Bad Chicken
by Carter Mays
Ever since witnessing Peter Jackson's 1989 masterpiece Meet The Feebles I have been on a mission to find all the cult horror puppet-based films that I can get my mitts on. This quest has spanned over a decade and hasn't been the easiest endeavor. I'm not directly comparing myself to Indiana Jones, but I completely understand if others make that connection. There hasn't been much success with this journey for most of my days, but the past year has yielded some positive results. It started when I discovered Danny Mill's film Puppet Monster Massacre and continued with Thankskilling 3. I was surprised by my good fortune when I discovered the synopsis for Bad Chicken. I knew I had to watch it. And so, I did. Bad Chicken follows wannabe celebrity Norah (Isabelle Gardo) and her boyfriend Isaak (Michael Palaniuk) who have recently been accepted as the primary focus of a new reality show centering around failed relationships. Their relationship is actually fine, but Norah is committed to playing into the crew's instruction. Did I mention that the crew is comprised of three chickens? Because that's kind of important. Isaak is less enthusiastic about being a part of the project, especially since it requires he pretend that he is having problems with his girlfriend.
The chicken TV crew is led by the cold and calculating Charlie Chicken, who is charming but will do anything to manipulate things to his favor. The film is told in flashbacks, as it is organized by Charlie chicken being interrogated by the police. Through these scenes we get an inside look into Charlie's actual feelings about things, when he is away from anyone that would require acting nice. The crew takes the young couple into the desert to get footage of Norah scattering the ashes of her recently deceased cat. The desert is where most of the important things go down.
Charlie Chicken weaves his way into the minds of the couple, altering their perceptions and moving things down a more dramatic path. Norah and Isaak begin to actually get at each other's throats and Norah starts to trust Charlie more than her boyfriend. When not with Norah and Isaak, the chickens spend their time going through the couple's things in secret, playing cards, drinking, smoking pot and trading stories. Charlie starts to get frustrated with how boring their subjects are and so he starts to take things further and further, in an attempt to make things more interesting.
The puppet work is simple, but effective for what is required. David Schweizer, the voice of Charlie Chicken is one of the biggest high notes. He brings such a wise, calm, scheming presence to the character that you become unaffected by the fact that his words are coming out of a chicken puppet. He really brings that character to life and unless they got Sam Elliot to do the voice, I can't imagine it being more perfect.
Bad Chicken blends humor with sinister overtones that grow and grow. The fact that the bad guys are chickens can never be ignored, but it is filmed in a way that commands respect. If the chickens were humans, for example, it would be a truly gripping film at times. But the puppets give the movie an opportunity to revel in its own campiness and makes the project that much more fun.
The interrogation framing is a smart move, as it gives the viewer a way to know that there is plenty of payoff to look forward to. Things clearly went very wrong with the reality show shoot, and as the film progressed I found myself being more and more intrigued by how it was all going to play out. Some of the humor gets a little sophomoric, which I normally wouldn't complain about, but given how legit the film tries to be, it isn't the right humor to contrast with the drama. And that's especially unfortunate because at times, including the ending, it's a surprisingly powerful film.
Bad Chicken isn't perfect, but it's an impressive debut for writer/director Carter Mays. He blends comedy with suspense and western style very well for the most part. The film is more geared towards the absurdist, camp/cult crowd rather than someone looking for a film that will scare them. Once a peyote subplot comes into play, it takes a turn for the trippy and there's enough weird energy to satisfy the fringe crowd.
A wise man once said that puppets are one of the best tools of the trade when it comes to the cult film scene. That man was me, I said that. Bad Chicken has nothing on the intricate full-on puppetry of Meet The Feebles but no film does, and I still appreciate the opportunity to see puppets used in adult-screwing films.
If you're the type of person who loves weird movies with puppets engaging in S&M, drinking, getting high, and ruining lives then this film is for you. Also, thanks for existing, glad to know I'm not the only one.
P.J. Griffin, HMS