DVD Review: Queen Crab

Queen Crab tells the story of a giant crab that terrorizes the denizens of a small town but has a special relationship with one woman who wishes to protect it. It opens twenty years ago, when a young girl named Melissa finds a crab at the edge of a lake, names it Pee Wee, and feeds it something from her father’s lab. Her father is a scientist who is working on a growth formula to find a solution for world starvation. An explosion in the lab kills both of Melissa’s parents, and her uncle takes care of her, telling her that her pet crab will be okay on its own for a while.

In the present day, Melissa (Michelle Simone Miller) is now a tough chick still living on the same property. And Pee Wee has grown quite a bit in the intervening decades and has begun to raise a family, a family that needs to be fed. A farmer named Phil discovers one of his livestock has been killed and a large hole has been torn into the side of his barn. The sheriff and deputy follow the odd tracks to Melissa’s property. And Jennifer (Kathryn Metz), a childhood friend and now B-movie actor, comes to town to see Melissa. Jennifer asks her what she does, and Melissa responds: “I take care of the property. I protect the things that live here. I keep people away.”

That’s a nice bit of dialogue, and actually quite a bit of the dialogue in this film is good. Sure, some of it is weak, and the acting isn’t always perfect, and there is some less-than-stellar looping. But the film is full of interesting small town characters that are not quite stereotypes (but which play a bit with stereotypes). The scene where the hunting party awaits its prey is particularly good. But the star of the film is the stop-motion animation of the giant crab.

Queen Crab should delight those folks who are old enough to remember monster movies before CG came along and took over and ruined everything. It brings me back to those wonderful, fun movies I’d watch on Saturday afternoons growing up. And for those who are younger, here is a chance to take a break from all the crappy CG movies you’ve likely been drowning yourselves in. There are other elements to remind you of older films, including a few side wipes to transition between scenes. And the opening titles sequence features some humorous appearances by an animated crab. The movie has charm and humor, and even a bit of heart, and it looks pretty damn good. But perhaps what I love most about this film is the relationship between the crab and Melissa.

Special Features

The DVD includes a commentary track by writer/director/producer Brett Piper, producer/actor Mark Polonia, actor Steve Diasparra, and technical assistant Anthony Polonia. They talk about shooting on a low budget (including shooting a scene of four actors with only one microphone), about the locations, and about the effects shots (I appreciate when they speak out against computer graphics). Also included in the special features is Queen Crab Consequences, a behind-the-scenes look at the film (focusing on the crab itself, in a playful way), which features interviews with Mark Polonia, Michelle Simone Miller, AJ Delucia, Rich Lounello, Ken Vansant, Steve Diasparra. Queen Crab Conversations also offers behind-the-scenes information, featuring more from some of the same interviews, with actors talking about their characters and experiences. Composing Crabs is a look at the score for the film, featuring an interview with composer Jon Greathouse. The special features also include the film’s trailer and four minutes of outtakes.

Queen Crab was written and directed by Brett Piper, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on September 29, 2015 through Wild Eye Releasing.