Tag Archives: Dark Comedy

Knife+Heart (2018) [LA&M Film Fetish Forum]

Posted on by

Playing at the LA&M Film Fetish Forum Saturday, January 20th at 7pm; it will be Co-Presented by Cinematic Void.

Director Yann Gonzalez’s “Knife+Heart” is a movie that’s too silly to be taken as a giallo, and too serious to be taken as a dark comedy. It’s constantly shifting in tones and storylines which makes its narrative frame work feel so disorienting and ultimately kind of unbearable. Truth be told I slept through a quarter of “Knife+Heart” because it has so much trouble maintaining its multiple plot threads that it just rambled for long periods of time. Any kind of momentum or tension that picks up during “Knife+Heart” feels accidental as director Gonzalez can never quite decide on what kind of story he’s trying to tell.

Continue reading →

Saltburn (2023)

Posted on by

Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Barry Keoghan presented such a heartbreaking and nuanced performance in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” it’s pretty excellent to see how much he’s snuck up on movie fans over the years. “Saltburn” is that movie that he might be known for, for a long time because while that might seem like a slight, it’s astonishing how good he is here. Keoghan is wonderful at playing the chameleonic Oliver Quick. Keoghan portrays such a layered and complex protagonist whose shades of morality are often at odds with what the audience is allowed to perceive.

Continue reading →

Destroy All Neighbors (2024)

Posted on by

Now Streaming Exclusively on Shudder.

A lot of Josh Forbes’ horror comedy is about how much it can remind you of Frank Henenlotter. So much of “Destroy All Neighbors” is Henenlotter from a man going insane, to splatter and gore, to the boldly colored close up shots of the various characters. “Destroy All Monsters” is a movie that I respect for its willingness to be about as random as weird as possible while not having much of a narrative. It’s all paper thin in terms of characterization and basic plot, and mainly is a pitch for an audience that is in the market for just outright insanity, and nihilism. “Destroy All Neighbors” brings it in spades.

Continue reading →

Poor Things (2023)

Posted on by

Emma Stone is an actress that has continued to challenge herself time and time again with roles that we’d never expect her to take on. Originally beginning her career in a teen comedy, she’s managed to really escape pigeonholing by exploring new and interesting roles. Bella Baxter is probably one of the best performances of her career, one even better than her turn in “Birdman.” As Bella, Stone is remarkable in the way she evolves, and develops and grows in to something that we never quite recognize when the film has ended. Although “Poor Things” will get so many interpretations, I pegged Yorgos Lanthimos’ film primarily as a statement about the illusion of bodily autonomy.

Continue reading →

Violent Night (2022) [4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital]

Posted on by

It was only a matter of time before someone would take Santa Claus and mix him with “Die Hard,” it was only a case of how good it would end up being. Tommy Wirkola’s Christmas action flick is the perfect kind of antidote for the folks that don’t mind a bit of cynicism with their holidays. “Violent Night” is very much a “Die Hard” with an adrenaline shot of Christmas cheer. It’s also deep down a great splatter flick that doesn’t mind giving us a Santa Claus who is about brutally punishing those that tick him off.

Continue reading →

The Paloni Show! Halloween Special! (2022)

Posted on by

It’s too bad that we may never get a “The Paloni Show!” series off the ground as it seems to currently be one of the many interesting pilots that never quite took off. Justin Roiland, Zach Hadel, creators of “Rick and Morty” really opt for something completely bizarre and insane here, which is always a great thing. “The Paloni Show! Halloween Special” not only introduces us to foul mouth kids Leroy, Reggie, and their sister Cheruce, but they set the stage for a Halloween anthology that’s a lot of fun, even if it’s ultimately a mixed bag of treats. Siblings Leroy, Reggie, and Cheruce Paloni are hosting a Halloween Special featuring various shorts. They are shooting for their own Hulu show after hosting this variety show from their suburban home.

Continue reading →

Satan’s Little Helper (2004)

Posted on by

For reasons I could never quite put my finger on, “Satan’s Little Helper” has always evaded me. Since its release in 2004, I’ve never been able to find time to sit down and watch it, but since its initial release, it’s manage to garner a pretty respectable cult following. “Satan’s Little Helper” is certainly one of the most batshit insane Halloween horror movies I’ve ever seen, which is something that works for and against Jeff Lieberman’s horror comedy. It’s weird, and darkly comic, and over the top, and injects uncomfortable overtones of incest, and pedophilia, to boot. There were genuine moments that made me squirm, and it works to the detriment of the movie itself.

Continue reading →