The best thing about “B” movies is that even though they are generally forgettable, there are gems sprinkled among the ranks that are priceless. Horror movies that make you crack-up instead of cry are some of the best with “The Gingerdead Man: Evil never tasted so good.” at the top of the list.
Having Gary Busey as your one and only big name is a risky move. When you make him into a murdering cookie, you can’t go wrong. Busey plays Millard Findlemeyer, a killer whose ashes are mixed into gingerbread mix that is dropped off by a mysterious cloaked figure at a bakery.
The mother and daughter who own the bakery have lost the men in their life, both husband and brother, after Findlemeyer shot them in a holdup.
When the tainted mix comes into contact with blood and a surge of electricity, a delicious monster comes to life with one mission: to kill. Busey’s gravelly voice brings the monster out of this midnight snack.
A heap of horror stereotypes pop up along the way. Power outages, dead phones, vermin, this film has it all. All that went through my mind when an electrical charge brings the Gingerdead Man to life was Frankenstein’s monster.
A sea of puns lets you know that the writers also see how truly ridiculous the idea of this movie is. The demon dessert chops off the finger of the drunk old woman running the bakery, saying, “Ever try a ladyfinger?” Come on. How can one not love such a ridiculous level of pun?
Seriousness is not a possibility when your main male hero character is wearing a shirt reading, “Pull my finger.” But when an employee puts on some pads on the weekend and becomes The Butcher Baker at wrestling matches, there is a smell of a savior in the air.
Director Charles Band is definitely no new face to “B” movie horror. Having produced nearly 250 films and directed 32, Band has had plenty of practice. Such films as “Dollman vs. Demonic Toys” and “Evil Bong” have created a strong resume of goofy little flics that will definitely get a laugh. With “Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust” on shelves now and “Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver” on the way, Band will be flooding TVs with his cheesy horror.
“The Killsbury Doughboy” made a fan out of me from the moment he stepped out of the oven. Busey’s goofiness even comes across over his deadly threats. Get in the Halloween spirit with the poke at the horror industry that is known at “The Gingerdead Man.”