Evil Bong (2006)

If you are wondering just what you might get from a film called Evil Bong then you may have already spent too much time in the company of an evil bong. It's not a hard concept to figure out, not really, and the fact that it is directed by Charles Band means that you're unlikely to find a lot of hidden depth here. 

David Weidoff plays Alistair, a young (nerd) man who moves into shared accommodation with, as you may have guessed, a bunch of guys who like to get stoned. Alistair doesn’t personally indulge, which is why it takes much longer for him to be caught in the clutches of . . . the Evil Bong. In fact, Alistair only sets out to get stoned when he figures out what is happening to those around him, including Janet (Kristyn Green), a woman he has taken quite a shine to.

As silly and light as you should expect, Evil Bong isn’t actually as bad as it could be, thanks to the idea of people being transported to a “bong world” that is basically just a strip club where they are eventually killed, or have their souls temporarily held from their bodies. It is also a place where other characters from the Full Moon stable of movies can appear, for no other reason than allowing fans to recognise them and smile. Jack Deth, Gingerdead Man, Ooga Booga, and more appear onscreen for a few seconds. They add nothing to the plot of the film, but I cannot deny that it was fun to recognise them (and remember other Full Moon movies that I had already enjoyed or endured).

Band directs with his usual approach, take an idea that can be milked for years and throw everything together as cheaply as possible. He is helped by Domonic Muir’s script, which leans into the silliness of it all just enough to be slightly charming, as opposed to smug and offputting, and the “guest role” for Tommy Chong is an easy way to attract the right viewer demographic.

Weidoff isn’t the best actor around, but he is also far from the worst,  as are the other main stars.. Everyone knows what kind of movie they are in, and everyone does just fine by the material. I would say that this is actually one of the better casts I have seen Band put together, with Green a very likeable potential love interest, and Brian Lloyd, John Patrick Jordan, and Mitch Eakins, are amusing enough as the non-nerd flatmates ready to gently mock the new nerd in their midst. Robin Sydney also does fine, playing the girlfriend of Lloyd’s character, while the voice of Michelle Mais works well as for the Evil Bong aka EeBee. There’s also a small supporting role for Phil Fondacaro, someone who has appeared in many Full Moon movies, and who I always enjoy seeing.

This is silly, it is put together carelessly, and you may well start forgetting it even before the end credits have finished. But it’s also moderately amusing, at times, and keeps throwing enough elements around onscreen that some of them manage to stick.

4/10

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Color Out Of Space (2019)

A quite brilliant cinematic interpretation of the classic H. P. Lovecraft tale by director Richard Stanley, who also wrote the screenplay with Scarlett Amaris, Color Out Of Space was best summed up by a friend of mine (and podcast co-host, Craig). I cannot recall his exact phrasing, but he basically said that, considering how Stanley's career has panned out, it's easy to view this film as one that has both the assured touch of an experienced craftsman and also the hunger and energy of a first-time director looking to make a big impact. He wasn't wrong.

A strange meteorite lands near a remote farmhouse, which leads to the local ecosystem being gradually overcome and transformed by, well, the color out of space (or colour, for us Brits). Pinks and purples start to fill up the environment, in mist form, insects, foliage, and more. Meanwhile, the Gardner family (headed up by Nicolas Cage, playing the patriarch, Nathan) are directly suffering from the effects of the meteorite. Will a visiting hydrologist (Ward, played by Elliot Knight) be able to help, or is the whole thing so unbelievable that the full danger won't be noticed until it's just too late?

Almost perfect from start to finish, Color Out Of Space should please both fans of Lovecraft and fans of the film-making skills of Stanley. Despite a runtime of 111 minutes, it doesn't feel overlong, and despite a number of moments that will remind horror movie fans of The Thing and The Mist, it manages to feel interesting and unique. This is all thanks to the gorgeous style of the whole piece, both visually and tonally.

Pinks and purples bleed into every frame, as you would expect, and Stanley manages to make everything seem like a threat to human life, due to the way it is shown to be growing and encroaching on what was there before, and the impressive score from Colin Stetson (sometimes more like an aggressive audio assault) also helps.

Some people will always accuse Nicolas Cage of often being too . . . Nicolas Cage, and there are moments of it here, but he's pretty good in one of the main roles, for the most part. Even when he's on about the alpacas that are housed in the barn, or sampling a selection of rotten foods while he rages about them. Joely Richardson is his wife, Theresa, and the two have a nice rapport between them. Richardson also does very well when shown to be in a fugue state. Of the three children, Madeleine Arthur feels like the one focused on, playing Lavinia, a girl interested in Wiccan ways, and she's great, but Brendan Meyer, as the older son (Benny), and Julian Hilliard (as young Jack) both also do well. Knight is a very likeable potential hero, and there's a nice little role for Tommy Chong.

It may be more of a mood piece than anything else, but what a mood piece. With an abundance of impressive practical FX work, gorgeous cinematography throughout, and the development of the obvious colour palette, this ranks as Stanley's best, and I am optimistic that the positive reception to it can help to boost him up at this stage of his career, leading to a well-deserved renaissance for him.

9/10

There's a nice package available here.
Americans can buy a disc here.

Filmstruck Friday: After Hours (1985)

I didn't love After Hours when I first saw it. I think I was almost twenty, I didn't really get the tone of the film, and I loved it more for the fact that Scorsese directed it than the content of the film itself.  It's a spiralling nightmare that can make it hard to find the comedy until you are in a position to identify more with the central character, which is why I like it a lot more today.

You see, as much as I hate to say it, I have now had episodes that come close to the feeling I get while watching After Hours. I've had nights that have gone from bad to worse, as I make numerous unwise decisions to stay in the company of an attractive woman who was also a bit . . . whacky. I've had nights when I have lost my money and had a hell of a long journey home ahead of me. And I've had nights when the fun has stopped but I have somehow found myself somewhere, or in the company of someone, that feels quite dangerous. Treading carefully while drunk is always harder than doing so while sober.

But let's get to the film. Griffin Dunne plays Paul, a man who ends up out later than intended after he meets the lovely Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). One thing leads to another and Paul eventually finds himself in the company of an artist (Linda Fiorentino), a lonely and sad bar worker (Teri Garr), and, eventually, another artist (Verna Bloom). That's not to mention his temporary state of poverty, a suicide, a surprisingly helpful barman (John Heard), and a woman who seems to want to help him while simultaneously testing his last nerve at the same time (Catherine O'Hara).

Part of the pleasure of watching After Hours, and why I enjoyed it enough before identifying more with Dunne's character, is seeing this material handled by Scorsese. It has a number of his familiar directorial flourishes, a typically eclectic soundtrack, and benefits from his ability to make some of the darkest moments still seem entertaining. This is a film in which a man finds the corpse of someone who has committed suicide and then has to stick up signs pointing towards the dead body as he leaves the scene, after calling to inform the police.

The script by Joseph Minion helps a lot, bringing in plenty of memorable characters and plot elements that plague our lead more than once. Although the general feeling is one of chaos and madness, the script is very tightly put together, slotting various pieces together expertly and leading to an insane final sequence that serves as a brilliant punchline to the proceedings.

Dunne is wonderful in his role, but he's not left with the whole film on his shoulders. Everyone I have already mentioned above does great work. Many are absolutely right for their roles, but O'Hara and Garr are the real standouts. You also get fun cameos for Will Patton, Cheech Marin, and Tommy Chong.

If, like myself, you last watched After Hours before you recognised exactly how those nights can occur then I encourage you to give it a rewatch. Despite the title, this is not a film just about a late night out. It's about a state of mind.

8/10

I recommend buying this set.
Americans can get it here.