Dennis Harvey | Variety.com
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945379/

Writer-director-stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy keep horror-comedy “The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue” diverting largely via their droll chemistry as mismatched siblings who’ve inherited a dilapidated apartment building terrorized by a hungry man-sized critter. Theatrical prospects are slight, but pic should win some friends in home formats and provide a ravenous calling card for the talented duo.

Just back from a failed stint raising llamas, extrovert Jarman Mugg (LaFlamboy) returns to the rapidly depopulating Chicago building managed by deadpan brother Marion (Bradecich). With the gas shut off and the electricity being stolen from a church next door, the only tenants left now are those with nowhere else to go — a generally disagreeable bunch including a couple of cranky oldsters (one played by erstwhile Freddy Krueger thesp Robert Englund), a prostitute and an apartment full of serious stoners. Another inconvenience they’ve all experienced lately is the serial disappearances of pets.

Jarman and Marion happen to be walking the halls just as the titular creature is trying to seize a small dog through a mail slot. To keep their tenants from bailing on them, they suggest that perhaps a raccoon has run amuck. But they do attempt to capture the creature, which, when its pet supply runs out, turns to hunting larger, rent-paying game.

Progress is consistently amusing if seldom hilarious; momentum occasionally slackens. As actors, Bradecich and LaFlamboy are always wiseass funny; ditto Susan Messing as the bartender in the ground-floor watering hole of a building that once housed a speakeasy. Featuring some “Strangers With Candy” veterans in supporting roles, pic has its cult-following credentials in order.

Tech/design contributions are above average on a low budget.

Theresa Dillon | Fangoria.com | 3.5/4 Skulls
http://fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5361:the-mole-man-of-belmont-avenue-film-review&catid=50:movies-tv&Itemid=181

Boobs, booze, Robert Englund and a pet-eating Mole Man. What more could one want from a horror film?

THE MOLE MAN OF BELMONT AVENUE, which has its Midwest premiere this Saturday, August 13 at Chicago’s Flashback Weekend, is the story of Marion and Jarmon Mugg (Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy, who also scripted and directed), two brothers with a big problem. Their apartment complex is failing, tenants are leaving and, most distressing, every pet in the building seems to be disappearing mysteriously. While working on refurbishing the building, the Mugg brothers discover that the place is inhabited by an animal-eating creature (Justin DiGiacomo) that can only be described as some sort of Mole Man. In their attempt to salvage what is left of their dying business, the Muggs keep the critter a secret from the remaining tenants and attempt to capture it on their own.

What follows is a hilarious romp charting one failed attempt after another to eradicate the Mole Man. The chemistry between the two leads and the zany antics of the colorful cast of tenants are what makes this film successful. Robert Englund plays Mr. Hezekiah Confab, an eccentric, horny old man who would rather go out to get some than protect his dog Peanut from the Mole Man. Mary Seibel is Mrs. Habershackle, the grumpy old cat lady who has no problem pointing out every single fault the apartment building has to the Mugg brothers. Greg Holliman portrays Robert the cop, who immediately takes a disliking to the colorful Muggs and vows to make their lives a living hell.

But the guy who stands out the most is Paulie, played by T.J. Jagodowski (best known for his appearances in Sonic Drive-In commercials). Every single line and appearance by Paulie is a guaranteed laugh-out-loud moment, and you can’t help but fall in love with this stoner’s stupidity. Then there are many other fun characters, including a prostitute, neighborhood bartender and Mole Man expert, who help make THE MOLE MAN OF BELMONT AVENUE a perfect comedy/horror flick.

Yes, comedy comes first and horror second in this feature. Although some may find stealing electricity from a church and buying dogs and kittens from a shelter to feed to the Mole Man pretty horrific, the overall tone is humorous. Yet while some films of this type fail in their attempts to emphasize laughs over scares, THE MOLE MAN OF BELMONT AVENUE succeeds with smart writing and precise execution.

