Society - The horror

The best film directed by Brian Yuzna (producer of Re-Animator) is this strange horror/sci-fi satire on the yuppie way of life.

Beverly Hills teen begins to suspect that there's something very wrong with his snobbish family, is he imagining it or are they... inhuman?!

Society is one original and shocking black comedy. There's never a dull moment in the engulfing plot, which starts out as a paranoia mystery then only gets increasingly weird from there on out. It all builds to a warped finale that you won't forget! It's one of those surreal and gruesome terrors that makes you wonder if you should be laughing or screaming at what you're seeing. The makeup work of Screaming Mad George (great name) is very effectively disturbing. The direction of Yuzna is well-done and the addition of the Eton Boat Song as the films theme is a clever touch.

The cast is spot on in their performances, the best being young star Billy Warlock as our perplexed and horrified hero.

Society is one of those unique genre oddities that must be seen to be fully realized. It's one very wild trip that's well deserving of a cult status.

*** out of ****

Society (1989) is a movie that I recently watched on Shudder. The storyline follows a young man who notices his family and siblings are odd, more odd than usual. He also feels his girlfriend is acting peculiar and is obsessed with attending a socially elite party. As events of the upcoming weekend unfold the young man investigates the party where he finds his parents, his girlfriend and so many others he grew up with have a strange secret that may mean the end of his existence.

This movie is directed by Brian Yuzna (Beyond Reanimator) and stars Billy Warlock (Halloween II), Evan Richards (Twilight Zone: The Movie), Patrice Jennings (Growing Pains), Brian Bremer (Pumpkinhead) and Heidi Kozak Haddad (Slumber Party Massacre).

There's a lot to like about this movie...and most of it is at the very end. The apple opening was a bit gross. The acting and writing is average to above average until the final sequence. Then the special effects, concept and circumstances come full circle and it's a mix of shocking, tremendous gore and unreal circumstances you could never imagine. There's some classic 80s nudity and the "There's no business like show business" line always cracks me up. I may have said this already...but the ending is a lot. 😂

Overall, this is an underrated classic within the horror genre that is an absolutely must see. I would score this an 8.5-9/10 and strongly recommend it.

Here's a reasonably funny slime-fest from producer/director Brian Yuzna of Re-Animator fame. It makes one nostalgic for the 80's thriller cinema, when a low-budget exploiter like this was commonplace, instead of the middle-brow crapola that passes for a fright flick these days. The latex-and-slime special effects are effectively old school and quite memorable. Enjoy.

This is one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen, somewhat akin to watching a Lovecraft tale as told by John Waters. I think I liked it. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did...I guess.

Billy (Bill Warlock of soap opera fame) is nearly 18, and has spent his youth living a life of privilege with his wealthy family in Beverly Hills. However, he senses that something is wrong. He does not look like his mother, father or sister, and indeed, they treat him as though he were an outsider. Oh, they're always very pleasant and polite, but they're somewhat distant and rather cold, displaying no real emotions towards him or anyone else. Tragic news is met with blank expressions and vacant smiles. Billy's girlfriend is too busy obsessing about parties to care about Billy's mounting concerns, and his psychiatrist dismisses his worries with prescriptions. When Billy hears an audio tape recorded by his sisters' most recent dumpee, his worst fears are confirmed: something unnatural is happening, something incestuous and profane. But the dumpee disappears, the tape recording alters itself, and Billy finds himself being slowly and deliberately cornered by The Society.

For all that this film is a dark comment on the soullessness of the upper classes, it never really takes itself seriously. Indeed, if it had, this movie would have died a quick death and taken up residence in the discount PVT bin at Blockbuster Video, cursed as it is with all the hideousness of the 1980s, denim and synth music and helmets of bleached hair everywhere. But this movie is so odd and freaky with the most morbid sense of humor running all the way through it that it works, and works pretty good. The special effects look a bit dated, but they're so hilarious that you won't care. (insert "butthead" scene here.) The "shunting" scene is still difficult to watch for people like me who have a low tolerance for sadism and gore, but I've seen gorier and the concept was so innovative that I had to appreciate it.

