Horror and comedy are tough genres to mix. A handful of horror spoofs work quite well and have secured sizable fanbases. Deathgasm, Werewolves Within, Willy’s Wonderland, Cocaine Bear, and Renfield all mix silly levels of gore with laughs to varying levels of success. But for every Scary Movie there’s a handful of Dracula: Dead and Loving It movies that inevitably fall flat. Flying under the radar, the 2015 release Dude Bro Party Massacre III has floated around different streaming platforms over the years. Its absurdist comedy recalls movies like the Naked Gun series and Wet Hot American Summer. Only a handful of reviews are available but they’re almost uniformly positive.
Synopsis
Not once but twice, the brothers of Delta Bi Fraternity have suffered through massacres committed by a former sorority house mother, Motherface. Following the brutal murder of his twin brother Brock, Brent pledges Delta Bi to learn who killed his brother and why. But when the Delta Bi brothers retreat to an abandoned lakeside cabin for some partying, the legend of Motherface – an all too real legend – follows them for revenge and another massacre.
Dude Bro Party Massacre III Perfectly Mimics the Era of Late-Night Movies and VHS Recordings
Just like another slasher spoof Club Dread, Dude Bro Party Massacre III comes to us courtesy a comedy troupe, 5-Second Films. And no, there isn’t a Part I or Part II. Sorry, The Third Saturday in October, but 5-Second Films beat you to the faux sequel concept by about 8 years or so. Instead, we get the sequels from a quick montage provided via a therapy session with the ‘main character’ from those movies who’s quickly dispatched and replaced by the same actor playing his twin brother. Just about everything you can expect from this horror comedy unfolds in that opening scene.
By 2015 plenty of slasher spoofs existed, but the VHS quality alongside the occasional “commercials” that pop up throughout the movie sets Dude Bro Party Massacre III apart.
After an opening voice over poking fun at John Larroquette’s addition to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 5-Second Films sets up the conceit that this is a movie ripped from someone’s VHS recording of a late-night cable movie broadcast. By 2015 plenty of slasher spoofs existed, but the VHS quality alongside the occasional “commercials” that pop up throughout the movie sets Dude Bro Party Massacre III apart. In fact, the commercials, which fly by at a rapid pace, are some of the movie’s funniest bits. Anyone who grew up in 80s and set their VCR to record a late-night movie will instantly have an appreciation for this spoof. Yet an immediate problem that emerges is the horror-comedy’s runtime – nothing about this movie suggests it should have extended beyond 90 minutes.
Dude Bro Party Massacre III Mostly Delivers on the Laughs and Satire
Aside from its unnecessarily long runtime, Dude Bro Party Massacre III delivers exactly what you would expect. This is absurdist approach to comedy and spoofing where the jokes fly a mile a minute with some bits aiming for one good laugh and other gags getting recycled. Brian Firenzi’s simpleton cop, Officer Sminkle, and his dream of operating mobile library to ‘bang’ kids’ (minds), generates laughs before getting tired. Just like any horror-comedy, many gags miss the mark, feeling either too silly or just plain falling flat. Fortunately, 5-Second Films throw a lot of material at the screen, which mostly nail their laughs. Simply put, this is one of those fun, quotable movies.
Fortunately, 5-Second Films throw a lot of material at the screen, which mostly nail their laughs.
Most importantly, Dude Bro Party Massacre III gets its central conceit just right. That is, 5-Second Films effectively skewers the misogynistic undertones of 80s slasher movies like Slumber Party Massacre, Sorority House Massacre, and other ‘Golden Era’ 80s horror movies. Apparently, the comedy troupe wrote the movie with the explicit intent of failing the Bechdel Test and they absolutely succeed. One of the more effective recurring gags is the constant sidelining of the movie’s only female character. More generally, Dude Bro Party Massacre III also does a good job sending up some of the slasher genre’s lazier tropes. As expected, the slasher spoof spots plenty of blood-spurting, over-the-top violence and gore that should satisfy diehard horror fans.
Dude Bro Party Massacre III Deserves to Attain Cult Status
An absurdist comedy in the tradition of Wet Hot American Summer or the Broken Lizard Troupe, Dude Bro Party Massacre III is basically a review proof movie. Anyone who gets through the first five minutes knows exactly what they will be getting. And the jokes, visual gags, and over-the-top gore fly a mile a minute. Plenty of the jokes miss their mark and there’s a repetitiveness to some of the bits. But the satirical digs at the misogyny of 80s slashers works. And there’s still a lot of humor that works ensuring Dude Bro Party Massacre III will likely become a cult classic.
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