October 06, 2009
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Sudafed junkies are the worst.
According to a few intriguing articles I've read online, Adam Wingard's 2007 psychedelic horror head game Pop Skull has been scientifically designed to scare the unholy bejesus out you. The technique is not unlike those sneaky "jump scare" videos found on YouTube, the ones that abruptly end with a loud noise and a moderately scary image. It's an interesting gimmick, to be sure, and it often works to great effect. Unfortunately, the rest of this plodding little film isn't nearly as engaging or amusing. The story focuses on a sad, pathetic, pill-popping loser as he attempts to put his life back together after a particularly painful break-up with his girlfriend, an event which is chronicled via the main character's painfully wimpy narration. It's emo horror for the emotionally deranged, filtered through the cluttered mindscape of someone who's spent a lot of time watching Aphex Twin videos and studying the work of Harmony Korine. Visually speaking, the film is well-executed, though anyone prone to epileptic seizures should probably avoid this one altogether. Flashing lights, quick cuts, weird distortions, and rapid color alterations abound, inducing a particularly dull headache right behind my left eye. If physical discomfort and endless whining sounds like fun, Pop Skull was crafted with you in mind. Just don't complain to me if you swallow your tongue.
Recipe For Mediocrity: A Few Decent Scares + Too Much Pining And Whining + Is This Really A Horror Movie?
Important Suburban Rules: Whatever you do, don't keep your spare house keys hidden in your yard.
Unless, of course, you happen to enjoy rape.
Posted by
The Film Fiend
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