THE LANDLORD: If you watched this movie, you'd be home by now!

THE LANDLORD
Starring Derek Dziak, Rom Barkhordar, Michelle Courvais
Directed by Emil Hyde
Massive Ego Productions
Review by Louis Fowler

This seals the deal. I'm officially through with Hollywood's idea of a horror-comedy. Sorry, but they just don't “get it” the way the current crop of shoestring-budget filmmakers do. First BLACK DEVIL DOLL sets my mood, and now, THE LANDLORD—the best demon-possession real estate comedy since BEETLEJUICE—has cemented this. I laughed so hard I dribbled cola down the front of my pants and it looked like I wet myself. And then I did wet myself. But I didn't care. I happily just wallowed in my sticky-crotchness, guffawing like an imbecile. It's takes one Hell of a funny film to zap away whatever pride I had in appearance away like that!

Archetypal slacker Tyler runs a sweet apartment building—hardwood floors, spacious living room, lots of windows, all bills paid—that also just happens to house a pair of demons, one a dog-faced Queen of the Dead and the other her cynical lackey, Rabisu, who both feast on the apartment's tenants. While all this is going on, Tyler's rotten-cop sister has recruited other demons, who are to be walking among us, to do her job for her: they kill and eat drug-dealers and other criminal types while the cops collect the dirty money. The trouble starts when a cute chick moves into the building and Tyler falls for her, much to the chagrin of the demonic duo.

The heart of the movie is in the hilarious banter and genuine camaraderie between Tyler and the Queen's slave Rabisu. Everytime they are on-screen together, bickering like an old demonic Odd Couple, the affable Tyler having to deal with Rabisu's bloody screw-ups and Rabisu's growing disdain for his boss—it's pure comic gold. I am sincerely wishing, hoping and praying that director Emil Hyde develops a TV pilot for these two; imagine THREE'S COMPANY meets BUFFY but, only, you know, funny! Better yet, how about a road-trip flick with these two? Whatever you want, Mr. Hyde, I don't care—I just want more of these two characters! This is a franchise comedy team not seen since the likes of, geez, Farley and Spade. No lie. But, until that follow-up comes along though, I'll happily re-sign my lease with THE LANDLORD, and I don't even mind not getting my security deposit back.