If there’s one thing viewers might not enjoy about this film, it would have to be the score. This writer found the music entertaining—even days later when it popped into my head. But many people don’t like little ditties echoing in their minds for no reason, and MOLE MAN’s music does just that. At least that’s one way the film might stay with its viewers long after it’s over…

THE MOLE MAN OF BELMONT AVENUE is a delightful, sidesplitting experience that should be placed on the shelf next to such favorites as TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL and SHAUN OF THE DEAD. If Bradecich and LaFlamboy keep it up, they may soon become household names in the genre-movie industry.

James Ferguson | HorrorTalk.com | 4/5 Stars
http://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/1867-the-mole-man-of-belmont-avenue-movie-review.html

When you’re a total screw up, there’s not many options when it comes to career paths. You could do something weird like start a llama farm or hope a relative dies and leaves you something. That’s just what happens to brothers Marion (Mike Bradecich) and Jarmon Mugg (John LaFlamboy) when their mother passes away and the pair inherit a rundown apartment building. When the pets of their tenants start disappearing, they find out that there’s a mole man living in the basement and he’s hungry. Welcome to The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue.

I absolutely love the premise of this movie. It’s a smart set up and it’s rife with possible laughs. Fortunately, writers / directors / stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy deliver. These brothers are fuck-ups in the truest sense of the word. They have no drive, no ambition. This makes things all the more funny when they take it upon themselves to solve this mole man problem as they’re probably the least qualified to take something like this on. The fact that this creature lives in the basement, a place where they’re terrified to set foot in, makes the situation even better.

The soundtrack of Mole Man is incredibly catchy. There’s a song played several times throughout and after watching the movie, I cannot get it out of my head. It’s a good song though, so it’s worth it. It starts out with “My foot and your ass are getting married” and just gets better from there. I need to find a copy of this so I can add it to my “Get Pumped” playlist, right after “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito from the Karate Kid soundtrack.

For a low budget flick, Mole Man has some pretty good production values. The make up effects on the mole man are decent, although not mind blowing. Since that character lurks in the shadows for the most part, it doesn’t affect the movie too much. The lighting, sound, and video all look great.

There are a few hiccups with the acting, but most of the actors are quite good. Robert Englund steals just about every scene he’s in as the lecherous Hezekiah Confab. There’s a great one where he’s leaving his apartment while on the phone with his lover talking about all the dirty things he’s going to do to her (presumably her anyway). Englund clearly has a fun time with it. Also, Bradecich is clearly channeling Seth Rogen throughout his performance. This can be good or bad depending on your feelings on Rogen.

My only real issue with Mole Man is that sometimes jokes were carried on too long. Once a joke gets past a certain point it just stops being funny and that cropped up a few times along the way. Those don’t come up to ruin the movie though.

The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue is a horror comedy film that delivers on the laughs. It’s on par with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil. There is little to no gore, but it’s made up for with a fun story and a catchy soundtrack. Plus, it’s got Freddy Krueger saying “I’m set for some wet intense fucking.” Where else are you going to see that?

Adam Cuttler | FilmBalaya.com | 4/4 Stars
http://filmbalaya.com/2011/05/23/another-hole-in-the-head-2011-the-mole-man-of-belmont-avenue-review-trailer-and-showtimes/

Imagine a low budget baby mutation of what you would get had Pineapple Express and Shaun of The Dead gotten together for a night of double-team reaming with the Ghostbusters movies. You would no doubt be left with a horrifying pot-smoking buddy film entity that is constantly wetting itself with bong water and laughing tears of beer. This is, of course, that you subscribe to the belief that movie entities are capable of even having intercourse. I happen to know for a fact that they do, how else can you explain Son Of Rambo? Anyway, moving on…

Following the golden rule of what makes a comedy successful, Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy (writers, directors and stars) have crafted a simple premise; A pet-eating Mole Man with a thirst for human blood is running amok amidst brothers Jarmon and Marion’s apartment complex. The two slumlords must do whatever it takes to hunt down the elusive beast before the few remaining tenants catch on. As the two quickly find themselves in one absurd situation after another while pursuing the hunt we witness their apartment building turn into a laugh-out-loud fun house. Helping to make the fun house fun are the horny elder bachelor (Robert Englund aka Freddy Krueger), the curmudgeon old grump (Mary Seibel), the token stoner (T.J. Jagodowski), the boob-flaunting prostitute (X-Zanthia), and the eccentrically wise hermit (Dave Pasquesi aka The Stepdad from Strangers With Candy).

