John Dies at the End [Blu-ray] [2012]

John Dies at the End is my all-time favorite book, so I was very excited to travel to LA to see the film adaptation and meet the cast and director on the day that the final cut was finally released. I missed the first 20 minutes but I could tell it was a movie I was going to watch many times in the future. I had avoided watching it up until that point, and seeing it on the big screen did not disappoint--I instantly became anxious for it to be released on Blu-ray so that I could watch it any time I wanted. I have to admit that, as someone who has read the book four times, I can't begin to imagine what it's like to see the movie without having first read the source material. The book goes into a lot more depth, so the plot of the movie is probably more confusing for someone who doesn't have the extra detail that is included in the novel. In addition, half of the plot is cut out from the middle (as well as one of the book's best plot twists), so the movie's plot may feel somewhat incomplete to someone who doesn't have any background information. Don Coscarelli did a great job of translating John Dies at the End from a novel to an independent film. It features a few familiar faces such as Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown, as well as some less familiar faces such as Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, who very effectively play the respective parts of Dave and John, the film's two main protagonists. Most of the effects--both practical and digital--are top-notch and surprisingly realistic, but at times the quality isn't so good, particularly in the last half hour or so (thought it's easy to look past it because of the low budget that Coscarelli had to work with). In order to fit the source material into a typical feature length runtime, about half of the story had to be cut out, which likely does make the plot somewhat disjointed and difficult to follow for those who haven't read the book prior to seeing the movie. However, the general storyline and most of the important plot points are still included. Overall, the movie and its Blu-ray release did not disappoint. I've watched the movie several times now and the Blu-ray made the experience even more enjoyable with some awesome bonus features, the best of which (by far) are the deleted scenes and the audition footage. I would (and already did) recommend this movie to any of my friends, given that they enjoy trippy science-fiction stories and don't mind some occasional graphic content--though I do highly recommend reading the book first.

I really enjoyed this movie, but as is usually the case, the book is better.

While a great movie, JDATE doesn't have the magic and true horror/comedy blend that the book has. It has some great lines, some very good acting performances (particularly from the young leads and Paul Giamatti), and definitely has a unique blend of humor and horror not found elsewhere. It is still definitely worth checking out. However, if you're not familiar with the franchise, I can't recommend enough that you read David Wong's book version first, as it provide a much greater level of detail and humor than the movie ever could.

This one was very interesting scary movie. I have to watch it a second go but I think I like it

John Dies At The End is a quirky, funny and drug filled movie. The film revolves around a new drug, called Soy Sauce, which alters the way people interact with the world. The film does well at introducing you to the strange behaviors and possibilities allowed by this concept. First and foremost, this movie is not for those who dislike violence, nudity, and/or profanity. This movie takes advantage of all three in ways that while clever could be off-putting to some. The movie keeps a nice pace throughout, never boring the viewer, but does include a number of strange events that will put some viewers off by the strange and somewhat childish humor. For those who can look past what some would call vulgar humor, the movie is a well paced, funny film focused on friendship and the universe (odd pairing, I know--it'll all explain itself throughout the film). With that said, I was very disappointed at the ending, which dragged past the clear solution, and left me a bit confused. If the film had ended just a tad earlier, I would have been much more satisfied with the movie. In regards to the film's technical aspects the video is very well done. It is clear and well saturated with fantastic detail in the blacks and the shadows throughout the film. For a movie which takes advantage of both the heavily dark and heavily bright scenes, this is important as both provide seemingly endless amounts of texture whether in creatures, settings, or the characters themselves. At times though I found the CGI to be a bit over the top and it didn't always mesh well with the world they had created. This can be overlooked due to the tongue-in-cheek nature of the film. The audio was presented nicely in Dolby Digital 5.1 featuring a strong LFE (subwoofer) track, that extends nicely throughout the scenes creating a sense of realism to the many odd noises heard. It incorporates a wide dynamic range from simple dialogue, to loud explosions and soft whispers. Nonetheless, I never was blown out of my chair, and was able to keep the volume at the same level without any discomfort. Parents, in no way is this movie appropriate for children. Featuring topless women, male genetalia, a lot of violence, extensive profanity and the occasional racial slur, as well as drug use, this film puts it outside the realm of what I would comfortably recommend for any child under 15-17 years old. As a whole though, the film was a fun romp that never takes itself too seriously. While the premise of the film is far fetched, the secondary characters are often a bit dull, the film as a whole is fun, fast-paced, and enjoyable. I would recommend this to anyone in need of a good laugh who can look past the sometimes juvenile humor.

Couldnt wait to watch it especially at the Black Friday price!!

Another good one from Don Cascarelli, if you like Phantasm or Bubba Hotep check this one out.

If you are looking for a nice little indy movie to get lost in, this might be one for you.