Puppets have been used in film since 1902, and their use has changed and evolved over time. Everything from The Muppets to The Dark Crystal have all been evolutions to the art form. Just when it felt like there was no new way to use them, filmmaker Evan Marlowe took seven years to prove us all wrong.
Once again, the newly reformed Anchor Bay Entertainment strikes with a highly unique film in its attempt to reclaim a piece of the physical media game they once dominated with Abruptio. This isn’t a fantastical type of puppet feature; they basically inhabit a human world. These puppets look human, and the result is mixed yet intriguing.
Les Hackel (James Marsters) is not living his dream life. He works in a job he hates, his girlfriend dumps him, and he still lives with his mom and dad at thirty-five. One evening, his friend Danny (Jordan Peele) warns him of an incision made in the back of their necks where some sort of explosive device has been planted. They soon realize that they must complete a series of gruesome tasks, doing whatever is asked, or the explosive will be detonated.
As the world around him begins to crumble, Les finds himself paired with the weirdest of the weird to carry out the tasks. Is there a line Les won’t cross, or will he discover who is behind the manipulation and try to stop it?
Abruptio doesn’t always work from a story standpoint. Refraining from giving away spoilers, I drifted halfway through the film. I haven’t quite been able to pinpoint exactly what it was, but once it moved into the final act, I was once again drawn in. The film’s finale wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it was gratifying.
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The voice acting is phenomenal, and it’s great to hear the late Sid Haig in what would be his final role. James Marsters can certainly carry a film, and the supporting cast (Peele, Christopher McDonald, Hana Mae Lee, and Robert Englund) are recognizable yet help to create characters that aren’t quite what they’re known for.
Jeffrey Farley designed some of the most unsettling, bizarre, and impressive puppets for this film, while Danny Montooth and the other puppeteers bring them to life in a way that can only be described as nightmare fuel.
The Anchor Bay Blu-ray looks crisp with a handful of bonus features like interviews with Marlowe and some of his actors, a commentary track with Evan and Kerry Marlowe (producer), and a commentary with puppeteer Danny Montooth. They lend a bit of insight into the making of the film, but I was hoping to see some behind-the-scenes footage of actually working the puppets.
Despite being uneven, the story is thought-provoking, unsettling, and sometimes just weird. Abruptio is an original take on an age-old art form that has never been done this way.
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