Scene after scene, the jokes from this talented ensemble cast of great comedic character actors, SCTV alumni, and first time feature-length directors come at you so often that there is never once a dull moment in the entire 90 minutes. As for the scares, there never really are any, but that’s not the point here. The film is about having a fun time and having a fun time is exactly what I had.

For those of you fortunate enough to catch Tucker and Dale Vs Evil at last year’s Another Hole In The Head you will not want to miss The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue. Trust me, it’s right up your alley.

Jeff Allen | KTLA.com
http://blogs.ktla.com/bluray/2011/11/the-moleman-of-belmont-avenue-special-preview.html

THE MOLEMAN OF BELMONT AVENUE is a new horror/comedy that is making the rounds at the film festival circuit. It is the brainchild of co-writers /co-directors/stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy who got their start in the Chicago acting scene making short films and working with various improve comedy clubs including Second City. The low budget film is the duo’s first attempt at a feature following their internet short debut with TYLER’S NEW BIKE. While THE MOLEMAN OF BELMONT AVENUE is branded as a horror/comedy, the emphasis is purely on comedy with the film populated by broad caricatures, wild situations and over the top weirdness sprinkled with exploitive nudity and a cheesy monster. None of that is a bad thing here.

Bradecich and LaFlamboy play brothers Marion and Jarmon Mugg, two slacker brothers very much in the mold of Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes’ Jay and Silent Bob and Simon Pegg and Nick Frosts’ Shaun and Ed from SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Two years ago the pair inherited their mother’s brownstone apartment building and has let it slip into near ruin. The tenants (the smart ones) are fleeing without notice, the gas has been turned off and the electricity is being stolen from the next door church. On top of all this, all of the tenants’ pets have been mysteriously vanishing. As the boys discuss cleaning the building up, they witness the titular moleman pulling a small dog through a tenant’s mail slot and then vanish through the air vents. Now the slacker duo has a monster to contend with on top of everything else.

Bradecich and LaFlamboy knew their filmmaking limitations going into production and get great use out of the very few locations the story takes place in (hallways, small apartments, the bar under the building and the basement.) Even though the story takes place in essentially one location, we never feel tired or bored by it since the building offered a decent variety of sets. Also, it appears that they had practically no money for special effects, so our moleman is seen mostly as glimpses, quick shots from the back or a gnarled hand springing from various openings and vents. While we do get a decent full on shot of him during the finale, the decision to keep him in shadows pays off well by letting the audiences’ imagination work the make-up effect magic.

THE MOLEMAN OF BELMONT AVENUE is not a perfect film. While there is much that is a success, it does have one near (not completely, but near) fatal flaw; the movie seems to wander off at about the 40 minute mark, losing sight of the main story and becoming a talky stoner flick for a healthy chunk of the second half. The first part of the script does a great job setting up the colorful characters that populate the film and making us like and care about them. It also is decently focused on setting up the moleman mystery and laying the foundation for the Mugg Brothers to deal with it. But once the buildings’ final pet is taken, the movies feels like it didn’t know what to do and we just hang with the characters for a while before coming back in the last 10 minutes to wrap everything up.

The greatest strength THE MOLEMAN OF BELMONT AVENUE has is its excellent cast. Robert Englund (the original Freddy Krueger) may be the one big name the film boasts to get people to see it, but it’s the lesser known cast members (from Chicago’s Second City improve club and “Strangers With Candy”) that will keep you laughing and get you through the films’ weaker sections. Bradecich and LaFlamboy are in just about every scene and more than anyone else carry the movie with an amazing amount of infectious enthusiasm. Even if they are just walking through one of the hallways, their manic energy gives the scene a sense of urgency and childish fun.

