Release date: January 22, 2021
Running time: 94 minutes
Starring: Matthew Ninaber (Transference), Nita-Josee Hanna (Books of Blood, 4teen), Owen Myre (“NOS4A2”, Alternate Ground), Adam Brooks (The Return Father’s Day) and Steven Vlahos (“Alien House”, The Apprentice)
Written and directed by: Steven Kostanski (The Void, The Divide, Father’s Day)
Siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth millions of years ago after a failed attempt to destroy the universe. They nickname the evil creature Psycho Goreman (or PG for short) and use the magical amulet they discovered to force him to obey their childish whims. It isn’t long before PG’s reappearance draws the attention of intergalactic friends and foes from across the cosmos and a rogues’ gallery of alien combatants converges in small-town suburbia to battle for the fate of the galaxy.
Psycho Goreman has a whimsical, 80s or 90s television style that was refreshing to see. The film puts this front and center with its throwback opening text, but the style goes much deeper than this. All the characters and monsters in the film are prosthetic, harkening back to an older time in television and moviemaking. It has a similar feel to the power rangers, with elaborate but clearly fake characters and an exaggerated style. The fights also have this feel because of some of the effects that are used, like sparks flying when a sword is swung. But don't worry, Psycho Goreman definitely earns the "gore" part of its name. The film has a style similar to classic kids programming, but it has all the blood and gore you would expect from a modern horror movie. It is exaggerated and gratuitous making it a nice contrast to some of the sillier effects and ABC Family setting.
And that is where this film is so fun. It has this Saturday night Nickelodeon feel but with much more gore and bloodshed than I expected. And on top of that, you have this wonderful, dry sense of humor from the characters. PG says whatever comes to his mind, that will lead to many laughs as he laments his current situation. And Mimi and Luke's dad also contributes to this humor, with some very funny lines delivered with deadpan seriousness. And the characters themselves are a lot of fun, especially the young kids. Both Mimi (Hanna) and Luke (Myre) do a great job as the children in this film. They aren't necessarily natural, but they evoke the same, over the top feeling of shows when I was younger. And it is not just the gore that is over the top. The music is loud and in your face, like much of the film. It has this really fun metal soundtrack that will get your blood flowing like the blood flowing on the screen.
Psycho Goreman is an entertaining throwback to 80s and 90s shows, with an exaggerated style, intentionally noticeable costumes, and fights that definitely earn the "gore" in Goreman!
Watch it.
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