When the 1989 “one-hit-wonder” glam-metal band “Sonic Grave,” embark on a trip to Coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop in Joshua Tree incites an “unworldly” vicious attack, and they must “rock” themselves out of harm’s way.
My first impression of the band inside the Airstream trailer barreling through the desert was something along the lines of “This is Spinal Tap” meets “The Naked Jungle.” Charlton Heston starred in the latter 1954 film about a legion of army ants laying waste to everything in sight. Of course, the 1984 Rob Reiner classic “This is Spinal Tap,” chronicles the exploits of a once-popular band, which prompts a radio DJ to ask, “Where are they now?”
Similarly, in “Dead Ant,” the band Sonic Grave journeys to Coachella, hoping to make a long overdue comeback. For nearly 30 years as a one-hit-wonder, its members have lived off their well-worn sappy power ballad that they now hate to play anymore.
From the opening scene, this is clearly a horror film that, happily, never takes itself too seriously. A woman streaking down a dirt road, chased by a CGI-challenged giant ant comes to a bad end – and so the action begins.Despite the fact that viewers will know some cast members better than others, “Dead Ant” essentially constitutes an ensemble piece. Sean Astin, probably best known as Frodo’s companion in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, shows up here as Art, the band’s bass player. He and Leisha Hailey as Stevie, the band’s drummer, drive the old pickup that’s pulling the band’s trailer.
Inside the Airstream, Jake Busey is Merrick, the self-absorbed lead singer. Cameron Richardson incessantly clings as his fawning romantic interest named Love. Tom Arnold plays Danny, the band’s manager. Here, as is often the case, Tom Arnold does Tom Arnold. He is crude and crass, but still sometimes actually funny even so.
Rhys Coiro is Pager, the band’s lead guitarist, always sniffing around for new conquests. Enter Sydney Sweeney, a groupie who comes on board mostly tasked with providing reaction shots to the pervasive graphic horror. To her credit, she does so in a way that makes the bloody absurdity seem oddly believable.
Perhaps best of all is Michael Horse as Bigfoot, a sage and stoic American Indian who appears to have adapted to America’s consumerist cravings, yet still maintaining his a native cultural authenticity. Danny Woodburn provides backup as Firecracker, Bigfoot’s loyal sidekick. Both men turn in nicely understated comedic performances. Before the group reaches the concert site, they first make a stop to buy drugs from Bigfoot. In the hope of gleaning inspiration for badly needed new songs, the band decides to ingest some potent peyote and trip in the desert to see what sprouts.
Joshua Tree National Park has figured prominently in the news because of the way unsupervised visitors recently despoiled the landscape during the government shutdown. This development maintains parallels to “Dead Ant” because early on, Bigfoot issues a stern warning to the entourage not to sully either the land or the creatures that live within it. Needless to say, the warning goes unheeded and the mayhem ensues.
As the B-movie it aspires to be, “Dead Ant” will provide enough laughs and gore to satisfy most audiences. It may not be great art, but an earnest cast and satisfactory plot make for an enjoyable ride into farcical terror.
“Dead Ant” marches into theaters, On Demand & Digital Jan. 25th