THE MOLEMAN OF BELMONT AVENUE may be a film you have to search for to see, but fans of the weird, the wild and the low budget wonderful should be pleasantly surprised by what they find.

Julia Mann | DigitalHippos.com
http://digitalhippos.com/film-review/horror/review-the-mole-man-of-belmont-avenue

I am always up for a horror comedy, that perfect blend of gore and lightheartedness that lets me feel less inappropriate for laughing when someone gets their spleen ripped out (see Tucker and Dale VS Evil). When The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue came my way I intrigued and ready to watch. While the film doesn’t deliver a clever concept it draws together many typical horror tropes and presents a fun, sometimes funny piece that is big on stoner humor and droll sarcasm.

Directors/writers/stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy have great chemistry in the film and provide the only real laughs as slacker brothers and landlords of a dilapidated apartment building in Chicago. Jarmon Mugg and Marion Mugg inherited the building and it’s colorful tenants from their mother and have subsequently run it into the ground. They steal electricity from the church next door to avoid paying bills and have let the furnace break-down, stranding tenants without heat. Those that are left are even more disgruntled as their beloved pets mysteriously disappear. When Jarmon and Marion discover the culprit is a grotesque, flesh-hungry mole-man, they cover it up in an attempt to preserve their last few rent checks. But! When covering it up becomes a matter of life and death for the tenants, the brothers, armed with super-spades and perimeter lights, track the mole man to its lair for a final showdown.

Throughout most of the film the mole-man is nothing but a pair of very fake monster hands protruding from a cloaked mass. The creature deploys brazen attacks on the building’s pets, snatching them from underneath their owner’s noses. There is little horrifying about the mole man until we see his face (this makeup provides the best special effect in the film). In fact, it is the final act where the atmosphere and tension finally ramps up and some moderate chills are generated by sparse, creepy music and strategic lighting.

I really enjoyed the brotherly banter between lead actors and this pairing enhanced the film. In a nod to horror superstars from the past we see Robert Englund of Freddy Kruger fame hamming it up as tenant Hezekiah Confab. The supporting cast of characters are strictly two-dimensional (with a couple of super wooden performances), but then what more should you expect from the expendables? The quirky casting of the antagonistic policeman and the scenes around the animal shelter more than compensated for any lulls and these twisted jokes covered for any bad or poorly delivered ones.

FINAL VERDICT: The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue slots in to the ‘average joe vs a monster’ genre but doesn’t quite reach the bar set by Shaun of the Dead or the more recent Attack the Block. This could definitely be an issue of budget and backing so it will be interesting to see what evolves from the pairing of Bradecich and LaFlamboy in the future. This film is the perfect beginning to any Halloween horror marathon – it’s just a warm-up.

LIKED: The style of humor suited me and Brandecich was my perfect sarcastic nerd hero

DISLIKED: The realization of the mole man for most of the film – but I was impressed with what was under the cloak the whole time.

Maria’s Space
http://reesspace.blogspot.com/2011/10/moleman-of-belmont-avenue-review.html

A pair of bumbling landlords reluctantly hunt the subterranean creature that is eating their tenants’ pets. Featuring the original Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund, and a supporting cast rounded out by the talents of the famed Second City theater in Chicago.

Marion and Jarmon Mugg have never had to work very hard. They’ve never had much responsibility, and no one has ever put any expectations on them to perform or achieve, well… anything.

But two years ago their mother passed away, leaving them the brownstone apartment building that has been in their family since its days as a speakeasy during Prohibition. In that short time, Marion and Jarmon’s slacker ways have run the building literally into the ground. The tenants are moving out, no one but them and their friends drinks at the bar on the ground floor, and the building’s pets are beginning to mysteriously disappear. If all that isn’t enough to make them sit up and take notice, there’s also a good chance that a monster is living in the basement.

“The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue” is a horror/ comedy that explores what happens when a terrible situation is dropped into the laps of the two people least equipped to deal with it. The Brothers Mugg can either step up to the plate and finally grow up, or they can wait and clean up the mess as a mysterious creature eats every living thing in the building, one by one.

