BayView Entertainment dropped the low-budget flick "Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea" on Digital and VOD platforms on November 26th, and I finally got around to watching it at 5 a.m. Today. This movie really carves out its own niche: you could call it a filthy slasher drama, and that pretty much sums up the wild ride it offers.
If you're into humor that's dark and a bit raunchy, and you don't mind some over-the-top social and political jabs, then Hemet is definitely worth checking out. I found myself both entertained and laughing at the mix of crude jokes and clever satire that was so bad it somehow worked in its favor.
Directed by Tony Olmos and written by Brian Patrick Butler, the film revolves around a strange group of folks forced to live in a rundown apartment building run by the deranged Liz, played by Butler in drag with a ton of makeup. She keeps her tenants-Martin (Merrick McCartha), Gary (Matthew Rhodes), Howie (Pierce Wallace), and Tank (Nick Young)-in check with threats of eviction, rent hikes, or losing perks like their parking spots.
For me, the standout moment in Hemet is Brian Patrick Butler's performance as Liz. She's scheming and snarling, delivering lines like, "You better get a second job sucking dick or selling bath salts because your rent just went up a hundred dollars a month..." and "I drink four things: blood, cum, coke, and rum... and I've already had three of those today!"
