High school student Bill Whitney could not have a more ideal life. He is well-loved by most of his fellow students, dating one of the most attractive cheerleaders, has the position of future class president all but secured, and even drives the newest Jeep model that is out on the market. And yet even with all of these luxuries, Bill can't seem to shake this feeling that something isn't quite right with his personal life, and in particular, his upper class parents and their friends. Bill's suspicions are confirmed when the ex of his sister shows up with a tape of what sounds like his family members participating in something tawdry and unusually carnal. As time goes by, and every single shred of evidence of misbehaving seems to vanish just as quickly as it appeared, Bill begins to wonder if perhaps he is just crazy, or if, as they say, society really is to blame for everything.
Well then, it certainly didn't take long for an entry to appear that would absolutely mortify me, did it?
1989's Society is a motion picture that I admittedly only became aware of two or three years ago, and that was mostly through word of mouth and recommendations from friends who are most likely reading this right now. I was more than familiar with director Brian Yuzna's body of work, be it with a pen in his hand (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, From Beyond), overseeing other's projects (Re-Animator, Dolls) or sitting down in the big chair himself (Return of the Living Dead III). The man always seemed like a very humble, unassuming human being, but after recently sitting through his directorial effort, I have to wonder if that is a front. Any living, breathing creature who would head a project like Society can not be normal. Or at the very least, they mask a much more demented sense of humor and large stash of psychedelics that have yet to be released to the public.
Forgive the pretentiousness of these next few words, but calling Society a movie just seems so archaic. This truly is a one-of-a-kind experience, and the entire cast and crew want you to be sure of it. Writers Woody Keith and Rick Fry, who would go on to craft the script for another Brian Yuzna-helmed vehicle, deliver a script that is equal parts sick satire, legitimate paranoia, and mind-numbingly weird "body horror." Think of it as when someone throws The Wicker Man, Heathers, and The Stepford Wives into a blender, but throws in a dose or two of LSD. Billy Warlock of Baywatch fame is our protagonist, and it was nice to see a twist on the whole "I'm angsty and my parents just don't understand me" cliché that has become so tiresome and overused in nearly every genre out there. His descent into becoming more and more of a nervous wreck garners genuine sympathy, even if we could rarely identify with people like him in real life. You begin to feel as if you are going mad yourself, but thankfully there are actual answers towards the end of Society, so you aren't left hanging and wondering what the hell just happened. Truth be told all of the acting in here is fairly good, and from what has been confirmed on the Blu-Ray for the film, Yuzna himself was even genuinely shaken up by some of the discomfort that co-stars like Tim Bartell showed on screen during the (understandably) infamous finale.
And if we are on the topic of that finale, I do not recall ever seeing a motion picture conclude in a way that it literally left me speechless for half of its final act. There is no possible way to describe it other than saying that special effects artist Screaming Mad George (Freaked, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4) must have been having the time of his life and should have received a complementary 24-pack of whatever beverage he wanted after filming had wrapped. One slight knock some might have against the film does involve its very....erm, slimy final twenty minutes though. Most of what the newer members of the general audience and cinephiles will remember are the big revelation of what has been going on and the absolute depravity that follows, but I can see complaints pile up that it is "boring" until those moments occur. It doesn't hurt the rest of Society's overall quality for someone like me who is used to these sort of things, but as I stated with my review for Prom Night, this kind of slow burn can be off-putting for others of the more "ADD" horror crowd. But hey, the joke is on them since there are some fairly funny bits of black humor and commentaries on still-relevant concepts, such as how silly we as a society (not apologizing for that) are for viewing things like party invites as being bigger priorities than your family possibly being murderers.
The controversy that follows Society around to this day is something that doesn't surprise me, but I am glad to see that over time, the flick has developed more of a following and appreciation for George and Yuzna's hard work on it. The men certain have an eye for distinct visuals and frequently help create things that you have never seen before. As such, this is the most elementary way to describe just what Society is; an over-the-top, bizarre satire about the battle between the rich and the poor, with a wrap-up that will very likely make you lose your lunch if you are unaccustomed to these sort of things. If you have a strong stomach and a very twisted sense of humor, Society is available to stream on Amazon Prime (its picture and audio quality are splendid too!). If you have a few more dollars to spend before the holidays approach, you can also purchase the slam-packed and bountiful Blu-Ray from Arrow Video.
Or perhaps, if your loved one is as truly demented as you are, they will buy a physical copy for you, and it will contain an invitation to one of these "social gatherings" that are held for the wealthier classes.
.....hey, I'm not knocking it until I try it.
Tomorrow, we jump forward a bit into the year 2017, and have two pint-sized baddies pay a visit to the blog.
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