United Kingdom Pick – John Dies At The End (2012)
John Dies At The End is the perfect demonstration of why independent movies are just so darned brilliant. Unconstrained by the often rigid requirements of studios, this film adaptation of David Wong’s novel of the same name is as wacky, funny and gross as you could want a horror-comedy to be. After a bold pre-credits opening – featuring the lead, Dave, decapitating a zombie before engaging in an existential discussion of the nature of the axe he used – this non-linear tale is framed within a conversation between Dave and a writer, who wants to tell his story.
That story, we discover, involves Dave stumbling upon a new street drug known as Soy Sauce, which opens the user’s mind to the extent that they can cross time and dimensions. The inhabitants of those other dimensions are not always human, however. Sometimes they are the weirdest, grossest creatures imaginable. The use of this drug precipitates a kind of silent invasion threat, which means that Dave and his friend John are on the hook to save mankind.
Written and directed by Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-Tep), the film stars Chase Williamson (The Guest), Rob Mayes (Enough Said), executive producer Paul Giamatti (12 Years A Slave), Clancy Brown (SpongeBob Squarepants), Glynn Turman (Super 8) and Fabianne Therese (The Trivial Pursuits Of Arthur Banks). It presents a time-hopping, dimension-bending view of reality, through the eyes of two college drop-outs who are themselves racing to understand what is happening. It is a glorious mixture of Naked Lunch and Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey, with the tiniest hint of Shaun Of The Dead added in for good measure. The result is a joyous, hair-raising ride through a tight plot and great performances – and it comes highly recommended.