It seems like somnambulists are all the rage. First, comedian Mike Birbiglia made his acclaimed feature debut with the humorous autobiographical tale Sleepwalk With Me, which paralleled his undiagnosed sleep disorder with his troubled relationship. Now another sleepwalker will shamble onto the scene, only his story is far more gruesome.
The first trailer for director Boris Rodriguez’s film Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal debuted online, and the self-explanatory horror comedy definitely straddles the line between ridiculous and irreverent. It follows Lars (Thure Lindhardt), a struggling painter who relocates to a remote Canadian town to teach at an art school. There he discovers an unlikely muse in Eddie (Dylan Smith), a mute oaf who’s prone to fits of violent sleepwalking that causes him to kill and eat small animals. As his work becomes more successful, Lars encourages Eddie to hunt, even if the prey includes some of the locals. The tongue-in-cheek selection may not appeal to everyone, but at least it’s an interesting twist on the tired zombie genre. See trailer, via Badass Digest, and synopsis below:
Synopsis:
Lars Olaafsen, once a young celebrity in the art world is slipping away fast into the land of has-beens. Ronny, his long-time art dealer wants his meal ticket back but Lars refuses to paint. His creativity comes at too high a cost. His inspiration is carnage – blood, guts and limbs – and he’s vowed to never go down that dark road again. An overly eager Ronny arranges a job for Lars teaching art in a small town. It’s a “therapeutic measure” – a means to conquer his need to paint while in the “safety” of a country retreat…
Despite the odd assortment of local eccentrics (and a couple of hostile teachers) things look promising overall for Lars at his new job. That is, until he meets 30-year-old Eddie, a brawny mute who attends the school and harbours a dark and sordid secret of his own…
Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal hits VOD on April 5th, but has yet to schedule a theatrical release date.
What did you think of the trailer? Do you think Eddie looks fun or dumb?