Popeye the Slayer Man review
The second Popeye slasher movie is better than the first…and comes less than two weeks before the third. The latter is the problem.
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Popeye the Slayer Man
Directed by Robert Michael Ryan
Screenplay by John Doolan
Starring Jason Robert Stephens, Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Steven McCormack and Angela Relucio
Popeye the Slayer Man Review
There’s no better way to describe the current epidemic plaguing independent horror than to mention that Popeye the Slayer Man isn’t the first Popeye branded low budget slasher film…and that it won’t even be the most recent for more than about ten days. Shiver Me Timbers is set for release on April 1. That’s the day before our next Mickey Mouse inspired slasher movie…Screamboat. Screamboat will arrive barely a month after the last Steamboat Willie slasher…I Heart Willie. This era of public domain horror will inevitably be lost to history…until then, somehow, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey stands as the most influential movie of our time. In other words, we live in Hell.
Since every one of my reviews of this hollow subgenre is tinged with unmistakable cynicism…one might wonder why I keep rushing to cover them. Someone is going to crack this thing eventually. It will be too late, of course. And it won’t be easily replicated by the throngs of filmmakers excitedly basing their work off someone else’s creative work. But someone is going to figure out how to deliver a public domain horror experience that has something interesting to say. Someone is going to comment on this experiment in a brilliant way that will likely go unnoticed by a viewing public that has long since stopped dipping their toe into these waters.
That day will not be today. But Popeye the Slayer Man at least has some fun.
What makes each version of these Mickey/Winnie/Popeye/whatever’s free series of films difficult to discuss is having no understanding of why they exist. The motivation behind making a public domain horror film may, in fact, come from having one’s heart in the right place. A talented filmmaker with no budget to work with could find a suddenly public domain property the proper gateway to getting their work in front of more eyes. With any luck…they’ll even make a bit of money and be able to fund something they’re more passionate about. I have my doubts that anyone saw that Popeye the Sailor Man was free to use and said “finally…I can make my Popeye slasher masterpiece” …but the purpose can still come from a positive place.
A Popeye slasher in particular is a strange choice. Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh are beloved and consistently relevant pop culture characters. Popeye’s peak of popularity likely predates the birth of whoever is reading this review. The Popeye horror movies seem to come from a place of “there are already seven Mickey Mouse horror movies…what hits public domain next?” That’s a tough place to start. Popeye’s Revenge centered around the infamous Popeye house…where that Popeye tragedy took place. You know…from Popeye. The famous Popeye house. Popeye the Slayer Man sets its story in an abandoned spinach canning factory. You know…from Popeye. The famous spinach canning factory.
Okay…we’ll give it to Popeye the Slayer Man on this one. At least spinach is a key attribute of Popeye lore. It’s hard to ignore that we are two Popeye slashers in and the man has yet to spend any time sailing. Perhaps Shiver Me Timbers will try to tackle that aspect of the character so important it’s in his name. The summary of that film says it takes place on a camping trip…so I have my doubts.
Popeye the Slayer Man, like Popeye’s Revenge, involves an investigation into an urban legend. This time, the legend is about a ghost haunting the factory. It’s sat dormant for nearly two decades…but is about to be sold. Dexter (Sean Michael Conway) wants to shoot a documentary about the legend…and now has one last night to get footage inside the abandoned building. He enlists the help of several friends, including new acquaintance (and possible love interest) Olivia (Elena Juliano). She almost immediately feels connected to the Popeye the Slayer Man legend…and, of course, is.
Most of the film is spent wandering around the factory that must be the size of the moon given how far apart people manage to get during the story. Practical effects highlight the carnage in Popeye the Slayer Man. There are some fun kills here. A double rebar impalement…head smashing and twisting…scalping…even an arm ripping and then beating someone to death with their own arm. The gore effects are strong and fun…making the low budget slasher aspect of Popeye the Slayer Man solid enough to enjoy.
Popeye the Slayer Man also fairs better as a twisted Popeye story than Popeye’s Revenge does. Dexter and Olivia uncover a tainted spinach conspiracy and cover up that has left Popeye a mutated monster violently defending his territory. Legend says he waits for his lost love to return…something set up for a potential sequel. I didn’t have a problem with any of this stuff. It has some fun with the property…the performances are fine…the kills are good. The backstory even explains why this Popeye is a bit…funny to look at. He looks like he’s wearing an oversized Popeye costume. At least there’s a reason for that in canon.
The problem Popeye the Slayer Man runs into is an almost entire lack of momentum. It’s a surprisingly low energy affair given how solid so many parts of it manage to be. It looks good enough, has fun kills, doesn’t take itself too seriously…but it feels slower than it should. It’s not a total deal breaker…but there is a more energetic version of this story that probably finds itself atop the public domain horror heap. As it stands…it’s still one of the better attempts.
Scare Value
While we haven’t yet cracked the code on making a meaningful or relevant public domain horror film…Popeye the Slayer Man gets more of it right than most. It builds a mythology at least tangentially related to the character…and has fun doing so. Kills are the highlight…which is always good for a low budget slasher. It won’t change your opinion on this subgenre of films…but it won’t do any harm either.
2.5/5
Popeye the Slayer Man Links
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