOME UNHOLY APOCALYPSE IS HEADED TOWARDS SULLY ERNA AND HIS GANG. If you want to be coy and snarky, have one single character spit out something cheesy, like \u201cNothing bad EVER happens in this town!\u201d \u2013 then have him look at the camera, wink, and walk towards certain doom. It\u2019s this muddled genre inexperience that makes Army Of The Damned seem like child\u2019s play compared to projects that understand true horror fans, as DeNucci\u2019s script treats long-time bloodhounds like first-time virgins.<\/p>\n
Even more immature is Army Of The Damned\u2018s sense of comedy, which either stupidly wastes our time, or comes off as surprisingly entertaining. The good? Look no further than Nick Principe, who plays a thuggish goon turned demon hunter after showing up with Bridge\u2019s backup as their perp. Principe belongs in B-Movies, has tremendous fun being the goofy comedic relief, and carries a bulk of the charm on his broad shoulders, but he\u2019s weighed down by other less wittily crafted characters like, you guessed it \u2013 Joey Fatone. Poor, poor Joey, being reduced to nothing but fat jokes, as he\u2019s either seen commenting on his lack of snacks, eating Twizzlers, or eating ice cream. These juvenile, sad \u201cjokes\u201d that poke fun at gelatinous blubber really deflate Army Of The Damned, as our attempts to invest ourselves in a satanic story are gobbled up by Fatone\u2019s force-fed diet. Horror comedies are not easy, especially when working with F-grade open-mic material.<\/p>\n
Then again, not everything bored me to tears, and when \u201cThe Damned\u201d become ravenous killing machines, Sully Erna and friends jump into action for some slow-motion, weirdly kinetic, visually confusing, but sometimes undeniably fun action. Some of the gore is viciously brutal, \u201cThe Damned\u201d approach a fun angle of transforming hacked-off body parts into upgraded weaponry, and an evil Tony Todd is undeniably badass, but when true choreography was asked for, the fight scenes fell flat and turned into playground cuddle struggles. Oh yeah, and what does Joey Fatone do as a demon? Still eats Twizzlers. C\u2019mon. Oh, and the bright light? Whatever, that plot aggravation isn\u2019t even worth my rage.<\/p>\n
Army Of The Damned is a junior horror effort that strives too hard to be a cult-hit B-Movie. When are filmmakers going to learn that achieving overnight success happens by surprise, and that you can\u2019t force grindhouse style filmmaking \u2013 it has to flow. No matter how many legendary horror actors you sign to your picture, a weak script will sink you in a heartbeat, leaving true horror fans angry and annoyed. Tom DeNucci essentially creates one long Godsmack music video, because of course Sully Erna is going to lend his talents to the soundtrack \u2013 but these might be the only highlight reel moments.<\/p>\n
Honestly, I\u2019d be interested in seeing Sully Erna act again, but if that does happen, it better not be on another project like Army Of The Damned.<\/p>\n
Part Godsmack music video, part brainless satanic horror movie, Army Of The Damned is a hodgepodge of clich\u00e9s that never strives to be anything more.
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