Sunday, May 12, 2013

What's on Redbox?--John Dies at the End


          One of my favorite types of films is the ones that don’t try too hard to pay homage to certain films, but also don’t try too hard to seem like they are not completely ripping them off.  In the case of “John Dies at the End” it shows you something original enough and gives you a sense of the familiar at the same time.  All while being an entertaining watch.

If I had to describe it to someone, I would say that it’s like the “Supernatural” boys take a “Donnie Darko” type trip after they are exposed to a drug called Soy Sauce that leads them to be like “Ghostbusters” now that they see the world “They Live” style.  And there’s a dog that appears to be self-aware.

Paul Giamatti is a reporter meeting with Dave (Chase Williamson) who tells him a tale of weird followed by weirder about him and his fellow slacker buddy John (Rob Mayes) who after taking Soy Sauce see the world as it really is, in multiple levels with different dimensions with a healthy dose of monsters.  If you don’t pay attention you may get a little lost and miss some fast-moving funny.  But you’ll catch meat-people, hot dog cell phones, and Clancy Brown as an infomercial evangelist that is really an ass-kicking avenger of earth.

The dialogue is very clever and while the actors are not the best, it’s still worth your time and there is enough here to bring it to cult status which something director Don Coscarelli knows about since he brought us “Phantasm”, “The Beastmaster”, and “Bubba Ho-Tep”.  So if you’re up for a quirky, fun, and kinda smart flick that’s not part of the ‘crappy Hollywood re-make/sequel’ machine, check out “John Dies at the End” I promise the title doesn’t ruin the movie.

--Robert L. Castillo

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