Supernatural Suspects: Slice (2018)
My dear readers, as All Hallow’s Eve draws nearer, my own level of excitement grows ever greater. It is at times like these that I feel some measure of sympathy for those who have trouble appreciating the present, as I do my best to savor each moment as much a possible during such occasions. The subject sometimes forces me to contemplate the unfortunate case of my distant Uncle Burgess Hauntedhouse. He was a headmaster at a preparatory school for boys and by many accounts he seemed to enjoy his work. But Burgess’ soul was one of those older types, the kind that has seen a few voyages through life before, and some of these past incarnations caused him great anxiety. He was particularly concerned about once having been Walter Hanningen, the Devil of Satchburry Crossing, a man who disposed of six local children and stored their remains in his root cellar. Burgess was known to succumb to visions of cherubic faces with vacant eyes peering out between stacks of beets and groundnuts. As I understand it, these episodes occasionally put some strain on his professional life. It must have been particularly difficult given the string of disappearances at the institution that employed him. Surely, it would have been stressful enough trying to sort out all this Hanningen business without having to pacify half a dozen sets of hysterical parents. Accounts of Burgess’ history gets somewhat spotty towards the end but some say he moved to the countryside after having expressed a sudden interest in agriculture. I certainly hope he found his peace sooner or later.
Not even becoming one of the victims can stay Astrid’s murder investigation
Astrid (Zazie Beetz) is also quite familiar with being unable to leave a past life behind. She is a former employee of a restaurant called Perfect Pizza Base, and has recently received word that one of her former coworkers was struck down in the line of duty, a sad fate that befalls many a pizza courier. This one in particular had his throat slashed and Astrid, the sentimental old gal, is unable to peaceably go about her business without a bit of investigation. In order to search for clues, she resumes her post at Perfect Pizza Base, only to discard her duties and interrogate hungry fellows who might have had contact with her slain colleague. It is a search that becomes all the more fervent once several other Perfect Pizza Base employees meet with a violent demise.
Chief among the potential suspects is Dax Lycander (Chance Bennett), a werewolf who has only recently returned to the town of Kingfisher. Besides belonging to a species known for indiscriminate bloodshed, Dax also happened to be a person of interest when a group of Chinese restaurant employees who suffered a very similar end years ago. Certainly, his proximity to a homicidal spree is a tad suspicious and his decision to return just as an identical set of crimes are committed does not help his case. But the town of Kingfisher has no shortage of supernatural suspects. In addition to its prodigal lycanthrope, Kingfisher boasts a thriving ghost population, some 40,000 in total, and some still-living residents suspect that a spirit conspiracy may be responsible for the recent string of murders. Furthermore, there is at least one influential coven of witches in the area working to appease their dark lord. It is an awfully complex issue for a delivery person with limited police experience to tackle, but Astrid does not allow herself to be discouraged, even when the search imperils her own life.
In an encouraging display of diversity, Perfect Pizza Base employs both the living and the living dead
While a career as a professional horror film commentator should have better prepared me for moments like these, I must confess, it seems senseless to enumerate the merits of a work that features ghosts, werewolves, witches and Chris Parnell in a slender 83 minute timeframe. My critical faculties become overwhelmed and I fear that any effort to capture the thing as a whole will drive this particular text to the the edge of tedium. And so, with such assignments, I find it is best to focus on but a single element so as not to go carry on indefinitely. Perhaps the finest offering presented by Slice is the silver screen debut of Chance Bennnet, better known to some by his sobriquet “Chance The Rapper.” Mr. Bennet is, as some of you may have deduced, a rap musician and I believe he has had little formal training as a thespian. And yet even appearing among veteran comedic fellows like Mr. Parnell and Paul Scheer, the chap positively shines, with good humor and charm to spare. While his stage name suggests that his primary focus may be a career in music, I certainly hope Slice is an indication that he will consider acting from time to time.
Slice runs 83 minutes and rated R for bloody violence, language, some drug material and nude images.
