John Dies At The End is a philosophical discourse disguised as a horror-comedy, which means I absolutely adored it. Dave and John are a pair of slackers tripping on a new drug called "soy sauce." But the drug appears to produce more than hallucinations, allowing users to see the future and dead people. Soon, Dave and John find themselves caught up in an alien invasion, and they may be the only people who can stop it.
The movie was written by and based on a book by David Wong, who shares a name with the main character. Wong also happens to be the executive editor of Cracked.com, and that sense of humor is on fine display here. The director is Don Coscarelli, who's known for directing the low budget horror classic Phantasm and the well-received Bruce Campbell vehicle, Bubba Ho-Tep; but for my money, this is his best directorial effort.
This movie is like a cross between Naked Lunch, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the oeuvre of Philip K Dick. Reality is up for grabs, but it's still a hugely entertaining thrill ride. It has some cartoony violence, so it's probably not for everyone, but if you like good genre fare that will make you think, you should really see this film. Highly recommended.
Sounds great, thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIf you're the JG I think you are, I think you'd get a real kick out this film!
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