The 411: The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue has been nominated (at the Orlando Film Festival 2011) for Best Feature, The Cast has been nominated for Best Ensemble, and Robert Englund has been nominated for Best Supporting Role, there is a whole lot of nominations going on at the Orlando Film Festival this weekend

What I Can Tell You: This is one of those movies that you start out thinking, “what the heck is this?” Then as it rolls along you realize the gems inside it. Like “my foot, your ass are getting married.” or “oh yeah, do that!”

This movie is about two grown brothers whose recently lost their mother. She was the owner of the apartment building for years and while one (Marion) was home trying to take care of it. The other (Jarmon) was off raising llamas and has returned to help get the building in order. Without gas or electricity (well, they do have some electricity, they get it by splicing into the church next door).

Tenants are moving out (well the few that actually have somewhere to go) and all the pets are disappearing. While walking the hall one night they see a creature trying to grab a dog through a mail slot. The “moleman” literally is taking the pets right out from under the owners nose in their very own apartments. They must do what they can to not frighten their last remaining tenants while capturing the moleman.

This is complete satire and while it is cheesy, pathetic, and ridiculous at times I think that is exactly what these guys were going for. The movie budget was only 350,000 and looks more like 35,000 but whatever, it is funny. There are some really funny moments most involve the brothers and one of their tenants, a drug induced slacker, think older Bill and Ted type dude.

I think it will be even funnier the second time around!

James Ferguson | HorrorTalk.com | 4/5 Stars
http://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/1867-the-mole-man-of-belmont-avenue-movie-review.html
Podcast Interview with Mike Bradecich : http://www.birdmanofsteel.com/TWIG-NerdnewsMoleman.mp3

When you’re a total screw up, there’s not many options when it comes to career paths. You could do something weird like start a llama farm or hope a relative dies and leaves you something. That’s just what happens to brothers Marion (Mike Bradecich) and Jarmon Mugg (John LaFlamboy) when their mother passes away and the pair inherit a rundown apartment building. When the pets of their tenants start disappearing, they find out that there’s a mole man living in the basement and he’s hungry. Welcome to The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue.

I absolutely love the premise of this movie. It’s a smart set up and it’s rife with possible laughs. Fortunately, writers / directors / stars Mike Bradecich and John LaFlamboy deliver. These brothers are fuck-ups in the truest sense of the word. They have no drive, no ambition. This makes things all the more funny when they take it upon themselves to solve this mole man problem as they’re probably the least qualified to take something like this on. The fact that this creature lives in the basement, a place where they’re terrified to set foot in, makes the situation even better.

The soundtrack of Mole Man is incredibly catchy. There’s a song played several times throughout and after watching the movie, I cannot get it out of my head. It’s a good song though, so it’s worth it. It starts out with “My foot and your ass are getting married” and just gets better from there. I need to find a copy of this so I can add it to my “Get Pumped” playlist, right after “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito from the Karate Kid soundtrack.

For a low budget flick, Mole Man has some pretty good production values. The make up effects on the mole man are decent, although not mind blowing. Since that character lurks in the shadows for the most part, it doesn’t affect the movie too much. The lighting, sound, and video all look great.

There are a few hiccups with the acting, but most of the actors are quite good. Robert Englund steals just about every scene he’s in as the lecherous Hezekiah Confab. There’s a great one where he’s leaving his apartment while on the phone with his lover talking about all the dirty things he’s going to do to her (presumably her anyway). Englund clearly has a fun time with it. Also, Bradecich is clearly channeling Seth Rogen throughout his performance. This can be good or bad depending on your feelings on Rogen.

My only real issue with Mole Man is that sometimes jokes were carried on too long. Once a joke gets past a certain point it just stops being funny and that cropped up a few times along the way. Those don’t come up to ruin the movie though.

The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue is a horror comedy film that delivers on the laughs. It’s on par with Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil. There is little to no gore, but it’s made up for with a fun story and a catchy soundtrack. Plus, it’s got Freddy Krueger saying “I’m set for some wet intense fucking.” Where else are you going to see that?