‘Powertool Cheerleaders Vs The Boyband Of The Screeching Dead’: The Title Says It All [FrightFest 2022 Review]
David Gelmini
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With a title like Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead, you pretty much know what you are getting into. Sure, it probably will never be listed as one of the greatest films of all time. But writer and director Pat Higgins still delivered a fun, upbeat, and often hilarious horror musical that’s so damn ridiculous that you really will have no choice but to laugh.
Charlie Bond stars as Emily, who has a fear of cheerleaders (don’t ask). After trying to conquer her phobia by joining a cheerleading team, Emily soon finds herself competing in a TV talent show against a boyband known as the Starmen, who ultimately end up winning. Their victory is short-lived, however. After an incident involving a car crash and a magic pendant, all three of the band members are transformed into zombies. The zombified band decides to take over the world, leaving Emily and her fellow cheerleaders to step up and become the heroes they were always meant to be. With the help of their fully charged assortment of power tools, of course.
As you have probably guessed, Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead is not a film that embraces subtlety. Be prepared for an abundance of outrageous and hilariously over-the-top gags. We’re presented with jokes about a living severed hand falling in love with one of the cheerleaders (which she nicknames ‘Hand Solo’), zombies eating waffles to try to drown out the taste of human flesh, and a line about Emily’s former boss not being allowed to rescue her from the living dead because it might seem sexist for a man to rescue a woman in the 2020s.
The songs were clearly performed in post-production and then synced to match the actor’s lip movements. While not every track was particularly memorable, there were still some great tunes included on the soundtrack. That includes a musical flashback sequence in which Emily recounts her former relationship with Starmen member Hunter (James Hamer-Morton), and another where one of the victims of the zombified Starmen sings about what it was like to be eaten.
Most of the characters were given their own songs, so everybody has an opportunity to shine. Some of the unforgettable supporting characters include Chloe (Dani Thompson), Emily’s no-nonsense cheerleading instructor, who doubts her students ill have one-tenth of the cheerleading talent she herself possessed before an injury forced her to step down. Then there’s cheerleader Mackenzie (Faith Elizabeth), who struggles to balance her profession with being a parent. Lloyed Kaufman also makes an appearance as Mr. Shouty, a grumpy old man. And yes, he does appear holding a Toxic Avenger action figure.
If you were looking for a decidedly silly horror musical that’s proudly absurd and over-the-top, you will probably have a great time with Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead. It’s certainly not the most subtle or profound picture you are likely to see this year.But even the most serious of viewers will probably find themselves smiling and humming along when they get around to watching this.
Summary
It was certainly no masterpiece, but Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead was still a decidedly fun and absurd horror musical with some often hilarious moments and plenty of catchy tunes.
