; Fun! Fun! Vancouver!: Green Room

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

Green Room

reviewed by guest blogger Meaghan Smith




Tonight I lucked into a set of passes for the film Green Room which I unfortunately missed at VIFF.I didn't really know what to think going into the movie other than I knew I was excited to see Captain Jean Luc Picard murder some teens! The feel of the theatre afterwards was not that of a super excited crowd like other screenings I've been to, so I warn you this movie is definitely not for everyone. If you like super gore, campy horror, punk rock, sassy haircuts, and knighted actors dropping N-Bombs then read on! If any or all of those things sound absolutely atrocious to you I suggest staying away.
In a lot of ways I felt like this film was made for my teenage self (I confess I put safety pins in all my clothes and had an eyebrow piercing with my jet black hair. So anti-establishment!). The early film is filled with punk rock jokes, such as the amazing Dead Kennedys cover at the beginning of the film "Nazi Punks, Fuck Off" on stage at a skinhead bar which sets the stage for the entire film. The plot of the movie is essentially punks versus Neo-Nazis in an all out battle for their lives.

The horror was shockingly realistic. There is no "demented psycho" like so many movies, but instead the band at the centre of the film is placed in a plausible scenario and expected to escape. The gore level is high but also realistic. No one has guts falling out of them, but instead wounds look realistic to the trauma that characters face.
There are some minor plot flaws such as no one asking the Neo-Nazi girl they're stuck with what the hell is going on, but instead try to piece it all together without her help. The now classic "lack of communication" frustration I find in a lot of films these days (*cough* all of Batman vs. Superman).
The acting is top notch and there are a lot of recognizable faces that are not tied to horror at all which makes it fun to watch how they work in a new setting. I definitely suggest this film for any horror or punk fan, but not really anyone else. It is perfectly suited to the audience it is meant to reach and no one else.
Green Room is playing at Cineplex Scotiabank Burrard starting Thursday April 28, 2016.


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