AWESOMELY RIGHTEOUS & RADICAL ** USA 2020 Dir: Luc Bernier, Jason Ewert, Dustin Ferguson, Dean Houlihan, Oliver Jolliffe, Shane Ryan, Matti Soikkeli, Aaron Stielstra, Jim Towns. 101 mins
As the title suggests this homage and love affair with the 80’s VHS boom only serves as a hollow love affair.
Shane Ryan presents this pastiche assortment of 80’s inspired films. Each short or trailer thematically linked to the 80’s in genre, style or VHS glitches. I am a fan of all things 80’s and remember the VHS boom and this ode to the 80’s is best served as a reminder of the hollow parts of the 1980’s each short in this film feels stilted from the acting, story and production levels which are mostly redundant.
As with most anthology films of this type it’s a mixed bag and this one is no exception. There are a couple of interesting shorts in this compilation Swamp Buck, The Somnambulist and the parts that Shane Ryan directed are the only worthwhile entrants in the compilation of shorts.
The best part of this production was the presentation by Shane Ryan who perfectly captured the video era from the look and feel of the video elements to the trailer style inserts it really captured the feel of that era perfectly, I just wish the short films were of the same quality and interest as the presentation.
If you’re a lover of all things 80’s and love the campy movies feel of the decade then this might be right up your street but for me it just missed the mark.
Review by Kemal Yildirim
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