Why So Blu?

Bad Milo (Blu-ray Review)

For those who enjoy a fun horror comedy or have ever wondered what a sillier take on a David Cronenberg body horror film would be like, Bad Milo has you covered.  The film is easily described as the one where Ken Marino has a butt gremlin and there is not much to argue against with that statement.  Still, given the cast involved, the way the humor is handled, and the use of a real puppet to represent said butt gremlin, Bad Milo has cult favorite written all over it.  Is the film worthy of such a status?  Perhaps, but it is now available for all viewers to find out on a pretty decent Blu-ray.  Time to dive in and learn more.

Film: 

Working as a weird cross between The Brood and Gremlins, this film, from co-writer/director Jacob Vaughn, stars Ken Marino as stressed out office worker Duncan.  The film begins with Duncan and his wife, Sarah (Community’s Gillian Jacobs), in a doctor’s office, discussing Duncan’s unusual stomach pains.  While obviously associated with stress, Duncan spends a good percentage of his time on the toilet, in order to deal with it.  Things come to a head when the truth is revealed.  Duncan actually has a small demon living in his intestines and it finally manages to break free and start slaughtering those Duncan is associated with, before retreating back inside Duncan, when it is through.  Why is this happening?  What can Duncan do?  How many people will it kill?  How many replacement pants will Duncan have to buy?  All of these questions seem relevant when dealing with an ass demon named Milo.

If you have come this far, obviously there is still a passing interest in a film that features many scenes of Ken Marino bending over to either have Milo leave or enter his butt.  With that said, while the film is certainly a messy experience, there is a level of restraint, when it comes to really delving into the nitty-gritty of certain aspects of this demon.  Bad Milo does have its share of comedic horror scenarios, which are generally tagged with a certain level of gore, but it does also manage to leave a lot to the imagination.  Not to say that this film is subtle, but it certainly has its head in the right place, as far as making a horror-comedy such as this work.

Along with Marino and Jacobs, having a mix of comedic and character actors like Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, and Peter Stormare certainly sets this up as a film wants to be entertaining, without being too shocking.  I cannot say that I found Bad Milo to be a laugh riot, as not all of the humor really landed with the impact I think the filmmakers were going for, but it is a fun exercise.  The actors are all certainly game and the film at least feels comfortable in the way it plays around with this absurd story.  Were the film more serious, it could have done a better job at making the demon aspect work as a play on real life issues that involve stress and how it can manifest itself, but that simply serves as a launching pad for the craziness that this movie wants to have instead.

A large component of success obviously comes down to Milo itself.  Working with a practical puppet, the film does manage to do a lot of good with having this tiny ass demon be something tangible.  For what it is, it looks great.  When it is not brandishing its sharp teeth, it almost looks adorable.  There is even a couple late reveals in this film that have you feeling sympathetic for ass demons, for whatever that’s worth.  While I am not entirely in the camp of “practical is always better,” a film like this certainly makes a good case for when it works best, which makes sense for a low-budgeted horror-comedy such as this.

Bad Milo is about as good as I thought it would be.  I was not as ecstatic about this film as I was with Big Ass Spider, but the cast are all having fun here, the tone is handled just right, and Milo is a solid, practical creation.  Maybe if the film went darker or…well I don’t know what else could make me appreciate it more, but it is a decent film to check out, if you have the kind of urge to see a horror-comedy that invites you to explore the demons lurking inside Ken Marino’s booty.

Video: 

I am usually completely on board with the quality of Magnolia’s Blu-ray releases, but I could not help but notice a number of scenes that came off as either too muted or dirty in their video presentation.  This 1080p AVC-encoded transfer is pretty good for the most part, as the film is generally set inside offices or homes and the visuals come to life based on the color palette best noticeable in the wardrobe of the characters, but it seems to suffer when the film ventures outside, during the day.  Given that Bad Milo was shot on the Red Epic camera, I am not sure what to say, but at least Milo looked great throughout.

Audio: 

The lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track does a better job, as far as this disc’s presentation is concerned, because it really allows you to enjoy the fairly enjoyable score for this film, which is another good way of seeing how good of a handle on tone the filmmakers had.  Along with that, the dialogue is clear, the kills are…juicy, and Milo sounds as crisp and clear as you would like your ass demons to sound.  This is a well-mixed audio track all around.

Extras: 

There is a nice collection of extras on this disc, including a fun commentary track.  Not the most in-depth BTS footage, but some interesting material regarding the process to make Milo work on screen.

Features Include:

Commentary with Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Director Jacob Vaughn and Writer Benjamin Hayes – A lively commentary with enough jokes to go with the actual discussion of the film.

Deleted Scene: Veterinarian

Extended Outtakes

Extended Dinner Scene

Behind Milo: The Puppeteers! – A look at the process of making Milo work, featuring scenes from the film, without the digital trickery added.

Behind Milo: Raw Take – More of the above.

Interview with Ken Marino – At ten minutes, this is a solid enough interview, though Marino only toys with being funny, before settling for serious answers.

AXS TV: A Look at Bad Milo – Standard EPK stuff.

Trailers

Summary: 

Bad Milo is a decent trip into the realm of horror-comedy.  It also answers many questions revolving around having a demon in ones ass.  If any of that intrigues you, then you should definitely check out this film.  Butt But seriously, it has a lot of fun with its premise.  The Blu-ray is a nice package as well.  While not amazing in the video department, there are a nice collection of extras to go along with this weird little movie.  Take a spin and try to sit comfortably, while watching this film.

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Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com.  Follow him on Twitter @AaronsPS4.
He also co-hosts a podcast, Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.