[Movie Review] EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET

Horror comedies are a hit or miss for the most part. When they succeed, they are worth the multiple viewing, especially if they are smart and cater to the horror geek within us. Then, there are the not so hot releases, where the comedy bits lie in slapstick sex or gas gags, spending most of their time making fun of everything that is not even horror. The Scary Movie franchise was once a hot commodity, not afraid to make fun of everything that was relevant at the time. They were, at times, explicit, which made them even more fun. Unfortunately, as more and more sequels were made, their focus was on anything they could get their hands on in pop-culture. By Scary Movie 5, it was retrained, suffering from a PG-13 ranting and actors more concerned about their beauty than miming funny bits. Anna Faris and Regina Hall are perfect comedic actresses who made even the dumbest of jokes hilarious; without them, Scary Movie 5 never had a chance. That said, EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET starts off as a spoof but veers off into its own comedic style reminiscent of Airplane.

Father Romero (Robert Miano, 3 Ninjas Kick Back, Fast & Furious) opens the movie at home with an exorcism gone wrong. This leads to him taking a flight full of cartoonish yet entertaining characters. The best pair is the flight attendants, played by Bai Ling (The Crow, Southland Tales) and Matthew Moy (No Strings Attached), who deliver some nail-bitingly funny performances that help elevate this flight. Ling is constantly being yelled at and just shrugs it off with her alcohol constantly handy. Moy is quite possibly the best and worst flight attendant as he is a no-bullshit taking customer service representative that doesn’t even give you a chance to talk. Do you want a beer? Moy will hand you a warm can and you better be grateful.

Other passengers include Mrs. Monetgue, played by Adrienne Barbeau, who needs her travel companion at all times, which is her dead dog. Then there’s Captain Houdee (Lance Henriksen, Alien, Near Dark) who likes to get fucked up while playing the co-pilot role.

What everyone on board doesn’t know is that there’s a demonic presence that begins to take possession of them one by one, resulting in them becoming instantly aggressive and over the top. Father Romero is up for the task to save them, but he is just as clumsy as everyone else. One of the characters (I’m not even sure she ever had a name) is a pregnant lady who is constantly shown just quietly sitting on her phone. The running gag is no matter how crazy things get, she’s just always oblivious. I found this to be hilarious.

EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET is not perfect by any means: the pacing needs some assistance as the film feels like it is dragging at some points. Plus, the narrative is so bare that there’s no reason this movie should be longer than 80 minutes. It needs to be quick and easy to take in so it can carry a good word of mouth once it hits VOD. Horror fans will get excited once the score kicks in as it mixes a variety of other famous compositions but with a campy attitude. Also, when those beginning credits popped on the screen, I should have known this was Richard Band‘s doing.

EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET is silly fun and makes me yearn for a spinoff film starring Ling and Moy. Trust me, they are worth it. EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET lands on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack as well as on Digital and On Demand May 5th, 2020 from Scream Factory.

Author
Recent Posts

Follow Me

Jovy Skol

Jovy grew up loving all kinds of horror movies which is ironic because his parents hated them. CANDYMAN still scares the shit out of him and it doesn’t help that he lives in the Chicago suburbs. He loves venturing into lesser-known exploitation films of the 70s and being introduced to new movies. Along with movies, Jovy loves horror video-games and books, including comics. Some of his favorite franchises include SILENT HILL, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and the RESIDENT EVIL games.

Follow Me