Woodyanders Review of Killjoy Goes to Hell

Killjoy Goes to Hell (2012)

Very inspired and enjoyable fourth entry in the series

[8/10 · 12 August 2013]

Diabolical demon clown Killjoy (marvelously played with lip-smacking zeal by Trent Haaga) gets put on trial in hell because of his failure to claim his last victim's soul. Killjoy enlists the assistance of his fellow wicked harlequin minions Batty Boop (the delectable Victoria De Mare, who camps and vamps it up with saucy'n'sizzling aplomb), Punchy (hulking Al Burke), and Freakshow (a nicely expressive pantomime portrayal by Tai Chan Ngo) to get him out of this predicament. Writer/director John Lechago relates the delightfully off the wall story at a snappy pace, milks the loopy courtroom drama premise for a wealth of amusing and imaginative quirky humor (the heated arguments between Killjoy and Batty Boop are hilarious!), pulls out all the wacky stops for the wild and gory climactic clown fight, and even tosses in a few neat twists along the way. Moreover, Lechago warrants extra praise for ensuring that this sequel is a logical continuation of rather than a tired rehash of the previous outing. The zesty acting by the enthusiastic cast keeps the film buzzing: John Karyus smarms it up uproariously as eager and obsequious aspiring demon clown Skid Mark, Stephen Cardwell impresses as a supremely smooth and shrewd Beezlebub, the gorgeous Aqueela Zoll provides a hefty dose of sexy spark as Killjoy's cunning and relentless nemesis Jezabeth, Jessica Whitaker contributes a solid and sympathetic turn as unhinged heroine Sandy, and Lisa Goodman has a ball as the grotesque Old Hag. Terrance Ryker's glossy cinematography, the funky special effects, and Michael Sean Colin's jaunty score are all up to speed. A whole lot of kooky fun.