From Writer/Director Liam Regan comes one of the strangest films I have seen for quite a while. From Writer/Director Liam Regan also comes one of the most fun films I’ve seen for a while, and yes they were the same film. That film is ‘Eating Miss Campbell’.   Out now on a feature packed bluray.

I’m not sure how many Troma films I have seen over the years and whilst I have known the Troma name and how awesome Lloyd Kaufman is, I don’t think I’ve seen too many of their films. Solely for the reason that there are a lot of films I watch and lots of films I unfortunately don’t have time to watch and sorry to say that I do have a lot of catching up with the films coming out of the world of Uncle Lloyd. The point to that is whilst I have seen some Troma films I’m not yet used to their style of films and so heading into Eating Miss Campbell, the strangeness of the film style hit me, and was most definitely ‘weird’  (for me) I wasn’t sure if I would finish the film (and this was very early on in the film) but I had the film, I had the spare time, and I think filmmaker Liam Regan is such a wonderfully unique and passionate guy about film, that I persisted with my experience of Eating Miss Campbell. Before too long I had settled into the style of the film, and its characters too, and realised that whilst I was still watching a bonkers, weird, strange, odd film- the film I was watching was a film I was loving! Yes Eating Miss Campbell, you won me over with your pure insanity and style and you are a film I shall revisit many times. Pure Troma charm!

For those not familiar with the  story, what is Eating Miss Campbell about? Beth (amazingly played by Lyndsey Craine) is a vegan-goth high school student who falls in love with Miss Campbell (played by Lala Barlow ) her new English teacher at Henenlotter High. All sounds wonderfully romantic doesn’t it, well I guess it kinda is a romance film of sorts, but lets throw in some cannibalism, kidnapping, penis biting, more blood than a handful of Saw movies, suicide plots, school shootings, breaking of the fourth wall and easily the craziest bunch of school staff I’ve seen in …well anything and that’s just a taster of the experience of Eating Miss Campbell.

Liam Regan has crafted a perfect love letter to so many genres, movies, and film in general within Eating Miss Campbell, whether its lovely nods to Heathers or Mean Girls, Eating Miss Campbell is clearly made by someone who loves movies and this comes across through the screen. Eating Miss Campbell also has a fantastic cast too, who all (a) i bet had so much fun making this film, and (b) do a fantastic job in their insane character performances. I could go through them all and give them praise but that’s a long list. I definitely have to give a shout out to Annabella Rich as Nancy who I’m sure wont mind me saying that Nancy is…how do you say. Oh yes ‘bat shit crazy’ and highly watchable in her scenes. Its also always a joy to see Dani Thompson onscreen and her role as Deetz Montgomery is bonkers too and some of her dialogue is the sort that makes you laugh out loud but then question whether is was okay to laugh (answer: yes its fine)   Also featured in the cast are Laurence Harvey (The Human Centipede:Second Sequence) and Emily Haigh (Fear The Invisible Man), Michaela Longden (How To Kill Monsters), Charlie Bond (Dead Air)   

So yes I loved this movie even though I was a little nervous in the first few minutes and highly recommend Eating Miss Campbell to those who don’t think there are many unique films out there nowadays.  I also have to give high praise to Liam and the team for crafting a brilliant bluray package too and away from the film itself, I 100% loved the near 40 minute making of documentary (7 Days of Hell ) that is on the film, Its honest, its funny, its stressful and its definitely on the list of ‘favourite making of’ documentaries that I’ve seen, It doesn’t shy away from talking about the hardship of indie filmmaking nor from showing some of the things that went wrong. Now that’s how you do a making of documentary.

There are other special features on the bluray including 7 minutes worth of deleted scenes, 7 minutes worth of outtakes, an 11 minute Gore Reel, 10 minutes of B roll footage, 4 minutes worth of cast interviews, a 4 minute presentation of the film at Frightfest, a 90 second VFX reel, and if that lot isnt enough then you can treat yourself (and I did) to 58 minutes worth of raw behind the scenes footage and a full length commentary by Liam Regan, Editor Jack Hayes, and Sound Editor Fin Beckett which is fun. I do love a good commentary and this one is! 

 There is also a short film called Radiation March but I’m not sure what that was but it was odd!

So all in all Eating Miss Campbell is such a fun film, you should definitely check it out and the special features is why physical media rules! Head to refusefilms.com and grab yourself (well buy one, don’t just grab one) a bluray of one of the most bonkers films ive seen for a while. 

https://www.refusefilms.com/