Thursday, October 6, 2016

Gravy (2015)

October Challenge Day 6:

Randomly plucked this one off the Horror shelves at my local video store. Not sure how I felt about the pick then, nor do I know how to feel about it now that I'm about to pop it into the DVD player.


Premise of Gravy: "A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements invades a Mexican cantina and forces the staff to engage in a late night of gluttony. The only caveat is what's on the menu ... and who will survive until morning!" (per the DVD synopsis).

It stars Sarah Silverman, so that's pretty interesting, but also note the bloody clown on the cover. Considering how we have a free-range creepy clown epidemic on our hands, and a movie titled Gravy - with questionable food being shoved in your face as the focus - it doesn't particularly pump me up but rather gives me visuals I never asked for. And I haven't had dinner yet.

I guess, actually, I'm feeling a little bit like this right now:

(...this fresco fiasco never gets old for me...)

But I'm going to give it a try anyway as I feel this experience could either delight me to no end or leave me with an upset tummy. In all, I suspect this will be an odd and gory tale with some abstract moralistic aspect... this is just a guess. I have absolutely no idea what I'm getting into here... see you after the show!

*****Update!

Okay. Alright.... well. Pass the antacids.

I do believe this is the first horror movie I've ever seen that's managed to out-hipster itself. The cult cultural references stuffed me to the brim - to the point I was making what my Husband calls: "The sad last bite faces". When you've had too much to eat, but you keep eating anyway because those last two bites are not enough to save for leftovers and you kindawanna cry face. (Note: Being too full you're in pain is a blessing that should be a gaddam right for everyone. And to be perfectly blunt, I cry when the Meals On Wheels pamphlets come in the mail. We can talk more about this later - in the mean time please take care of your neighbors.) But getting back to the film and it's hipster gluttony: 35 minutes into the film and I was DONE.

Mike side-eyed me closely. I could see it from the tops of my large, dark glasses frames. Without saying a word we both understood each other: What in the hell is this? Really? Make it stop, please.

It's a funny horror film, I just never really laughed. It's slap-stick and gory, but I was never amused by it. The one person I truly enjoyed - saying all that I found most entertaining and smart about the film - Gabourey Sidibe, a bad ass powerhouse, who many may know from American Horror Story fame -  literally had her voice taken from her, and that's when I threw the napkin on the table and walked out.

I didn't enjoy this film because it tried to be so cleverly over-the-top that it missed points entirely. It, again, outdid it's own hipster irony to the point it wasn't even fun, it was just annoying. Additionally, I had problems with the music. I liked it at the beginning but then it became too much. The independent radio station was on full blast through pretty much the entire film. I say this as a regular contributor to independent radio. It was too much, man, too much.

No, I did not enjoy this film but I see where it was trying to go. It was quirky, trying to be edgy, trying to be gory, trying to be sarcastic and ironic (all of which I was suspecting even before I put the DVD in the player) but in the end, for me, it lost all it's cool points.

I see a lot of movies like this during the year and never write a review (because I don't like writing negative reviews) but I hold a strange little bond with myself during October. Sorry guys, wanted to like it but couldn't. If you do choose to check the film out, watch with very drunk friends. Pairs with quesadillas and hard booze.

I rented this movie from my local video store (Rain City Video). Use the links under Find It. Watch It. on Horror Habit's sidebar to see where else you can find this, um, maybe you should just check it out for yourself, feature.

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