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2016 Got Its Much-Deserved Horror Movie

by Melissa Cruz

It's no secret that 2016 has been a nightmare for many of us. From Harambe being shot (and the subsequent all-consuming meme) to the unimaginable election of one Mr. Donald J. Trump to the White House, this year has had as many twists and turns as any ham-fisted M. Night Shyamalan film. Fittingly, the folks over at Friend Dog Studios have given 2016 the horror movie treatment it deserves. The comedic trio has released a trailer for 2016: The Movie, and it perfectly captures the high anxiety and complete despair felt around the world this year. They aptly described their work: "It's the horror movie of the year. Literally."

The two minute trailer, which is certainly deserving of a full release and heaps of Oscar buzz, personifies 2016 into a knife-wielding, faceless madman not seen since the likes of Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13th. And truly, 2016: The Movie seems to have it all — the inexplicable Brexit, an onslaught of beloved celebrity deaths, exploding phones (a real downer when you need to call for help), and Trump's disgusting and infamous phrases. (Which begs the question, is he the real villain of the 2016? Spoiler alert: yeah, probably.)

Will the heroes (or by extension — us) survive the remaining few days of the year? The title screen, which flashes an ominous and completely warranted "666" over 2016, suggests that the trailer's characters will be in for a hellish ride during that final countdown to the new year.

Friend Dog Studios — consisting of Kansas City-based comedians Seth Macchi, Brian Huther, and Ben Auxier — is no stranger to skewering the insanity of this year. The trio also produced an amazingly fitting series of videos called "Drunk Trump," which takes audio clips from Trump's interviews and rallies and feeds them to your average drunk, racist neighbor. The scene then shows two men having a conversation on a porch, with the intoxicated neighbor speaking direct lines from Trump himself.

The result, as the group explained on YouTube: "If you close your eyes while listening to presidential hopeful Donald Trump, you can see and smell that neighbor you have with too many dogs and a drinking problem."

If this is the kind of comedy you see yourself needing in the coming four years, then you can support Friend Dog Studios through Patreon. In addition to their 2016: The Movie trailer, they produce other sketches, a webseries, and a podcast.

In any case, get your machetes ready and don't walk into any unlit basements in the next few days — you never know what the rest of 2016 has in store.

Images: Friend Dog Studios (4)