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Stars: Nita-Josee Hanna, Owen Myre, Matthew Ninaber, Steven Vlahos, Adam Brooks, Alexis Kara Hancey, Kristen MacCulloch, Anna Tierney, Roxine Latoya Plummer, Alex Chung, Scout Flint | Written and Directed by Steven Kostanski

Psycho Goreman is one of those movies that I was about 90% sure I was going to love even though all I knew about it was its title and a handful of images I had seen online. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

The story is as ridiculous as it should be for a film titled Psycho Goreman. We see siblings Mimi and Luke “unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth millions of years ago after a failed attempt to destroy the universe. They nickname the evil creature Psycho Goreman (or PG for short)and use the magical amulet they discovered to force him to obey their childish whims.” And if that doesn’t sell you on...

One of the trends of our time is the way that extreme culture can wind up turning into kiddie culture. Head-banging metal that was once the down-and-dirty province of those in their teens and twenties had evolved, by the time of “School of Rock,” into a grade-school activity as wholesome as choir practice. “Psycho Goreman,” written and directed by Steven Kostanski, offers a variation on the same phenomenon. In spirit if not in fact, it’s a Troma film — in this case, a gonzo absurdist intergalactic sci-fi horror comedy that flaunts the gory ingenuity of its no-budget analog effects, along with a lot of so-broad-it’s-camp acting. “Psycho Goreman” wants to bring back those heady Troma fumes. But this one, quite knowingly, is like “The Toxic Avenger” remade by the Robert Rodriguez of “Spy Kids.”

The title monster is an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth after a...

It opens with a gladiator-level war of attrition between two middle school-aged siblings in their backyard. The game is called “crazy ball” and the loser gets buried alive. Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) pick-up their respective dodgeballs, throw them as far behind themselves as possible, and run after the other as fast as they can to try and take advantage of the five-point bonus “butt shot” rule. Writer/director Steven Kostanski shoots it like battle with blaring score, close-up scowls, and pools of mud leading towards the inevitable “switcheroo” that makes it so you can steal victory from the jaws of defeat with a punch to the gut. And through it all is the playful absurdity we can expect from a movie titled PG: Psycho Goreman.

The sequence’s best part, however, is an outlier lasting just a few seconds. Kostanski shifts the vantage point to what appears to be an upstairs window.

The year is still young, but it's safe to say that PG: Psycho Goreman is one of the craziest cinematic experiences hitting theaters in 2021. Created by writer and director Steven Kostanski, this sci-fi horror mash-up isn't quite like anything ever screened at Drive-Ins or rented On Demand. It's a wild ride that brings non-stop fun at a time when the world needs it most. And it's sure to please genre fans of just about any age.

PG: Psycho Goreman is hard to describe in any real sense, though it has been compared to the 1987 cult hit Monster Squad. It also feels very much like the most twisted episode of Power Rangers sprinkled with a bit of Amblin magic and some strong Terror Vision vibes. It's clear that Steven Kostanski wants to launch a franchise with Psycho Goreman, and his own signature stamp is firmly smashed across the front of it.

The first trailer for Psycho Goreman has been revealed and, not to overstate things, but we could be looking at the most over-the-top horror experience of 2020. That may sound like a bold claim, but the amount of insanity and monster carnage packed into this trailer, which clocks in at just over a minute long, speaks volumes. This is also the latest from The Void director Steven Kostanski, who has delivered the goods in the past.

Things kick off with a pair of kids discovering a powerful, deadly monster who will kill anyone they ask. What could possibly go wrong? The trailer comes with a classic narration that we simply don't hear that often, which adds a lot to the atmosphere. The footage is filled with practical monster effects, including a gigantic brain with googly eyes, amongst many others. It's also gleefully and unapologetically violent. The trailer even plays into the...

Next month, the 2020 SXSW Film Festival kicks off in Austin, Texas, and this week, we finally have a look at the fest’s killer Midnighter slate, which includes one of this writer’s favorite films from Sundance, Natalie Erika James’ Relic. The 2020 lineup also features another Sundance 2020 title, Run Sweetheart Run, as well the latest from filmmaker Natasha Kermani (who recently helmed Imitation Girl), entitled Lucky, and The Void co-director Steven Kostanski’s latest gore-fest, PG (Psycho Goreman).

Other featured Midnighters include Dembanger from John Berardo, Elle Callahan’s Witch Hunt, The Vigil from writer/director Keith Thomas, and the Belgian zombie flick, Yummy. Check out the full rundown to see all of this year’s Midnighters, which will play during SXSW 2020 this March.

Dembanger

Director: John Berardo, Screenwriters: John Berardo, Lindsay Lavanchy, Brian Frager

Ellery Scott's world unravels when her star athlete brother is murdered on campus amidst a brewing scandal,...

The annual South by Southwest Conference and Festival is known for having a lineup of programming that makes Austin bust at the seams — and its slate for the 27th edition of the film festival isn’t any different. After already unveiling its initial roster of films, SXSW has now announced its lineup of Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts, Episodic Pilots, Special Events and more.

SXSW Midnighters section is a favorite among festival-goers as it includes weird, electric, and sometimes terrifying selection of titles. Featuring 10 genre films, the Midnighters slate includes an array of dark comedies, thrillers, sci-fi, mystery and slasher pics with a mix of established and first-time filmmakers. With Midnighters and addition of Festival Favorites as well as 10 additional film, the SXSW Film Festival now has a robust 135 total features on its slate.

SXSW runs March 13-22. Below you can read additions to the 2020 SXSW Film Festival lineup. You can...

After unveiling its first lineup of feature film offerings last month, the SXSW Film Festival is rolling out more additions to its 2020 program. The annual Texas festival has already announced its features and episodic premieres, and now those picks are joined by Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts, and Special Events, plus late-addition features and the full list of Episodic Pilot Competition shows.

This year’s program has 135 Feature Films, including 99 world premieres, nine North American premieres, five U.S. Premieres, 75 films from first-time filmmakers, and 119 short films. The lineup also features music videos, episodic premieres, pilots, special events, and Vr projects.

Today’s announcement sees additions to nearly every section of the feature film lineup, including the popular Midnighters section. Standouts include there Shana Feste’s “Run Sweetheart Run” and Natalie Erick James’ “Relic,” both of which premiered at Sundance in January, along with the U.S. premiere of Keith Thomas...

The SXSW festival has announced its program for the Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts, Special Events, Episodic Pilot Competition, and late addition Features for its 2020 film festival.

This year’s program has 135 feature films, including 99 world premieres, 9 North American premieres, 5 U.S. premieres, and 75 films from first-time filmmakers. The SXSW Midnighters section is a favorite for festival attendees who like the weird, electric and terrifying selections. It includes dark comedies, thrillers and slasher horror.

“Programming the Midnighters section this year felt especially invigorating,” Jarod Neece, SXSW Senior Film Programmer, said. “The filmmaking teams, while particularly diverse, all seem to be using their films as a cathartic lens to view the modern-day world. One trend we noticed was the presence of a strong female protagonist fighting off everything from hordes of zombies, bad dates, creepy rideshare drivers and supernatural forces. As always, genre filmmaking can be found throughout the SXSW program, and...