‘Let freedom bleed!’
Presidents Day is a 2016 American meta-comedy horror film about teenagers battling dead presidents in a cabin in the woods. Their only hope for survival is to summon the demonic spirit of John Wilkes Booth.
Directed by David Zuckerman from a screenplay co-written with co-producers Benjamin Goodwin and Jud Zumwalt, the Crooked Jaw Productions movie stars Monica Ricketts, David Zuckerman, Jud Zumwalt, Brittany Faith Rosoff, Chelsea Taylor Leech, Dax Hill, Mike Ostroski and Michael Minto.
Reviews:
” It’s entertaining to see bits and pieces of earlier films in this send-up of B-movie madness. But with a plot that never seems fully realized, Presidents Day struggles to stand on its own merit […] Zuckerman directs with energy and has encouraged his cast of young, comedic talent to tackle their limited roles with gusto.” Addicted to Horror Movies
“It does drag a bit in the third act, so much so that I was left wondering if it would ever end. Still, though, I laughed a number of times at the silly jokes, I cheered over a death or two, and the girlfriend has a goofy, fun story arc that I really dug […] Presidents Day definitely won’t be for everyone, but if you like low-brow horror comedies with small budgets, and the plot sounds amusing, then give it a watch.” Cinefessions
” …President’s Day is so delightfully low budget that the lack of funds spent on the “special effects” ends up being strangely endearing. All of the actors commit to their roles with just the right amount of over the top mugging, the writing is clever and the overall tone is fun. And let’s be honest; we can all use some political humor right about now.” Haddonfield Horror
“This whole concept is unbelievably clever, dark, funny, weird, and is a worthy concept for a horror/comedy film. Much is made that James K. Polk (Mike Ostroski) is largely forgotten by all of the other presidents […] A lot of the humor in Presidents Day depends on the presidents being evil. The humor is not complex but most of it is absurd and over-the-top.” Irish Film Critic
“Making the most out of a seemingly low-budget, the movie feels bigger because of how well it knows the genre. You know these slasher tropes and the characters feel like caricatures but it seems to be aware of how ridiculous it is. That’s not to say the film isn’t a serious attempt; director and actor David Zuckerman is poking fun at the genre with a very stern face. Presidents Day is focused and executes the executions in a tremendous manner.” Monkeys Fighting Robots
“Occasionally it felt the comedy did ruin any moments of proper horror, but then that wasn’t the point of this. This succeeds in not ruining the great set-up, while the cast are all into their roles enough that no one stood out as terrible. This is too rough around the edges to be an essential view, but as a piece of escapism from bleak reality this was perfect.” The Rotting Zombie
” …while there’s certainly plenty of blood and guts in this, it comes alive more through its silly oneliners, stupid puns and outbursts of slapstick than through its actual killings. Sure, not all jokes are great or so (intentionally) bad they’re good, and not all the performances are always spot on, but the laughs clearly outdo the film’s shortcomings, and the humour of the film is pretty infectious overall.” Search My Trash
“A smorgasbord of ridiculous scenarios and even more ridiculous characters. This isn’t even touching on the actual President zombies that serve as yet another center point around which the various components making up these scenarios naturally coalesce. Speaking of, if you know your American history to at least a modest degree, you’ll find more value in the humor that comes by way of the walking dead.” Thirteenth Floor
Cast and characters:
Rob Bebenek … Teddy Roosevelt
Matthew Broussard … John F. Kennedy
Joe Coffey … Christopher Columbus
J. Barrett Cooper … Franklin D. Roosevelt
Matt Eisenberg … Richard Nixon / John Tyler
Benjamin Goodwin … Ruttigger
Dax Hill … Clarence
Cassie Kunz … Motorcycle Babe
Jordan Leach … Abraham Lincoln / Andrew Jackson
Chelsea Taylor Leech … Max
Michael Minto … John Wilkes Booth
Erik Myers … Tollbooth Operator
Josh Nasar … Franklin Pierce
Mike Ostroski … James K. Polk
Bram Rees-Davies … William H. Harrison
Monica Ricketts … Lilly
Brittany Faith Rosoff … Ashley
Bruce Ryan … Linden B. Johnson
Don Schlossman … William H. Taft
Elliot Shahbas … Book Author
Rick Steadman … George Washington / Andrew Johnson
Joseph Zeigler … Thomas Jefferson
David Zody … John Adams
David Zuckerman … Jake
Jud Zumwalt … Brett
Filming locations:
Idyllwild, California
Technical details:
86 minutes
Trailer:
