If you are wondering just what you might get from a film called Evil Bong then you may have already spent too much time in the company of an evil bong. It's not a hard concept to figure out, not really, and the fact that it is directed by Charles Band means that you're unlikely to find a lot of hidden depth here.
David Weidoff plays Alistair, a young (nerd) man who moves into shared accommodation with, as you may have guessed, a bunch of guys who like to get stoned. Alistair doesn’t personally indulge, which is why it takes much longer for him to be caught in the clutches of . . . the Evil Bong. In fact, Alistair only sets out to get stoned when he figures out what is happening to those around him, including Janet (Kristyn Green), a woman he has taken quite a shine to.
As silly and light as you should expect, Evil Bong isn’t actually as bad as it could be, thanks to the idea of people being transported to a “bong world” that is basically just a strip club where they are eventually killed, or have their souls temporarily held from their bodies. It is also a place where other characters from the Full Moon stable of movies can appear, for no other reason than allowing fans to recognise them and smile. Jack Deth, Gingerdead Man, Ooga Booga, and more appear onscreen for a few seconds. They add nothing to the plot of the film, but I cannot deny that it was fun to recognise them (and remember other Full Moon movies that I had already enjoyed or endured).
Band directs with his usual approach, take an idea that can be milked for years and throw everything together as cheaply as possible. He is helped by Domonic Muir’s script, which leans into the silliness of it all just enough to be slightly charming, as opposed to smug and offputting, and the “guest role” for Tommy Chong is an easy way to attract the right viewer demographic.
Weidoff isn’t the best actor around, but he is also far from the worst, as are the other main stars.. Everyone knows what kind of movie they are in, and everyone does just fine by the material. I would say that this is actually one of the better casts I have seen Band put together, with Green a very likeable potential love interest, and Brian Lloyd, John Patrick Jordan, and Mitch Eakins, are amusing enough as the non-nerd flatmates ready to gently mock the new nerd in their midst. Robin Sydney also does fine, playing the girlfriend of Lloyd’s character, while the voice of Michelle Mais works well as for the Evil Bong aka EeBee. There’s also a small supporting role for Phil Fondacaro, someone who has appeared in many Full Moon movies, and who I always enjoy seeing.
This is silly, it is put together carelessly, and you may well start forgetting it even before the end credits have finished. But it’s also moderately amusing, at times, and keeps throwing enough elements around onscreen that some of them manage to stick.
4/10
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