The Janitor
The Janitor
NR | 28 December 2003 (USA)
The Janitor Trailers

Lionel is a custodian that longs for more. Bombarded with daily disrespect and insults from his co-workers, Lionel sets on a path of revenge and begins to brutally murder everyone in his path.

Reviews
EVOL666

There seems to be an awful lot of "10" reviews on this film on here...either people are posting that are affiliated with this film - or the idea of giving a film a perfect score is lost on me. I'll say that THE JANITOR is a relatively entertaining gore film if the forced-comedy Troma angle is your thing - but there's really nothing remarkable about this one at all. The box quotes liken THE JANITOR to early Peter Jackson or Sam Raimi...I guess that would be true if you took all of the decent performances, cinematography, and actually funny humor out of Raimi or Jackson's films and just left the gore. Otherwise, THE JANITOR has nothing on THE EVIL DEAD (1 or 2), BAD TASTE, or BRAINDEAD. Not that I hated this film by any means - but 10's seem a little out of whack for this one...THE JANITOR is about - you guessed it - a janitor - named Lionel (a nod to BRAINDEAD perhaps ???), who kills pretty much everyone who annoys him. He has a mentor/partner named Mr. Growbo (who is actually the one person in this film who seems to be a decent actor...) who knows Lionel's secrets but keeps his mouth shut due to their old friendship and camaraderie as sh!t sweepers. That is, until Lionel decides to ditch Growbo and take a job at a sorority house because he hates the place that he and Growbo currently work at. Growbo isn't too pleased with all this and decides to turn the tables on Lionel and steal the job at the sorority house. Lionel of course is not pleased by the turn of events and decides to take it out on Growbo and everyone that is at the sorority house...Again - I didn't hate THE JANITOR at all - it just wasn't anything very memorable. Other than the guy that plays Growbo, the acting is horrible and although the gore is pretty heavy - it's usually pretty ridiculous looking and ineffective. I'm sure some will say "well, the acting in this film isn't supposed to be good - it's supposed to be a campy horror/comedy..." but I typically find that to be a cop-out for the fact that the script and actors themselves are no good. That's one of the main reasons that I don't like Troma or Troma-style films, other than a very small handful of notable exceptions. If micro-budget Troma-style films are your thing (Kauffman even makes a very inept cameo in this film...) then you'll probably love this one - others will find it an OK way to pass 90 minutes...6/10

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movieman_kev

Poor Lionel is tried of taking crap from the workers in the building that employs his Custodial services, so he goes on a rampage mutilating anyone who looks at him the wrong way. Mr. Growboi s a fellow janitor who looks to Lional as a son and helps him cover his bloody tracks. However Mr. Growbo isn't someone you should spurn. With horror comedies, they either work or they suck. No middle ground here. Fortunately this one works, coming off as a moderately well acted version of a Troma film (Lloyd Kaufman even has a cameo). It's gory, has gratuitous toplessness, and is frequently quite fun. The character of Lional kinda reminded me of a cross between Peter Jackson circa "Bad Taste" and Orville Ketchum from "Hard to Die" and "Sorority House Massacre 2". My hats off to Andy Signore, TJ Nordaker, and everyone else involved in the production. You guys know how to bring a tear to the eye of a drunken jaded exploitative horror fan.Eye Candy: Rachael Ann Bennett, Crystal LeBard, Stephanie Medina, and Tusdi Rodriguez get topless My Grade: B DVD Extras: Commentary by Andy Signore, John Carreon, and TJ Nordaker; a 58 minute Making of; "th Office is Closed" short film; Lackadaisical Music video; Photo gallery; Deleted scenes; and the trailer 2 Easter Egg: Bruce Cronander improvising & missing his cue; more nudity set to music

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TedMeister

I don't know how anyone couldn't like this movie. That is, unless your idea of a good horror movie is "Scream." I was in a unique position while watching this movie. I am a huge gore fan, a filmmaker, and a former part-time janitor. As a gore fan, I enjoyed seeing all the obviously fake blood and guts being sprayed everywhere. As a filmmaker, I could appreciate how hard these guys had to work to put together this film on a shoestring budget. And as a former janitor, I loved seeing a fellow custodian murdering all the jerkwads that ticked him off.And on top of that, this movie is hilarious. The script, the performances, the subject matter, and the guest appearance by Troma's Lloyd Kaufman...all hilarious. Even if you don't appreciate the cinematic genius that is "The Janitor," at least you'll find it funny. I showed it to a group of mainstream movie fans, and they all loved it.I rented this movie from NetFlix a few days ago, and immediately bought it after watching it. I can't wait for their next movie to come out, and according to Andy Signore (I emailed him to tell him how great it was), it sounds like it's going to be another winner.Give this movie a chance. Help some really talented filmmakers continue making amazing movies.

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shdwrun

The movie-industry has been due for a good slasher film for a long time. It seems the contemporary film industry has led the horror genre to fall into two clearly distinct categories: the M. Night recipe of infinite plot twists that confound the viewer and ultimately leave him unsatisfied, or the psychological horror tripe in which the climax is the protagonist awaking to realize that the entire ordeal was all a dream. These shortcomings are compounded by a level of seriousness that rivals Pentagon Briefings, which leaves the viewer mumbling "Bueller? Bueller?" in a vain attempt to make sense of where the last two hours of his life went."The Janitor" shines because it isn't meant to be taken seriously. Nor is the viewer expected to see it as a dramatic, break-through work that rattles the conventions of society while leaving the viewer with a single tear-trail on an ashen cheek. With so many first-time filmmakers attempting to take Cannes by storm with this cookie-cutter film making style, it would almost be prudent to call the thought process of first-time directors Signore and Nordaker groundbreaking. It follows: Slasher fans like violence. Slasher fans like dark comedy. Slasher fans like beautiful naked women. Let's make a film with violence, dark comedy, and nude hot chicks that would make my great-grandfather pop a boner.And they have done just that. Signore and Nordaker have accomplished in their first attempt what many veteran directors have yet to achieve: they have made a film that is enjoyable to watch that does not, by any means, remain in the realm of good taste. And that is how it should be; similar to Raimi's early work, "The Janitor" keeps the viewer on the thin line between face-stiffening laughter and gore-induced queasiness. As the film begins to stray more towards one side, the filmmakers skillfully pull the viewer back with clever writing and savvy editing. It is clear that Signore and Nordaker have created a film that is both enjoyable and entertaining. It is also certain that the directors of "The Janitor" have a promising future in the film making industry. Finally, this viewer will ensure that he never forgets to put his office cleaner on his Christmas Card list, lest he stray to far into the custodial closet, never to be seen again!

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