Each October, the Unsung Horrors podcast does a month of themed movies. This year, they will once again be setting up a fundraiser to benefit Best Friends, which works to save the lives of cats and dogs across America, giving pets second chances and providing them with happy homes.

Today’s theme: 1990s

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Adam Hursey is a pharmacist specializing in health informatics by day, but his true passion is cinema. His current favorite films are Back to the Future, Stop Making Sense, and In the Mood for Love. He has written articles for Film East and The Physical Media Advocate, primarily examining older films through the lens of contemporary perspectives. He is usually found on Letterboxd, where he mainly writes about horror and exploitation films. You can follow him on Letterboxd or Instagram at ashursey.

I typically shy away from horror comedies. Or really comedies in general. I find that films as a medium generally have a hard time maintaining enough momentum for a theatrical run time. I much prefer the length of a sitcom. Sometimes, even 22 minutes is a stretch, though. I love a good skit. Best of all, a good Vine (RIP). You got six seconds to make me laugh.

But when I do find a comedy I enjoy, it is usually in the form of a spoof. Not even a satire. Just a good old-fashioned silly spoof. Airplane is probably my favorite straight-up cinematic comedy of all time. Amazon Women on the Moon would be up there. These films just make me laugh, no matter how many times I watch them.

Mixing horror and comedy is a combination that I do not seek out. I appreciate it more if the film is funny without necessarily being a comedy. Something like Return of the Living Dead comes to mind. Again, I do like a parody. I found Alfred Sole’s Pandemonium to be a pleasant surprise. And now Arbor Day, Joseph Sikorski’s take on a slasher set on a holiday.

Honestly, I’m not totally sure I knew this film was a comedy going into it. I had absolutely no expectations. But this disc was part of my Terror Vision subscription, so I figured I should give it a try. I’m glad that I did. Starting with a send-up of Citizen Kane, the film hooked me right away. There was no hiding the purpose of the film was to try to provide a goofy good time. 

It’s Arbor Day, apparently the most celebrated and highest of holy days in this film’s universe, and Elmer (Elm for short) and his parents are looking for that perfect spot to plant a sapling. However, disaster strikes when a grizzly bear decapitates Elmer’s father and…violates his mother (also killing her). Twenty years later, Elmer remains catatonic in a facility, only showing brief bursts of activity each Arbor Day. This year, Elmer escapes, returning home (as one does in a horror movie) for…revenge maybe. His motivation is not exactly clear. As fate would have it, a bunch of teenagers are using Elmer’s childhood home for their Arbor Day party. There will be blood this Arbor Day. And viscera. Lots of viscera.

Even at a relatively short running time of 80 minutes, the film almost overstays its welcome. It was a little touch-and-go. But, for me, it was able to hold it together just enough to get it over the finish line. I did laugh out loud a few times. Particularly at one scene where Elmer thinks about what could be if he and a potential victim got together, settled down, had a little sprout of their own. Nah, he says. LOL by me. 

I’d watch this one again. And that might be the biggest compliment I could give a horror comedy. I ain’t watching Repossessed again, that’s for sure. Usually once is more than enough. But I could easily make this one an Arbor Day tradition.