FAMILY SPLATTERS is a new adult horror-comedy series from Nick Damage and KultKult Entertainment. The production runs a little under ten minutes and there is little of it wasted.
The series introduces Joe Fryers, Matthew Silverstein and Roddy Luger, famous movie slashers who are kicked out of Hell in 1993 to live in today’s world. Lugar is now a food delivery person who meets Fryers when he is dropping off chicken wings at Fryer’s mansion. Fryers is a big in real estate while continuing to kill people. The two renew a friendship, and this leads to Lugar to revealing that another one of the past buddies, Mathew Silverstein, lives with him. They arrange to have a few beers together before Fryers dispatches a female house guest with a knife. He claims he needs to clean up his bloody shirt and “things.”
The scene shifts to Lugar’s trailer where Fryers – with perhaps the best line of the series – imparts that Lugar does live in a ‘shit hole.’ Silverstein comes out of his video game lair to mumble.
Everyone is talking when fan boy Ben, who introduced Silverstein to the video games he now plays 24 hours a day, comes over after recognizing Fryers from his work in the film Saint Patrick Day Three slasher series. Ben and Fryers share a love for metal band Ass Hammer as they sing lyrics to one of their songs. The song covers the transition to 1997 and a memorable night at the Purple Panther strip club where Lugar asks the people to “Be respectful” as they are only there to do cocaine, have sex with strippers and kill a few people. Back in the present, the three want to relive the days but find it difficult.
FAMILY SPLATTERS features some commentary on social media, casual violence, greed, and cancel culture. The three end up at Maw’s Titty Shack strip club where Lugar barters to kill a gravelly voiced staff member who suggests that extra pain and suffering will cost more. The three leave to kill homeless people in the park and film it. In the course of their adventures they meet some interesting policemen, inspired by Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. The world has changed.
FAMILY SPLATTERS is animated in the style similar to South Park with minimal background details. The characters are all well drawn within the world, particularly the detail of Lugar’s skull and black eyes. Silvertsein is a hulking mass combination of Jason, and Michal Myers with a welding mask. Fryers is a muscle bound tall guy with a white clown mask inspired by Captain Spaulding. Lugar is the leader in the first episode. Will that change going forward?
The dialogue is rapid fire in some places with many references to today’s society. The story reminds me of the style of Matt Fraction; staccato insanity with added pop culture references, witty commentary and gore. Matt Fraction currently writes Sex Criminals, for which he won an Eisner Award for Best New Series and has worked for DC with the Jimmy Olsen character.
FAMILY SPLATTERS is a story of how Fryers, Lugar and Silverstein and added fanboy Ben cope in the world of today with no fame, different morals and customs. The first season of FAMILY SPLATTERS will have weekly episodes.
Review by Terry Sherwood
For more information on FAMILY SPLATTERS and when episodes go live, go here: