Killer Piñata (2015) Film Review

Introduction To Killer Piñata

Friend of the The Silver Hedgehog and contributing writer has taken a look at ‘Killer Piñata’ (no we had not heard of it either!)
It made its début in 2015, was created with an estimated £3000 budget and written and directed by Stephen Tramontana.
The synopsis simply states:

‘A possessed piñata, seeking to avenge the savagery that humanity has inflicted on his kind, picks off a group of friends, one by one, in an unending night of terror.”

It sounds like a film right in our wheelhouse!

So on with Chelsea’s review…

The Script/Screenplay

For a premise that sounds completely terrible and laughable, a lot of thought has clearly gone into this. It’s basically what it says on the tin. The fact that the piñata is a stereotypical stripey coloured donkey just cements the fact that it is no way serious! There’s bloodshed right from the start, but it’s very noticeably fake blood, which is a good indication of what to expect. There are a few little extra side stories, which I won’t spoil in case you decide to watch it, but these do actually give a little depth to the script. Unless I wasn’t paying attention, the location is not explicitly clear, but I think it is meant to be somewhere in a little town in a US state.

There are echoes of Akira in a weird animation section where the old lady in the purple hat (The Shopkeeper) explains the origins of the evil that is present in the pinata.

The creators are obviously horror fans and know what happens when female heroine turns away from the supposed dead killer…

Amelie: We don’t have weapons, Scott.

Scott: Then let’s ******* make some!

Cue montage

Standout Casting

I’ve never heard of any of the actors before, but they seemed to fit their roles quite well. The main one being Joette Waters as The Shopkeeper, hell-bent on finding the killer piñata. I’m not sure whether the character is intentionally portrayed as an oddball, but her purple fedora does its best to ensure this. Maybe it’s a nod to Willy Wonka and the candy theme. Or maybe I’m just reading far too much into this!

The killer piñata itself sounds suspiciously like a gremlin when it is on its murderous rampage. One thing to note, the title star also acts out something quite unsavoury at around 01:08:00… any squeamish males may want to avert their eyes!

Sound/Music/Score

Incidental music is used to great effect and again, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it complemented the action on-screen. Snippets of famous classical pieces are used, including Swan Lake, which was unexpected.

Video Quality

You can’t really go wrong with using an actual piñata. Other visual effects, such as the aforementioned blood, definitely weren’t realistic but I think this may have been the aim. At no point did I feel cheated in this department. After finding out that it was shot on a budget of £3,000, I think all involved did pretty well! The film has also benefitted from a successful revival in 2020, with the release of the remastered director’s cut!

Visual Effects

While it may be low budget, it has a surprisingly slick title sequence and clever camera angles. I was struck by the high level of quality that I really had not expected from a B-movie. Although I’m not sure this can be classified as a B-movie, which is defined as ‘a low-budget film of inferior quality made for use as a supporting feature in a cinema programme’. It certainly doesn’t appear to fall under that category. In fact, it isn’t until the end credits that it seems to remember what kind of movie it is and as each actor is shown along with their name, a grainy overlay is used. The descriptions are also worth watching! One thing to note, it was shot in 8 days.

I give Killer Piñata a ‘Average’ rating, what would you give?

The Silver Hedgehog Rating: 6.4 'Average'

The Script / Screenplay
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Casting

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Music / Score

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Visual Effects and Costumes

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Video Quality

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SIts a film that I enjoyed, more than I should have done and There will be a sequel !!! Angry Mule Films have been casting for ......"Bride of the Killer Piñata,"

Words Garry
Editor JJ
Images The Movie Database

Review Extras

Directed By Stephen Tramontana
Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)
Megan Macmanus (co-writer) (as Megan MacManus)
Megan Macmanus (written by)
Stephen Tramontana (co-writer)
Stephen Tramontana (written by)
Nick Week (story by)
Nick Weeks (story)

Cast
Amelie Acevedo as Birthday Girl
Elias Acevedo as Luke Goodman
Ryan Aldrich as Man at Party
Lindsay Ashcroft as Rosetta Stone
Nate Bryan as Chad
Billy Chengary as Scott
Brook Enhelder as Vicky
Elvis Garcia as Juan
Caroline Gillard as Party Goer One
Sheila Guerrero-Edmiston Gwen Goodman (as Sheila Edmiston)
Daniel Hawkes as Martin
Melissa Genova as Hill Lori
Eliza-Jane Morris Lindsey Goodman (as Eliza Morris)
Davinia Palmer as Killer Piñata
Steven James Price as David Goodman
Joette Waters as The Shopkeeper
Nick Weeks as Homeless Man

Produced by
Jennifer Kunkel producer
Nick Weeks executive producer

Music by
Ryan Aldrich
Cinematography by
Paul Summers
Film Editing by
Paul Summers
Stephen Tramontana
Sound Department
Kevin Ford sound editor
Preston Shepard dialogue editor / re-recording mixerSpecial Effects by
Alex Falk special effects makeupAnimation Department
Vincent Alcarese animator

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