Psycho Goreman: A Bizarro Bloodbath
Psycho Goreman is the latest feature film from writer/director Steven Kostanski (who also served as co-editor and co-producer). The film takes 80s and 90s sci-fi and twists it into a bizarro bloodbath full of inventive costumes and grotesquely charming practical effects. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a connoisseur of midnight and B movie kitsch, Psycho Goreman delivers on the fun-filled goods.
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.
In Psycho Goreman, two very different but equally confusing and absurd worlds collide. One involves the "Arch-Duke of Nightmares,” an alien warrior with an affinity for galactic destruction who’s been imprisoned on Earth by the organization called the "Planetary Alliance”; the other is Mimi and her brother Luke’s relationship and family life, which crackles with some Rick & Morty-esque vibes that are dysfunctionally amusing. When we’re introduced to each of these worlds, it takes some time to acclimate to Kostanski’s silly, esoteric frequency, but ironically our terrestrial protagonists, Mimi and Luke, take the cake here and feel just as otherworldly as our extra-terrestrial destroyer. When we first meet them, their made-up game, “Crazy Ball,” melts our brain with its convoluted rules. Try as we might to get on their level, their nonsensical game is beyond our reach, and while it’s easy to dismiss the silliness outright, “Crazy Ball” winds up hilariously doubling as a cheeky metaphor for the bizarro story that unfurls once the two worlds are united.
After the "Arch-Duke of Nightmares,” who’s an equal parts Hellraiser cenobite, Wishmaster, and Power Rangers villain, is awakened from his imprisoned hibernation, he’s quick to jump right back into his old ways of killing folks in hilariously inventive and agonizing ways. However, once he crosses paths with Mimi and Luke, who choose to name him Psycho Goreman (or PG for short), we discover that Mimi is in possession of the gem that controls him. Drunk with power, Mimi, who’s kind of like a amusingly selfish asshole (a la Eric Cartman), forces him to obey her every whim, which includes dressing up as Sam Neill from Jurassic Park (amongst other things), while PG looks for a way to regain control over himself. Meanwhile, the “Planetary Alliance” attempts to track down PG in hopes of placing him back in prison, placing the Mimi, Luke, and their parents in the middle of the mayhem.
Needless to say, there’s a lot going on, but none of it is “deep” or intended to be taken seriously. It’s just good, old-fashioned, no-thought-required fun that basks in the glory of gore and practical effects. Essentially, it’s your classic tale of good versus evil with inverted roles; we’re rooting from the dark destroyer, instead of the immaculately white, futuristic angel oppressor. Although it builds towards a statement about family and love, everything plays in jest. There are portions of it that seem designed to test a viewer’s patience in amusing ways, almost testing the limits of what we’re willing to roll with, and while it revels in its absurdity in fun and inventive ways, it’s a film that will either click for you, or it won’t. Just like Steven Kostanski’s 2011 debut Manborg, Psycho Goreman is aimed at a pretty niche audience of midnight and B movie enthusiasts who have a craving for wacked out, cheesy 80s/90s era sci-fi — and if you’re into that, it’ll likely be everything you want and more.
If you can’t get synced up to Kostanski’s specific tone/humor, or if you have issues with occasionally grating characters or trivial narratives, you might not find yourself in total enjoyment here. However, the sheer level of ingenuity on display is undeniably awe-inspiring — whether you find yourself fully on board with it or not. Impressively, only a small portion ($50,000 CAD) of its already meager budget ($850,000 CAD, or about $670,000 USD) went to creature effects, and the return that Kostanski get on their investment is nothing short of remarkable. The practical effects and costumes look top-dollar, and you’ll be hard pressed to find moments where they recycle materials for other scenes. Nearly all of Psycho Goreman’s 90-minute runtime IS practical effects, and it’s stunning to see what they’ve come up with. The amount of world-building you get is unexpected, and if you just surrender to the bizarro spectacle, you’ll be utterly hypnotized by its imagination and craft.
All in all, if you want to have a silly goose time, Psycho Goreman unapologetically delivers on the goods. If you can get on board with it, you will be rewarded with a sci-fi romp full of laughs, bizarro creatures, gory mayhem, and laugh-out-loud gags (our personal favorite is the goopy Bio-Cop, which calls back to an earlier Kostanski short film). In our opinion, Psycho Goreman serves as continued proof of Kostanski’s knack for practical effects that transcend their budgetary limitations, and it’s a step up from The Void, which he co-wrote and directed.
Recommendation: If you love excellent practical effects and are cool with a film that doesn’t take itself seriously, Psycho Goreman is for you! It’s a brisk and bloody 90-minutes of sci-fi absurdity, and you can catch it streaming on Shudder.
Rating: 4 decapitations outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!