By 
“I think my favorite color is dead.”
The second I opened the press release and read the description for THE CRAMPS: A Period Piece, I knew I HAD to see this film!
THE CRAMPS introduces us to Agnes Applewhite (Lauren Kitchen), a young woman who breaks free from the tyranny of her sanctimonious mother and high-strung sister by landing a job as a shampoo girl in a buzzing beauty salon. As she begins to blossom in this vibrant new world, she’s struck by agonizing menstrual cramps that take monstrous, flesh-and-blood form and blur reality into nightmare.
Agnes encounters many road bumps on the path to her liberation, including, of course, MEN (why are they?). A creepy doctor crosses lines repeatedly while examining her, and an oily photographer who preys on her naivety assaults her, acting as if he’s the victim when he *gasp* gets blood on his hand. (Side note: I’d be happy if I never had to hear the phrase “Eww! Are you on the rag?” come out of a man’s mouth ever again).
Brooke H. Cellars’ feature debut is a weird and wonderful vintage fever dream, full of incredibly funny one-liners and grotesque, glittery revenge – a pastel vision of John Waters’ inspired camp and menstrual terror and a great entry into the “good for her” horror subgenre.
The cast, made up of the director’s friends (and stars of her short films), is divine: a perfect mix of personalities you love to love – and love to hate. And the radiant star of the film is Kitchen, who plays Agnes with such devoted awkwardness you’ll swear you’re watching a real person struggle with her own animated period blob.
Dear Brooke, you had me at “Warped Witch Cinema” and I am now OBSESSED with your work and will need to see everything you ever do, as soon as it’s available. xoxo Amie
THE CRAMPS: A Period Piece is currently playing at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX and is part of the New Wave Competition.
Psst: check out my interview with Writer/Director Brooke H. Cellars here!
I Love Splatter! 