Sunday, January 31, 2021

Short Movie Review: Pussie Control 2: Night At The Drive-In

Nine out of ten times, you can’t make a good movie if you don’t have a good script. In the case of indie short films, make that same rule ten out of ten. Fortunately for “Pussie Control 2: Night At The Drive-In'', that great script was present when this short film went into production. It was written by Bryan Bostic, who is also the director of the film. Thanks to the great script and an excellent cast, this short film ended up as an entertaining experience.

The plot takes Ryan and Tiana on a date at a drive-in theater. However, in the back seat is also Davion Pussie, Tiana’s pet cat. Davion is there determined to make sure this date goes nowhere and he is ready to do whatever it takes, which doesn’t exclude murder.

The film quickly sets up its premise and from there, hilarious dialogues ensue. Davion is a type of cat that carries a gun and is no stranger to all manner of thuggery. Throughout the movie, there are numerous jokes and skit-like moments as Ryan and Davion fight it out over Tiana. At the same time, Bostic is also adding further elements like cuts to other locations or even some gross (but hilarious) elements like Davion using his hairball to further threaten Ryan.

As the confrontation picks up speed, the setup, especially the photography and the camera on Davion, who is a puppet voiced by Myron L. Mayberry, has almost a Jordan Peel vibe to it. This comes from that weird humor that is mixed in with a bit of horror atmosphere. While this mixture is strange, Bostic makes it work like a charm. Of course, the cast also does a fantastic job - besides Mayberry, Rajane Devlugt as Tiana, and Taylor Byron Barr as Ryan all perform their parts more than convincingly.

When it comes to comedy short films, “Pussie Control 2: Night At The Drive-In'' shows how this genre is done effectively and very successful. Watch the entire film right here!

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Two Paragraph Review: The Devil All the Time (2020)

Hands down, the coolest thing about The Devil All the Time is the fact that the movie is based on a book and that its original author joined the movie as its narrator. The gruff and serious tone of Donald Ray Pollock's voice really gives the film a level of shine and emotional tone that is hard to beat. However, the movie sadly lacks any other such element.

Instead, what is likely a densely woven book becomes a festival of bad things happening to people. From dull serial killers to cancers, suicides, and child abuse, the story of this massively depressing tale is made up out of numerous equally depressive snippets. Yet, they all come together in some shape, but that mosaic doesn't help its flat, emotionally-void delivery and the star cast doesn't help either. This is why The Devil All the Time feels like a dark comedy of absurd where someone simply forgot to add the funny parts.