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Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)

Director: Phil Claydon

Time Out rating

Average user rating

44 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

In 2004, the film ‘Sex Lives of the Potato Men’ caused an outcry: a celebration of puerile schoolboy humour, it became a rallying cry for those concerned with the plummeting standards of British film comedy. It seems unbelievable that those standards could sink any lower, but next to ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ – ‘Gavin and Stacey’ stars James Corden and Mat Horne’s movie debut – ‘Potato Men’ was a work of rapier-like wit and Switftian subtlety.

The plot is simple: dumped by his devious on-off girlfriend Judy, hapless schlub Jimmy (Horne) drags his mate Fletch (Corden) on a trip to darkest Norfolk. It’s not long before they run into trouble with the locals: an ancient clan of girl-hungry nightwalkers.

On one level, ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ is just pitiful playground humour that assumes that face-pulling, swearing and the occasional flash of boob will compensate for a complete absence of actual jokes. But on another, far more worrying level, it’s the cruel and furtive revenge fantasy of two scorned adolescent nerds against the entire female gender. The women in the film are, almost without exception, manipulative, sexually voracious, man-hating monsters, and it’s hard not to feel queasy as they are dispatched in a number of unimaginative , brutal ways.

Clearly aware of its own artistic shortcomings, ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ is aimed squarely at the ‘so bad it’s good’ camp. But with its drab sitcom aesthetic, a script that might have been jotted on the back of a beer mat and a plot that feels overstretched at 86 minutes, this is so bad, it’s just bad.

Author: Tom Huddleston 2009-03-17 10:40:09

Time Out London Issue 2013 , March 19 - 25, 2009

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User reviews of this film

bobby said...

Posted on Jul 22 2009 01:46 dont believe the boring film critics!! this is really funny!!!!

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anthonyw said...

Posted on May 24 2009 03:33 I SWEAR TO GOD! THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES IVE EVER SEEN! ITS A MUST SEE! It was hilarious start to finish. Dont believe its bad just coz some critic said so. Its Brilliant.

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paislie said...

Posted on Apr 17 2009 12:03 it is really good cannt believe that u people have only rated it as 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol it is ace
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u need ur eyes testing?

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matt said...

Posted on Apr 16 2009 17:10 complete funny and hot men and i am gay but it was well fit men loved to snog them xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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jack chalkley said...

Posted on Apr 07 2009 13:21 This Film is well funny this critic is talkling BULL SHIT GO WATCH IT IT IS WELL FUNNY

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ALEX ;) said...

Posted on Apr 06 2009 23:07 havent seen it . but should i go ? me nd m8 wer gna see it so is it worth seein, we love a laugh

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Matt said...

Posted on Apr 03 2009 10:27 To the feminist-appeasing critics crawling around with rods up their backsides who have panned this movie:- get over yourselves already! This unpretentious and consciously silly film had me grinning from beginning to end and laughing at its many moments of hilarity. Only two of the characters remain admirable throughout the film, and the more admirable of those is a woman. The premise is weak, some of the dialogue is beyond bad, the twists and turns of the plot are fairly predictable and a few of the jokes miss their mark - especially some of the visual ones. Even so, this is a genuinely funny comedy, not in the same league as Hot Fuzz, but far, far better than the abysmal Shaun of the Dead. If you're at a loose end, you could do far worse than watch this with your mates. But don't bring your girlfriend. Or you won't be getting any for a week. Don't say I didn't warn you!!!

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Billy Bobnob said...

Posted on Mar 31 2009 11:56 Who let Lady Engineer out of the kitchen? Engineer indeed... bet you don't know what a 3 planed splifter is? The film was magically fantastic, absolutely wonderful, great in bits and not so in others, could have been a bit better, maybe not so good at all, pile of cack, absolute crap...booo.

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kam said...

Posted on Mar 29 2009 11:55 did not lickit

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Ella said...

Posted on Mar 28 2009 13:07 This was very good!

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tj said...

Posted on Mar 26 2009 18:59 i dont see why people are being so negative about this film its not ment to be serious as you can tell by the trailor.
it may not be the best of films but its entertaining and i personally liked it

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Sarah said...

Posted on Mar 26 2009 18:19 EXCELLENT FILM HORNE AND CORDEN ARE FAB!!!
Why are people being so negative it is not that bad, give it a go you might just like it!!!. I can not believe if you went to see it you wouldn't laugh.Well done guys keep it coming.

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Bethan said...

Posted on Mar 26 2009 14:40 The media student in me was sat cringing through a lot of the film. So was the rest of me. That isn't to say this film isn't worth watching though! It's not a masterpiece, or a film that will be written about for decades to come, but it is most definitely entertaining. If you're not a film snob, or overly sensitive, it's worth watching.

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John said...

Posted on Mar 26 2009 14:36 Lady Engineer - what a ridiculous comment, lose the chip from your shoulder!!!! No person in their right mind would suggest that it is OK to chop women up - I can only assume that is what you meant, as you said "...compound the idea that it's ok to treat women like this." - they are vampires (not women - as far as I can recall women don't burst into flames when sunlight hits them!) It is a silly film that isn't trying to make any points. Would you be happier if you watched Buffy as maybe a woman killing male vampires is perhaps not quite so un-pc!!!!

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Nat said...

Posted on Mar 25 2009 17:35 I went to watch this film last Sunday with two girlfriends and we loved it! Laughed so much! I didn't think it was offensive towards women or lesbians. Quite the opposite - I laughed at the men and their inabilities to communicate with women and express their emotions. Horne and Corden are great and they delivered what we expected. It's true that it's not the deepest of films, but a great Sunday afternoon light entertainment!

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