It’s important to remember, when reviewing short films, that not every filmmaker is attempting to create a work of art. While most filmmakers want to focus on character or story (or even special effects), some filmmakers seem to be telling a joke to their friends. Often, this inside joke has a strange (even ludicrous) setup and an off-the-wall punchline. Welcome to Massacrator.

This odd short film by director Pierre Ayotte doesn’t tell a story so much as it tells a joke. The joke goes like this: “Imagine if, instead of having Sarah Conner fight Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg killing machine in The Terminator, she had enlisted the help of Elvis.”

The story doesn’t tried to hide it’s obvious rip-off – I mean, homage – to The Terminator franchise. When Jean-Pierre Flayeux appears as the Massacrator, it’s a straight take from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, including beating up a biker and stealing his clothes and motorcycle.

The girl (Daniella Jovanovic) is first seen exercising – a routine (and costume) taken from T2, as well. Then, just when one might begin to wonder if the director is just reshooting James Cameron’s script, it finally takes a turn and introduces Matt Monastesse as Elvis. A brief battle begins, and ends… well, I won’t spoil the fun.

Does it work? That depends on what you’re expecting out of the film. Hey, this kind of off-beat storytelling worked for Bubba Ho-Tep. But what made that horror comedy work (in part) was an amazing performance by Bruce Campbell. Massacrator has four minutes and no dialogue to make us believe that some version (is it a ghost? a time traveler?) of Elvis is here to save the day. It’s a hard sell.

Massacrator isn’t really a story. It’s a punch-out set to music. But if that’s what you want to see, you’re likely to find it amusing.

Check out the “trailer” via YouTube: