No other genre lends itself better to low budgets than horror. It doesn’t take much to send chills down your spine and have you sleeping with the lights on. I love films that make the most of what they have, and “Fangs Out” does just that. Its micro-budget is on full display from the open shot until the final credits roll, and I loved it.
This is a certified Schlock Vault classic.
“Fangs Out” is the story of a group of college students heading south of the border for some cheap plastic surgery. But when they arrive, they find that Dr. Pavor (Samuel Code) and his nurses are vampires harvesting their client’s blood to fund a blood cartel.
There’s also Detective Lee (Randy Oppenheimer) who’s searching for his lost daughter, who also went missing after visiting Dr. Pavor. All he has to go on is a troubling voicemail from her and a crumpled map that should lead him to the clinic.
Madison (Stacy Aung), the only traveler on the trip not getting surgery, is slowly figuring things out. When Dr. Pavor is repulsed by the cross tattoo on her back, she figures out their true identities and realizes the trouble they’re all in.
Once he finds the clinic, he encounters one of the nurses and Dr. Pavor himself, but in his attempt to rescue her, he becomes one of the monsters himself.
“Fangs Out” will turn most people off due to its terrible CGI, bad acting, and makeshift locations, but that’s what endeared it so much to me. I couldn’t even guess the budget, but director Dennis Devine makes the most of it. While the CGI effects are terrible, I was impressed with the practice effects. They are simple but effective. It’s not Hollywood-level quality, and it’s obviously not their aim.
A quick look at Devine’s resume shows that low-budget horror flicks are his bread and butter. I admire that the filmmaker knows what he loves and is sticking with it. I admire the entire cast and crew for being willing to make a movie they know many will scoff at but taking the chance anyway.
“Fangs Out” has the vibe that someone had an idea on a Thursday, called up some friends on Friday and shot it over the weekend. It’s not a bad thing, either. I enjoyed that some sets were rooms with sheets on the walls or a person’s garage and neither is prettied up for the film.
Also helping give this film a big schlocky thumbs up is the fact that one of the writers is credited as Drake Cola. It’s nice wordplay and fits this movie perfectly. My hunch is Drake Cola is Oppenheimer, but the air of mystery is just another element to love about this movie.
Devine and company deliver a film filled to the brim with schlocky goodness, and I highly recommend taking time out to see it. It’s fun to watch, and these are the type of filmmakers who are making films for the pure joy of making films. They need to be commended and supported.