Everything you need to know about Glenn Danzig’s ‘Verotika’
We’ve seen a lot of actors step behind the camera to become directors, but what about certified rock stars? Misfits founder Glenn Danzig has dipped his feet into the film industry before, but the legendary heavy metal rocker will be making his official directorial debut.
Glenn Danzig has more than just musical talents, with a horror comic publishing company named Verotik under his belt. Taking his anthology series Verotika to a new level, his directorial debut will bring the series to life in a compilation horror film. While the film never got a wide release in theaters, it made waves as “the new The Room”, so take that as you will.
There’s a lot to unpack with this film before it hits VOD next month, so let’s dive into this “not so much a horror movie” movie.
What makes it so bad?
The “horror” isn’t so much horror as it is comedic. For example, one of the segments focuses on a woman who dreams of hooking up with a demon. While the dream is based on her lack of excitement in her mundane life, she ends up actually hooking up with a monster.
Reviews also call attention to the awful editing. One big part of horror is cutting together your shots to help build tension and get your audience anticipating a fright. Danzig apparently missed that lesson, leading you to laugh at long shots to the point where the actors are clearly confused why “Cut” hasn’t been said yet.
Anyone big in it?
Surprisingly, no. Most of the actors and actresses are best known for indie horror work and small background roles in bigger projects. Really the biggest person in it is Sean Kanan, who starred as Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid 3. If you’re familiar with the indie horror scene, Rachel Alig (At Granny’s House, 12/12/12) is the lead in one of the segments.
How is the horror?
Danzig made a big deal telling people that Verotika was not going to be PC, with raunchy and gory horror at every corner. While it’s not “PC”, the film is definitely not the edgy masterpiece he wanted. If anything, the scariest thing is the ramped misogyny towards the female characters.
While the first segment is definitely gory, the rest of the film feels like a middle schooler who just learned his first swear word. It’s a shame too, as most of the comics the film are based on are graphic and edgy, but with a purpose. If anything, the cheesy edginess helps cement its place as the best comedy film you’ll see all year.
When can I watch this disaster?
Gather up your friends (and alcohol) for a trashtastic watch party of Verotika on February 25th. If you’d rather wait for a DVD rental, schedule your party for March 3rd. Maybe even pair it with The Room, for a truly perfect “so bad it’s good” movie night.
