You know how you sometimes hear, “oh that movie is crazy, it’s hard to believe it was even made” and you’re sure whatever movie being discussed just can’t be *that* crazy? Well this is the movie that’s *just* as crazy as you’ve heard. The madness starts from the very moment the movie starts, with opening credits accompanied by static green text letting you know that there’s a comet passing near Earth that’s affecting machines in a malevolent way, and then we’re off to the races: Lawnmowers tear people to shreds, concrete rollers graphically flatten little leaguers, soda machines maul their customers, etc. That’s before the score by AC/DC rattles your speakers, lead Emilio Estevez shows up like he wandered in from another set entirely, Yeardley Smith shrieks her nonsensical dialogue, and a bunch of other characters wander in and out of the narrative while you’re busy trying to pick your jaw from off the ground. As a director, Stephen King doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing, with incoherent shots followed by poorly framed ones and no sense of suspense or tension, it’s all just a bunch of stuff that happens in front of your disbelieving eyes… and it’s a blast because of it. There’s nothing else quite like this, it’s like a bunch of unrelated elements that don’t mesh well but it’s all just so fascinating that you can’t take your eyes off it. There are few movies that feel like what a cocaine binge looks like it would feel, but this is one of them and for that reason alone you should watch it immediately.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
Pop Culture Thoughts 