On the surface, Slaxx seems like it would be a ridiculous film with very few redeeming qualities. But the preposterous premise is presented with tongue fully in cheek and there’s even some cutting commentary on the sinister nature of corporate business practices weaved into the narrative. All in, the flick has a lot to offer.
Synopsis: Slaxx follows Libby, a new employee, working her inaugural shift, at Canadian clothing retail mogul CCC. But what Libby doesn’t know is that a possessed pair of pants is intent upon making her first shift at CCC a total bloodbath.
Slaxx is a fun, silly horror comedy but it also functions as a scathing indictment of corporate greed and performative activism by soulless companies. As the audience learns more about CCC, it becomes clear that the company is not as squeaky clean as their public persona would suggest.
With each unraveling layer, cowriter and director Elza Kephart offers more thinly veiled jabs at the type of corporations that rely on overseas workers to create their product for less than a living wage and then attempt to flex on their numerous contributions to society.
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What really makes Slaxx work as well as it does is that the filmmakers took care to relish in the outrageous premise. Slaxx doesn’t try to play the idea of a killer pair of pants straight. Instead, the film delivers camp of the highest order. And the results are a delight.
Slaxx makes the most of what I can only assume was a modest budget. The effects work looks to be primarily practical, which is fitting, seeing as the tone and gratuitous, yet campy, gore feel a bit reminiscent of early Raimi or Jackson. Slaxx also has a similar macabre sense of humor that was often found in the early output both of those directors.
Since you’ve likely already seen the film, allow me to pivot to special features. The Slaxx DVD is loaded with extras and bonus content. Among the features are a ‘making of’ featurette, a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at how the killer pants came to life onscreen, an introduction to the production team, several casting spotlights, and more.
The bonus feature about brining the pants to life was the standout for me. It was really interesting. I hadn’t given much thought to just how much work would go into making a pair of jeans walk around and murder people. But it seems doing so takes a village.
I was also pleased to see the casting interviews allowing several of the key players to elaborate on what it was like to bring their character to life.
My only complaint with the bonus content is that I wish the featurettes had been a bit longer. Each of them was less than three-minutes in length. So, while there are a lot of them, it would have been nice to see them go into a little greater depth.
If you’re a fan of Slaxx, I would suggest picking it up on DVD. The bonus features are a lot of fun. And I’m also kind of sucker for physical media. What can I say?
Wicked Rating: 8/10
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