H.R. Pukenshette (2000) User Reviews

You'll laugh, You'll cry, You'll puke

[SLHM · 10/10 · 8 November 2003]

This film was absolute genius. It was the first of Steve Herold's work I ever saw, and I fell in love. Not only is the storyline absolutely hilarious, but it also makes a great attempt at teaching a lesson about something we tend to take for granted...friends, while taking bodily functions to a whole new level.

All of Herold's work is fantastic, and he is a true inspiration to not only filmmakers, but the viewers as well. Be sure to check out his other films, Bum Runner, Asburied, and T. Fly Boxed, available on dvd on herold's website.

Steve, Thanks :D

Laugh Till You Puke!

[MicroCinemaMagazine · 23 September 2004]

We give this notsoSPECIAL EDITION DVD 4 "little guys." This is some quality film-making at it's best! The DVD is approximately 30 minutes long and includes four different shorts, photos, interviews and tons of bonus material. The guys at Joint Partners have put together a quality DVD package worthy of its $11.95 price tag.

Short One 1 min. (T. Fly Boxed) Boxed is a great look at some of Harold's earlier works. It is a very, very short silent animated film about a working Fly who discovers a box of colorful paint and decides to open it. When he does the color escapes and starts engulfing the building and then spreads to the US and eventually the world. Soon the entire planet is blanketed in rainbow colors. One particular part of the film caught our eye. There is a scene with what looks to be the former Twin Towers getting covered completely in paint. Now given the film was made in 1993 could this be some kind of eerie premonition of events to come?!?

Short Two 10 min. (H. R. Pukenshetts) This short was AWESOME! It opens with The Dude (Jason McClean) and The Chick (Sabrina Gennarino) in a heated argument about the apparent size of The Dude's member. The Chick storms out of the house leaving The Dude to wallow in his own pity as he drinks his sorrows away. Unfortunately The Dude cannot hold his liquor and we are soon introduced to Mr. H.R. Pukenshetts (Kevin Kolack). H.R. tells The Dude that he is his guardian angel and that it is his mission to show The Dude all the good things that life has to offer. This short will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. It is a solid piece of work with few flaws not to mention that the acting was actually very respectable. H.R. Pukenshetts has won numerous awards including "Best Film" - Sick Puppy Film Festival, "Best International Comedy" - Twisted Sinema and the "Audience Award" - Highgate Film Festival.

Short Three 8 min. (Asburied) Asburied takes us back to years gone by in Asbury Park, NJ. Asbury Park was a seaside resort town that has since been abandoned and left to age and decay. Harold does a great job of capturing the essence of the once thriving town. Asburied is the perfect mix of stunning images and quality storytelling. The Narrator (Stan Parratt) speaks from the heart as he recalls some of his fondest memories from his childhood summers on the Jersey Shore. It's good to see that a writer who has such a flare for comedy can also get serious with the best of them.

Short Four 9 min. (Bum Runner) Bum Runner is one of Harold's more recent works. It is a hilarious parody of the classic car chases we have all grown to love. The film opens with two bums Oatmeal (Joe Reitman) and Hat (Billy Allen) trying to steal food from another bum Snore (Orlando Sorlis) who is passed out in a pile of trash. They soon realize that they need to pull a bigger heist so that they can retire to "Cracktown." The two bums stumble upon Can Man (Fred Berry) who has a huge collection of cans. They decided to steal Can Man's cans and the chase ensues. Bum Runner has won the "Best Comedy Short" - Back East Picture Show.

One question...when is the official movie soundtrack coming out. The original songs on these films are tight. It seems that Harold not only has a nack for movie-making but also for music composition. Watch for great things to come from Joint Partners in the future.

• 4/5 Little Guys -

A charming pile of vomit

[Lydia-YIFF · 16 February 2002]

Your girlfriend has dumped you, so you drink yourself into a stupor. Makes perfect sense. In fact, you drink so much that your guardian angel appears to guide you along the path of righteousness and glory... well, not quite. The Dude's guardian angel is a French pile of puke by the name HR Pukenshette. A vomit puppet, to be precise, who is quite possibly the word's most charming and charismatic pile of sick.

To those easily offended by humour on the theme of bodily fluids, stay away from this film. To all others, see this film. Steve Herold takes a traditional broken heart plot and adds a hilarious twist - without pretensions to being a Shakespearian tragedy, 'HR Pukenshette' is a modern love story with an ultimately uplifting message. The film is well-written and directed, especially considering its low budget. I enjoyed it, and will never look at vomit in the same way again.