If you ever wanted to see one of those sappy teen movies from the 80s, (preferably the ones that starred Michael J. Fox or Molly Ringwald) tortured, dismembered and publicly humiliated, then this might just be the film for you.

Bill Whitney is a teenager who feels he doesn't fit in with his upper-class family. He thinks they might be hiding something evil, and though he attends therapy, it doesn't assuage his fears. One day Bill sees a strange vision of his sister transforming into a grotesque creature and- after her ex-boyfriend David gives him a cassette that seems to confirm his suspicions- he is determined to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. After David is murdered, Bill is thrust into a race against time, battling a force more powerful and monstrous than he could have ever imagined.

Directed by Brian Yuzna- who wrote 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'- and written by Zeph E. Daniel and Rick Fry, 'Society' is a fiendishly dark satire about the class system, containing make-up effects that rival those in John Carpenter's 'The Thing'. A bizarre, eerie journey into the hidden world of the rich and powerful, it draws inspiration from other cult classics, such as David Cronenberg's 'Videodrome' or David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet'. The narrative- though cliched in places- explores interesting themes, among them the corruption of the elite and the alienation of the outsider. Its thesis is that the rich- quite literally- feed off the poor, which is a common enough trope; though Yuzna makes good use of it.

The film has a comedic edge, and is full of fantastical body horror, as disturbing as it is inventive. The special effects and make-up from Joji Tani- known professionally as Screaming Mad George- are truly out of this world. In the latter half especially, Tani's bizarre and brilliant work is on full display, and could be seen as the real star of the show. His clever and creative effects make the film- which suffers from having a bloated first half, laden down with an unnecessary romantic sub-plot- unsettlingly unforgettable.

Matthew C. Jacobs's production design and Kelle DeForrest's art direction are similarly inspired, poking fun at the bourgeois, with their perfectly trimmed lawns and gaudy home furnishings. Additionally, Mark Ryder and Phil Davies's ironic soundtrack adds to the film's elements of parody, mocking the clichés and conventions of horror films. Furthermore, Rick Fichter's dynamic cinematography creates a contrast between the bright world of the upper class and the dark, gloomy one of the lower classes. He utilises shadows and lighting to great effect, juxtaposing the colourful with the dull, adding to the film's themes and overall message.

'Society' finds Billy Warlock starring as Bill Whitney, alongside Tim Bartell as David, Patrice Jennings as Bill's sister Jenny and Devin DeVasquez as his love interest, the mysterious Clarissa. Warlock possesses the same boyish charm that Michael J. Fox had, and delivers a witty, charismatic performance of no vanity. He endears himself to the audience immediately, and portrays Bill's confusion, fear, and anger with aplomb, as he delves deeper into a nightmare of paranoia and betrayal.

His supporting cast are a bit of a mixed bag, thanks in large part to Fry and Daniel's scant secondary characterisation. Bartell and Jennings do decent work, though it's not much to write home about. DeVasquez is a little wooden, and doesn't have much chemistry with Warlock, while Ben Meyerson's over-the-top performance as Bill's nemesis Ted Ferguson is simply irritating. The real stand out is David Wiley, in the all too small role of Judge Carter. Menacing and slimy, his work lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled.

In closing, Brian Yuzna's 'Society' is a memorable movie, though it is far from perfect. The narrative is peppered with unnecessary sub-plots and cliches, while screenwriters Fry and Daniel's secondary characterisation leaves a lot to be desired. Conversely, its satire works well, and most of the humour lands. Moreover, the special effects from Screaming Mad George are captivatingly creepy and hard to forget, while star Billy Warlock's central performance is engaging and commendable. The production design is of a high quality, and, though 'Society' has its problems; it is definitely worth a watch for fans of the grotesque and macabre.