Forged in the tradition of The Toxic Avenger and similar entries from Troma, Psycho Goreman mixes gore and silliness with attitude and wit. This is truly a fun film. I predict that a century or two hence, under the entry of “fun” in most dictionaries, there will be a thumbnail movie poster of Psycho Goreman in the margin. The script is fun. The plot is fun. The cast and crew must have had fun every day on the set. Anyone who doesn’t get this film, doesn’t get fun.
That’s not to say it’s always funny, however. Some of the lines fall flat. None of them are particularly clever. One out-of-joint scene with Mimi praying before a crucifix seems superfluous. A toilet seat gag with her dad falls flat. But the film’s blending of Read more...
Forged in the tradition of The Toxic Avenger and similar entries from Troma, Psycho Goreman mixes gore and silliness with attitude and wit. This is truly a fun film. I predict that a century or two hence, under the entry of “fun” in most dictionaries, there will be a thumbnail movie poster of Psycho Goreman in the margin. The script is fun. The plot is fun. The cast and crew must have had fun every day on the set. Anyone who doesn’t get this film, doesn’t get fun.
That’s not to say it’s always funny, however. Some of the lines fall flat. None of them are particularly clever. One out-of-joint scene with Mimi praying before a crucifix seems superfluous. A toilet seat gag with her dad falls flat. But the film’s blending of a rich galactic plot (which unfolds while the suburban carnage unravels) achieves just the rich pitch of silliness. There’s excellent pacing, plenty of monster dismemberment, and even some nice symbolism involving a ransomed heart.
Importantly, Psycho Goreman recognizes that a viewer’s stamina for slapstick can be exhausted before the film ends. The precocious Mimi – who masters Psycho Goreman’s will by retaining possession of his amulet called the Gem of Praxidice – mistreats him repeatedly. Bullying isn’t humorous indefinitely. Psycho Goreman himself (“PG” for short) is just so well-played, that as his character develops, we start to feel sorry for the torture he’s enduring. At just this point in the film, however, the action takes a hard right and introduces different elements to shift the conflict so that the viewer can stop laughing at PG – and start laughing with him.
The alien-monster costume designs alone are worth the price of admission. They look like the unnatural offspring of Tom Savini’s work on Hellraiser and the creations of Sid and Marty Krofft on the H.R. Pufnstuf television series. They’re brilliant.
As Mimi, child actor Nita-Josee Hanna shreds the scenery with her spot-on over-confidence and sensitive intuition. PG is sympathetic, powerfully voiced, and just threatening enough to balance light horror with entertaining merriment.
Three intertwined relationships – Mimi and her sniveling older brother, Luke; their constantly sparring parents; and PG and his arch-nemesis – all must be righted. At the same time, the universe needs saving and PG needs redeeming. Psycho Goreman deftly juggles all of this without any nagging social commentary or overblown critique of super villains. It’s just refreshingly – well – fun.
It’s kitsch served with a generous helping of camp and a dollop of horror. Watch Psycho Goreman with a carefully selected group of like-minded comic-gore aficionados. And that way, they can all share in the fun.
Read less...
N/A
6.2
