With that as my title I have to assume that what is depicted
in this film must be what an acid trip is like. Oddly enough some have said
that yes, this is indeed what it is like. The book on which it is based (which
I read and loved) is trippy in itself but bringing that book to screen was not
an easy task. Who better to do so then than Don Coscarelli, the man behind the
PHANTASM series and BUBBA HO-TEPP.
The story begins simply with reporter Arnie Blondestone
(played by Paul Giamatti) meeting Dave (Chase Williams) in a Chinese
restaurant. Dave has set up this meeting to let Arnie in on a secret: there is
a world out there that most of us can't see but that holds some truly bizarre
secrets and that might be bound and determined to invade our own world. Arnie
asks for details and the story behind Dave's claim and Dave fills him in from
the beginning.
John (Rob Mayes) is Dave's best friend. They live together
and do little except bum around, work terrible jobs and go to raves with their
friends where John usually performs. At the particular rave they go to on this
night, Dave meets an unusual Jamaican who makes Dave feel a bit uneasy.
Eventually Dave ends up taking a drug known as Soy Sauce. How weird of an
experience does he have? He wakes to get a phone call from John who wonders if
he's talking now or in the future and then warns him of the danger he's about
to be in.
This is when things begin to get weird. And it's not a bad
weird but a good one actually. Both John and Dave, having taken the Soy Sauce,
can see a different world than the rest of us can. The drug enables them to see
into another dimension and reveals the real people that they talk to and meet.
Along the way on their adventure they're joined by Amy, a girl Dave's had a
semi-crush on for some time.
Bug monsters, possessed policemen, policemen who aren't
really there, thugs with big knives and more are just the more normal things
that the duo witness. They also discover a plot to take over the world by
creatures from the other dimension that only they can stop. Through it all they
seem to jump back and forth in time and dimensions. They seem to be the only
ones who can save our world, not a comforting thought when we first meet them. But
they do show the courage and pluck to take on the task and probably have just
enough chutzpah to get the job done.
As I said from the start, this film feels like what I'm told
a drug trip feels like. If so please, never slip me anything. But at the same
time it offers an entertaining film that's unlike most others offered these
days. It's fresh and new and holds your interest from start to finish.
Coscarelli proves that he truly can make a low budget film that has high budget
quality once again. It would be nice if Hollywood would finally realize this
and give him the chance to make his movies with a bigger budget while at the
same time staying out of his way so as not to ruin it. Am I the only one ready
for PHANTASM 5?
I'll admit that this movie might not be for everyone. It is,
as stated, a bit unusual. But it's fun and it entertains. Will I watch it
again? If so, not right away. It's a film that you need to walk away from for a
while and then watch once more. Would I like to see them film the sequel (a
follow up book has already been published). Certainly! If you're willing to
take a risk then you might enjoy this one. Just know what to expect going in.
Click here to order.
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