Science Bastard (2002) / Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! (2005) (RePost from the old Ryan’s Reviews site)

Science Bastard Description (from http://www.exhilarateddespair.com):
A young woman’s t-shirt revives the mystery of the Science Bastard, a legendary crime-fighter. Her kindly neighbor, Mr. Jasper, tells her the story of the vigilante’s exploits – including his combat with the brutal criminal known as the Skunk Ape – but Mr. Jasper has his own secrets…

Written and Directed by Scott Phillips, screenwriter of the cult action favorite Drive (starring Mark Brotherhood of the Wolf Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, and Brittany Murphy) and the horror fests Horrorvision and Cryptz! Featuring science fiction author Robert Vardeman (Cenotaph Road) as Mr. Jasper!

Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! Description (condensed from http://www.exhilarateddespair.com):
The latest adventure of the retarded superhero known as Science Bastard won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at TromaDance New Mexico this October. The DVD includes Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! along with the original Science Bastard short and the Making-Of featurette for that movie — including bonus Stephanie (“Skunk Girl” & the Zombie Girl from The Stink of Flesh) Leighs nudity, as well as trailers for a handful of cool independent movies. It adds up to around 80 minutes of laffs, cheese, and naked girls.

Scream, Science Bastard, Scream was written by Robert Medrano (Cross) and Chris Seaver of Low Budget Pictures fame (Mulva, Zombie Ass-Kicker), and stars Devin O’Leary, Billy Garberina, Sara Lee “Crickett” Holtzman, Bob Vardeman, Kurly Tlapoyawa, Sarah Turner and lots more. Oh yeah — and I (Scott Phillips) directed the thing.

Major Cast: Science Bastard: Devin O’Leary as Science Bastard, Bob Vardeman as Mr. Jasper, Samantha Phillips as The Girl, Gregory Wright as Mr. Experiments, Mike D’Elia as Tony Cheese / Skunk Ape, Stephanie Leighs as Skunk Girl, Scott Denning as The Vardeborg Scream, Science Bastard, Scream!: Devin O’Leary as Science Bastard, Sara Lee “Crickett” Holtzman as Science Lad, Billy Garberina as Buster Humpps / Notorious Woodsman, Scott Denning as The Host

Special Features: Making of Science Bastard, Trailers

Science Bastard:
written and directed by Scott Phillips

Scream, Science Bastard, Scream!:
written by Robert Paul Medrano and Chris Seaver, directed by Scott Phillips

DVD by Exhilarated Despair Productions

Science Bastard and Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! are campy, gory, offensive, outrageous, and I mean all of those as compliments.  Both films deal with the exploits of the Science Bastard, a crime-fighter based in New Mexico.  In Science Bastard, the Science Bastard gives himself powers and learns to use them.  In Scream, Science Bastard, Scream!, the Science Bastard, along with his sidekick, Science Lad, has to face the evil Notorious Woodsman to save the day for the President of New Mexico.

Science Bastard has a lot going for it – full frontal nudity, cute guinea pigs, well-done gore, sight gags, good costumes, and some funny dialogue.  The acting is campy, but decent.  The direction is good, and the picture – while obviously shot on a digital camera – is crisp and well lit.  I enjoyed the sight gags, which were well done, the “splatstick” (as I like to call it) worked, and the story took me places I didn’t expect.  Science Bastard does get to be too weird in parts (and the weird parts go on too long), which I felt distracted from the comedy.  I think it’s hard to argue against the fact that watching someone get beaten or killed with their own body part (in a splatstick film) is funny as hell, and it works in this picture as well.

Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! was a step up.  Science Bastard is already developed, so no time is wasted there.  Science Lad – who is obviously (to everyone but Science Bastard) a girl – is quickly introduced over the credits.  We then meet Buster Humpps, a porn star from 1976 who goes messing with science to increase his mojo.  He is “too dangerous,” and Dr. Bob puts him in suspended animation until after the end of the world in 2005.  Buster wakes up to find the world is not over and his mojo makes all people, men and women, irresistibly attracted to him.  He proclaims himself The Notorious Woodsman and begins taking over the world with his sexual powers. Science Bastard and Science Lad step I, summoned by the President of New Mexico.  Comedy ensues.  This film was much more consistently funny than its predecessor. The weird parts are not so weird as to distract from the comedy, and they are shorter, which helps.  The sight gags, one-liners, and dancing jokes all make for a great, laugh-out-loud viewing experience.  I especially enjoyed the fact that Science Bastard is too oblivious to notice his “masculine young chum” is “a chick, man!”  The direction in Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! has also progressed.  The camera work was more interesting, with panning shots up aisles and then Humpp’s legs, nice long-distance shots, and well-done camera movement.  Scream, Science Bastard, Scream!, like its predecessor, was shot on a digital camera, but again the lighting is good and the picture crisp.

Overall, Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! definitely outshines its predecessor – it’s the rare sequel that is better than the original.  However, Science Bastard is a funny movie in its own right.  I would recommend both to fans of Troma and the like – films that will offend you someplace while you’re watching it, but are still funny as hell.  Stay away from these movies if you are easily offended, prude, or have a problem with nudity or blood – because both of these films are not for you!  If you are a fan of splatstick, boobies and blood, and those sorts of films, check out the double feature DVD.  You won’t be disappointed.

Overall

Science Bastard 6 / 10

Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! 8 / 10

Science Bastard on the imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470085/

Science Bastard / Scream, Science Bastard, Scream! for sale: http://www.exhilarateddespair.com

Exhilarated Despair Productions site: http://www.exhilarateddespair.com