The martinis swap the vermouth for ectoplasm in the soothing indie comedy Haunted Happy Hour, written and directed by Jack Bremen. Jay (Jack Bremen) has been informed by his landlord, Frank (Rick Danford), that if he doesn’t pay the three months’ rent he owes, the bar Jay and his dad built will be padlocked in just five days. Already reeling from his Dad’s death and his marriage having dissolved with his wife, Anne (Ree Renee), Jay goes to drown his sorrows at a cat cafe. After rubbing sweet little kitties in his face doesn’t solve his problems, he starts to mope his way home. That is when Jay comes across an ad for a haunted tavern tour that operates right there in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Jay figures that if he can get his bar on the ghost tour, he can make enough money to keep his doors open.
A glowing purple portal opens in the night sky above the brewery in Haunted Happy Hour.
“…if he doesn’t pay the three months’ rent he owes, the bar Jay and his dad built will be padlocked in just five days.”
Meanwhile, the bartender Brian (Jeff Macolino) and bar workers Mike (Michael Girgenti) and Emily (Jennifer Lauriello) are all wondering about their jobs, as the place is always almost empty. Jay lets them know he is working on a plan to increase business, as he secretly gives his last $1000 to pay for the services of ghost chaser Chase (Wyatt Haas). Chase and his specter hunting team, Samantha (Courtney Holifield) and Eric (JC Anthony), show up at the bar to certify the place is haunted so that it can be included in the spook bar crawl. After only finding a couple of cold spots, Samantha suggests using the spirit box to see if a ghost can be summoned. The team gets a response from a spirit that calls himself Kolsch (Eric Roberts). When they ask the supernatural presence’s intentions, the ghost replies he is wasted and wants to party. Hard.
The problem I have always had with film criticism is that every film has to walk through a thousand invisible yardsticks to be measured for its place in the grand scheme of cinema. Why is it that I have to evaluate the worth of Haunted Happy Hour by comparing its importance to that of John Ford’s How Green Was My Valley? Yes, there is indeed a pantheon of great works of cinematic art, but I cannot live off of classics alone. I need movies like Haunted Happy Hour, movies that will calm your nerves and initiate a relaxed state of mind. It is not the fanciest movie, nor is it groundbreaking in any direction. It isn’t even wildly funny. But it is soothing as all get out, giving you exactly what you need to forget the darkest day. Prestige impresses, but comfort saves the farm over and over.
"…isn't framed art...it's a bacon double cheeseburger..."
