Test Screening

Test Screening: Little Hope. Oregon, 1982, a small town which isn't a great place for teenagers. It's dominated by a fundamentalist preacher and the town cinema is in danger of closing. We see the cinema's owner taking down the letters for The Ting, no one is going to it, he;s heard that Blade Runner is a flop as well. Things start to go strange when the only bridge into the isolated town is sealed off, apparently fo repares. Though odd looking men in shades and suits are enforcing a blockade. Then a test screening at the cinema is announced, will it be Return of the Jedi? Advanced projection systems arrive in town and are guarded until the screening. The film when it is shown has a strange effect on most of the audience. This is an old style paranoia thriller mixed in with the body horror trope and mind control. Some really odd and disturbing scenes of horror as the infected spread their affliction, eerily reminiscent of Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers. There are also echoes of the new flesh from Videodrome. It is all tied together though by an overarching conspiracy. Some interesting social commentary along with a refreshing line of humour prevents this film from being too bleak, well almost. Written and Directed by Clark Baker. 7.5/10.

The whole nostalgia for '82 as a classic movie year really comes out in this one. No mistakes there.

A small and remote town is eager to see a test screening of a new movie - without knowing what's in store.

It's fair to say this could have been a Stranger Things season. It does a great job with its shameless and intentional nods to 82 classics but with a Cronenberg edge.

It never gets grisly and icky like a Cronenberg movie does, which is where it ultimately falls a bit short. The horror facade is just a vehicle for its core relationship-based story. It's Dead Ringers Berg and not Scanners.

It's an enjoyable movie, which does have a great first half but the latter half is a bit flat and devoid of tension or scares. Plenty of weird visuals tease a potentially great horror but that's all.

Too much commentary and not enough genuine thrills leave it in a no mans land, somewhere between horror and drama.

It's well made though and has a likeable cast. Test Screening is never dull and does have its fanboy moments, especially for those who are on board with the whole 82 nostalgia "Thing".

Isn't that what Test Screenings are there for? Trying to figure out what common thread people will like? So no pun intended - also with the title (that could be the first of a trilogy according to the director, titles going through the process of movie releases) ... but while this has an 80s vibe to it, it sometimes does lose its focus ... as in having too many threads going for it.

One of the questions is: who is the main character? You could say it is both characters (you'll know once you watch) ... but in the end it feels it tries to tell the story of the girl a bit more than that of the boy. And it's a bit of a shame ... there was a nerd treasure buried here somewhere ... and it is barely touched upon. Which makes him almost obsolete .. and that is a shame.

There is a lot here too - and most of it is commentary ... on society, on individualism and so much more. There surely are messages you may not get from the first viewing (and I include myself into that group). Those who might criticize it, may say it is "woke" ... but even a small town will have different people, with different ... let's call them tastes ... well done horror, that could have been even better in my view, but still is a good one ... especially with all the throwbacks ... while still being quite relevant (bubble and otherwise ... politically speaking)