‘Knock ’em dead’
The Last Laugh is a 2020 American slasher horror film about a stand-up comedian who discovers there is a killer on the loose. Unfortunately, the murderer is lurking in the very theatre where he is about to perform his biggest show and hopefully have his first breakout. He must make a terrible choice…
Written and directed by Jeremy Berg (Holiday Hell; The Device; The Invoking), the movie stars Steve Vanderzee, Eric Stone, Lowell Deo and Angela DiMarco.
Reviews:
“I really enjoyed the creepy mask and garb the killer used in the movie and the overall tone. The look of the mask is split into two competing facades and it gives away this duality aesthetic that runs parallel to what Myles is going through throughout the film, quite a nice metaphorical touch. Be on the lookout for the Short Night of Glass Dolls reference in the film too…” Fatal Follower
” …it seems to be trying for a slasher where everyone is fair game, with little to no depth behind it despite a commentary on the cost of fame coming in at film’s end. While it feels like Last Laugh has a lot of ideas it hoped to explore, and the perfect setting to explore them in, it doesn’t quite manage to do any of them justice.” Killer Horror Critic
“This is a fun slasher horror that does everything to bring something new to the table by only have one character know about the killer, while balance mental illness with a potential serial killer.” Movie Reviews 101
” …I never felt the buzz or excitement that the comedic event was meant to be drumming up […] What we have in place of any tension or excitement are a number of interactions between Steve Vanderzee’s comedian Myles and backstage staff that reduces the potential for thrills to petty dramatics leaving The Last Laugh to flounder as a thrill-free average slasher flick.” My Bloody Reviews
“The Last Laugh, with a moody electronic score from Jon Bash, is cleverly put together and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats thanks to stirring performances, tightly executed scenes of suspense, and endlessly bloody twists and turns courtesy of some gnarly practical effects from Lisa van Dam-Bates.” Reel Reviews
” …the direction is very subtle throughout and mostly relies on character work rather than setpieces to create tension and suspense, and at the same time it does a wonderful job keeping the audience guessing how much is actually happening, how much is in Myles’ head, up to the point where one can’t be sure whether the killer might actually be himself.” Search My Trash
“As a slasher, it’s not bad if a bit slow. There are some nice practical effects courtesy of Lisa van Dam-Bates (Marla). And the large, mostly empty theatre allows for plenty of suspenseful moments. However, The Last Laugh doesn’t really take advantage of its premise.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
The Last Laugh was available to purchase and rent on VOD via High Octane Pictures on September 15th 2020, followed by a special edition Blu-ray on November 10th 2020. Buy via Amazon.com
The film will have its festival premiere at the West Sound Film Festival in Bremerton, WA. The festival will take place on October 9th to 11th 2020 at the Historic Roxy Theatre (270 4th St, Bremerton, WA 98337). Exact showtimes will be announced soon at westsoundfilmfestival.com
Cast and characters:
Steve Vanderzee … Myles
Eric Stone … Nelson
Lowell Deo … Reggie Ray
Angela DiMarco … Donna
Meranda Long … Bethany
Marcus Leppard … Andy
Brad Jessernig … Bryce
Nick Sage Palmieri … Jared
Tonya M. Skoog … Isabella
Luke Schuck … Lawrence
Jeffrey Arrington … Comedy
Scott C. Brown … Jack
Mark Rahner … J. Barilla
Production companies:
Adventus Films
Cool Productions
Salem Street Entertainment
The October People
UnLTD Productions
Technical details:
81 minutes
Working title:
The Killing Joke
Notes:
Not to be confused with Greg Pritikin’s 2019 Netflix film of the same name which stars Richard Dreyfuss, Andie MacDowell and Chevy Chase.
