(1992)
Dir - Sam Raimi
Overall: MEH
The tone shift to full-tilt, aggressively schlock-fueled comedy was complete with Sam Raimi's third Evil Dead installment Army of Darkness. For those lamenting the genuinely creepy, DIY aesthetics of The Evil Dead uno, this film exists in a completely different universe as well as a completely different historical setting. At least Raimi built up to such an about-face with the purposely more ridiculous semi-remake The Evil Dead 2 and there can be no mistaking right out of the gate here that bombastic chuckles are solely on the menu. The humor is certainly an acquired taste, mainly striving on being purposely stupid and exclusively campy. Bruce Campbell thrives in such a setting, making Ash Williams a yelling, falling down, live-action cartoon character. From the director's chair, this may be the most Sam Raimi Sam Raimi has ever gotten. Using his eleven million dollar budget like a caffeine-ridden kid who just got access to his parent's credit card, he goes all out with (occasionally) dated special effects, frantic camera work, medieval fantasy cliches duking it out with each other, and deafening sound design and musical accompaniment. Though it attempts to be far funnier than it ever gets, it remains essential viewing for anyone jonesing for an R-rated, Looney Tunes version of Jason and the Argonauts.
(1996)
Dir - Tom Holland
Overall: MEH
Though not as awful as its reputation dictates, Tom Holland's adaptation of Stephen King's Thinner is a downer of a movie that simultaneously indulges in some unintended schlock at times. Co-scripted by Michael McDowell of Beetlejuice fame, the film has the usual King issue of the premise being stronger than the cinematic execution. Watching an obese man's body slowly deteriorate due to a gypsy curse does not consistently come off as creepy as it should and often gives way to goofy moments and campy performances. Robert John Burke is one such uneven casualty of this and Joe Mantegna's crime boss Richie "The Hammer" Ginelli is Fat Tony down to a tee. The film's biggest issue though is its victimizing main character Billy Halleck whose physical transformation never results in any sort of personal growth. He is unlikable from the get go and the dark ending slams home such unlikability. King's initial novel is somewhat to blame for this anti-arc, but the tone Tom Holland sets seems aimed at garnishing sympathy for a self-absorbed narcissist who ultimately deserves none. Yet if the end result was to present a story where almost everyone in it is different levels of horrible and then balancing that with both macabre and tongue-in-cheek aesthetics, Thinner can be seen as a success.
(1999)
Dir - Lloyd Kaufman
Overall: GOOD
Troma goes meta with Terror Firmer, a film shamelessly celebrating the production and distribution company. Directed by Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman and co-written by James Gunn, the premise of a sexually deranged serial killer terrorizing a D-rent movie set allows for endless in-house references to The Toxic Avenger, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., and Tromeo and Juliet. Kaufman plays a blind version of himself and as usual, all other mental and physical handicaps are properly and tastelessly made fun of. Puss, snot, piss, diarrhea, puke, gay and trans jokes, rape and molestation jokes, innuendos, a punk or metal song playing in nearly every scene, preposterous gore, male and female nudity, inappropriate appearances by actual children, and overall juvenile stupidity check off all the Troma boxes. In its own ridiculous way, the movie seems to be spoofing filmmaking pretentiousness. It is certainly no accident that the quest of Kaufman's blind director is to jokingly make some sort of art out of trash and that his attempts are routinely thwarted in doing so. Mostly though, it is all about laugh out loud moments like a Seinfeld sitcom segment, Lemmy appearing as a news reporter, and most hilarious of all, a fat guy with bandages around his head running around naked in Manhattan.
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