As both a British and independent horror comedy, Kill Keith should, by definition, guarantee razor-sharp wit, belly-laughs and quintessentially English charm in spades. No such home-grown gem, this mishmash of juvenile humour, wildly unrealistic scenarios and sketchy scriptwriting makes for an undeniable disappointment.
Set in the perky but secretly cut-throat world of breakfast television, the story follows a ruthless ‘Cereal Killer’ who’s hell-bent on becoming the star of innuendo-laden TV smash The Crack Of Dawn. With long-time presenter Cliff (David Easter) set to leave the series, the search for a worthy replacement is quickly whittled down to a select short-list that includes Keith Chegwin, Tony Blackburn, Joe Pasquale and Russell Grant. As the killer sets about slaying each and every one of the competing celebrities, it’s down to hapless coffee boy Danny Nichols (Marc Pickering) to unravel the mystery behind these sadistic, cereal-themed killings as the body count and cheap gags pile up in thick and fast succession.
Despite a promisingly original angle and talented cast of actors starring the lively and much-loved likes of Keith Chegwin and Russell Grant, this sloppily spun yarn quickly comes unravelled as Kill Keith plays fast and loose with the boundaries of logic and taste. Indeed, director Andy Thompson himself recently admitted: ‘We don’t care about the words, really.’ Including a scene in which Danny’s mother happily presents an obscene cardboard cut-out that’s guaranteed to cause embarrassment, Kill Keith’s illogically forced ‘comedy moments’ feel almost jackknifed into the script.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Backed up only by a childish measure of toilet humour and sexual innuendo, the movie regrettably falls short of the Shaun Of The Dead-style hilarity it so obviously aspires to.
